After a Colorado hailstorm, one of the most common questions homeowners ask is a simple one: is my roof actually damaged? It is a fair thing to wonder, because the honest answer is that most hail damage is not something you can confirm from the ground. This guide covers the signs to look for, how a real inspection works, what it takes to qualify for an insurance claim, and what to do next. It is the same ground the video above walks through.

Hail damage at a glance

Here is the short version before we get into the detail.

What does hail damage look like on a roof?

Hail damage shows up differently depending on the surface it hits. The easy signs are the ones you can spot around the house without climbing anything:

• Dents in your car, the hood, or the roof of the vehicle if it was parked outside during the storm.
• Dings and cracks in soft metal surfaces like gutters, downspouts, vents, and the metal flashing around your chimney.
• Damage to siding, garage doors, AC fins, and window screens, which tells you the storm carried enough force to hurt the roof too.

On the roof itself, the signs are harder to read. On an asphalt shingle, a hail hit shows up as a bruise: a dark spot where the granules have been knocked away and the soft mat underneath is exposed. Press on one of these spots and it often feels soft, like a bruise on an apple. On a metal or steel roof, hail leaves visible dents but the surface usually holds up far better. That difference in how materials take a hit is exactly why impact resistant products matter in Colorado.

Can I tell if my roof has hail damage from the ground?

In most cases, no. This is the part that surprises homeowners the most. A roof can take real, claimable hail damage and still look completely normal from the driveway. The bruising and granule loss that an adjuster is looking for are small, they are spread across the slopes, and they simply are not visible from forty feet below. If you wait until you can see a problem from the ground, you have usually waited until the damage has already started to cause leaks. The signs around the house, the dented gutters and the damaged siding, are your real clue. They tell you it is time to get up on the roof, or have someone do it for you.

How do roofers inspect a roof for hail damage?

A proper hail inspection is methodical, not a quick glance. Here is how the Excel Roofing team approaches it, and it mirrors what a good insurance adjuster will do:

• Check every slope. A roof has multiple slopes facing different directions. We inspect the north, south, east, and west facing slopes separately, because a storm usually hits one or two sides harder than the others.
• Mark a test square. On each slope we chalk out a 10 foot by 10 foot square, which is the same test area an adjuster uses. This keeps the inspection fair and consistent across the whole roof.
• Count the hits. Inside that square we count the hail hits: the bruises, the spots of granule loss, and any cracked or fractured shingles. We are looking for fresh, random impact marks, not the wear that comes from normal aging.
• Check the soft metal. We look at the vents, the flashing, the gutters, and the ridge for fresh dents, because metal damage is hard to argue with and helps confirm the storm date.

That test square method is the heart of it. It turns a vague question, does my roof have damage, into a number that both the contractor and the insurance company can agree on.

How much hail damage does it take to qualify for a claim?

Insurance companies do not approve a roof replacement for one or two dents. They are looking for enough damage across the roof to say the system as a whole has been compromised. Inside that 10 foot by 10 foot test square, many carriers look for somewhere in the range of eight to ten hail hits to qualify a single slope. When enough slopes hit that threshold, the roof qualifies for replacement rather than a patch job. The exact number can vary by carrier and by adjuster, which is one more reason it helps to have a roofer who inspects to the same standard standing on the roof with you. Our job is to make sure every qualifying hit gets found and documented, so nothing that should count gets missed.

What should I do if I think my roof has hail damage?

If a storm has rolled through and you are seeing the warning signs, here is the order to follow:

• Get a free roof inspection first. Before you ever call your insurance company, have a roofing contractor inspect the roof and tell you honestly whether there is real, claimable damage. If there is not, you have lost nothing. If there is, you now know it is worth filing.
• File the claim. If the damage is there, contact your insurer and report a hail claim with the date of the storm. Your contractor can help you get the date and details right.
• Meet the adjuster with your contractor present. When the insurance adjuster comes out to inspect, have your roofer there to walk the roof with them. This is the single most important step, and I will explain why next.

Calling your contractor before your insurer is not about gaming the system. It is about not filing a claim you do not need, and not missing a claim you do.

