According to the National Weather Service, we had 47 hailstorms in Michigan in 2019. Not surprisingly, the larger the hail, the greater the potential for damage. Usually, it takes hail of at least 1” in diameter to cause damage to your roof or home, but hail as small as a dime can cause issues.

Hail damage is usually covered by your homeowners insurance, but you should check your policy and call your insurance agent to make sure everything is up to date. Homeowners Insurance 101 will help you understand what you need.

Looking for Hail Damage to Roof

It’s a good idea to look for signs of damage to your roof after a hailstorm, as damage needs to be addressed before it becomes a bigger problem.

If you spot or suspect damage, contact us for a free hail inspection. We’ll give you a detailed report of what we find and advise you on the best way to proceed. We’ll even help you deal with your insurance company, if necessary.

It’s important to know that just because your neighbor has hail damage, it doesn’t mean you will and vice versa. Hail is funny like that, hitting certain areas while entirely skipping other ones.

Signs of Hail Damage to Roofs

  • Hail pacs: bursts in your shingles where the impact from the hail loosened the granules
  • Loose asphalt granules in your gutter downspouts
  • Dents in metal surfaces like your gutters, fascia, vent covers, etc.
  • Damage to other surfaces and structures, such as siding, fences, sheds, etc.

Hail Damage Repair and Insurance Coverage

As noted earlier, most homeowners policies will cover you in the event of hail damage, minus your deductible. The first thing you need to do is contact us to have a free hail inspection done. After the inspection, we’ll give you an estimate for roof repair or replacement and help you decide if it’s worth filing a claim (explanation: if the damage costs more than your deductible, it’s probably a good idea to file a claim).

Filing an Insurance Claim for Hail Damage

Here’s step-by-step what the process usually looks like if you have to file a claim for hail damage to your roof.

1. Contact your insurance company and inform them if you’ve already had a hail inspection done. 2. Provide a professional repair/replacement estimate, which we can provide. FYI, we use the same software, called Xactimate, as the majority of insurance companies to create a very accurate estimate.

Also, if you commit to using West Michigan Roofing as your contractor, we will act as your insurance advocate for the remainder of the claim process.

3. The insurance adjuster will come to check out the damage. If you’ve agreed to use us moving forward, will be there to walk them through their findings. Both West Michigan Roofing and the adjuster consider the size of the house, the amount of damage, quality of existing materials, degree of difficulty, underlayments, etc. 4. Your claim will be approved or denied. If approved, your insurance company will issue a check for 50-60% of the repair estimate. If the house is mortgaged, the check is usually issued to both the homeowner and the mortgage company, so the mortgage company is aware there’s been damage. They have to sign the check along with you, the homeowner. The check should be used as downpayment to the roofer, so they can start the work. 5. Roof is fixed or replaced. 6. Final bill is sent to your insurance company. Remaining funds are released in another two-party check. As the homeowner, you would pay the roofing company the remainder of what’s owed with this check, plus your deductible (because the insurance company usually subtracts the deductible from this 2nd check).

In the event of a hail storm, the most important thing is for you and your family to be safe. And afterwards, if you have damage, we’re here to help. Just contact us for a free hail inspection as soon as possible.