How can you tell if your roof has hail damage?
Short answer. Start on the ground: look for fresh dents on gutters, downspouts, roof vents and air conditioner fins, piles of granules at downspout outlets, and dings on cars, mailboxes and siding. Those signs mean hail was big enough to check the roof, where damage shows as random dark spots, missing granules and soft, bruised areas that an up-close inspection confirms.
Ground-level clues, in order
- Gutters and downspouts. Round dents or chipped paint on the top edge of gutters and the sides of downspouts.
- Granules. Fresh piles of shingle granules at downspout outlets after the storm.
- Soft metals. Dents on roof vents, flashing and chimney caps, visible with binoculars.
- Air conditioner. Bent fins on the outdoor unit.
- Everything else. Dings on mailboxes, grills, cars, window screens, and spatter marks on decks or fences.
What hail damage on shingles looks like
- Random dark spots where granules were knocked off, with no pattern.
- Soft spots that feel like a bruised apple when pressed.
- Cracks radiating from impact points or exposed fiberglass mat.
- Damage concentrated on the slopes facing the storm's direction.
How big does hail need to be?
Hail around 1 inch in diameter and larger is commonly where asphalt shingle damage begins, though older, brittle shingles can be damaged by smaller stones and wind-driven hail hits harder. Check reported hail sizes for your zip code on the free North Georgia Hail Map.
What not to do
Do not climb onto a wet or damaged roof. Note the storm date, photograph what you see from the ground, and have the roof inspected promptly, because policies require timely reporting. Georgia's storm pattern is covered in Georgia hail season, and if you are replacing anyway, impact-resistant shingles in Georgia explains the upgrade.