How does the hail insurance claim process work?

Once a claim is filed, the process follows a fairly predictable path. Understanding it ahead of time takes a lot of the stress out of it:

• The inspection. Your insurance company sends an adjuster to inspect the roof and confirm the damage. When your contractor is on the roof at the same time, you have someone making sure every qualifying slope and every hit is accounted for.
• The estimate. The adjuster writes up a scope of work, usually in a software called Xactimate, that lists what they will pay for. A good contractor reviews this line by line to catch anything that was left out.
• Agreeing on scope. The contractor and the insurance company work from the same numbers until they reach an agreed total for the full, correct repair. This is the handshake moment: two estimates becoming one approved scope.
• The deductible. On an approved claim, your out of pocket cost is usually limited to your deductible, not the full price of the roof. The insurance pays the rest of the agreed amount.

This is why a roofer working on your behalf can be the difference between a roof that gets fully replaced and one that gets a partial payout that leaves you short.

Should I wait or act on possible hail damage?

Timing matters with hail claims, so it helps to know when to move and when it is fine to hold.

Most insurance policies have a window for filing a hail claim after the storm date, so when in doubt, get the inspection done. It costs you nothing to know.

How much does it cost to replace a hail damaged roof?

If your claim is approved, remember that your cost is usually limited to your deductible rather than the full price. Still, it helps to know the real numbers. The ranges below reflect Excel Roofing's 2026 installed pricing in Colorado, shown per square, which is 100 square feet of roof.

When you do replace a hail damaged roof, it is worth asking about Class 4 impact resistant shingles. They are built to take a hail hit far better than a standard shingle, they can qualify you for an insurance discount with many carriers, and in Hail Alley they often pay for themselves over the life of the roof.

Get a free hail damage inspection

If a storm has you wondering about your roof, the smartest move is also the easiest one: let us take a look. Excel Roofing has been inspecting Colorado roofs since 1993, we are an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, and our hail inspections are free and honest. If your roof is fine, we will tell you. If it has damage, we will document every bit of it and stand on the roof with your adjuster to make sure your claim is handled right.

You Don't Pay A Cent Until You're Content.

Call Excel Roofing or request your free inspection online. We're On Top Of It.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my roof has hail damage?

You usually cannot confirm it from the ground. Look for indirect signs first, such as dented gutters, damaged siding, and dings on metal vents or flashing. The only reliable way to know is a close up inspection of the roof slopes, where a roofer checks for bruised shingles and granule loss. A free roof inspection is the simplest way to get a definite answer.

What does hail damage look like on shingles?

On an asphalt shingle, hail damage looks like a dark bruise where the granules have been knocked off, exposing the black mat underneath. The spot often feels soft when you press on it. The hits are random and scattered, which is what separates hail damage from the even wear of normal aging.

Can hail damage be invisible from the ground?

Yes. A roof can have real, claimable hail damage and still look perfectly normal from the driveway. The bruising and granule loss are small and spread across the slopes, so they are not visible from below. By the time damage is obvious from the ground, it has often already led to leaks.

How much hail damage is needed for an insurance claim?

Adjusters mark a 10 foot by 10 foot test square on each slope and count the hail hits inside it. Many carriers look for roughly eight to ten hits in that square to qualify a slope. When enough slopes meet the threshold, the roof qualifies for replacement. The exact number varies by carrier and adjuster.

Should I call a roofer or my insurance company first?

Call a roofing contractor first for a free inspection. That way you find out whether you actually have claimable damage before you file. If the damage is real, your contractor can help you file correctly and be present when the adjuster inspects, so nothing that should be covered gets missed.

Will my insurance cover a hail damaged roof?

If an adjuster confirms enough hail damage, most homeowner policies cover the replacement, and your out of pocket cost is usually limited to your deductible rather than the full price. Having a contractor agree on the scope with your insurer helps make sure the full, correct repair is covered.

How long do I have to file a hail claim?

Most policies have a filing window tied to the date of the storm, and that window varies by insurer and policy. Because the clock starts at the storm date, the safest approach is to get your roof inspected soon after a significant hailstorm rather than waiting.