Hail and wind damage roof inspection and repair in Central Texas

What should I do after hail hits my roof?

In this order. Stay off the roof — wet, hail-covered composition is genuinely dangerous. From the ground, photograph what you can see safely: dents in gutters, downspouts, window screens and AC condenser fins, and shingle debris in the yard. Write down the date. Get the roof inspected by somebody who will actually climb it. Then, and only then, decide whether to file.

How can I tell if my roof has hail damage?

From the ground, mostly you cannot, which is the whole problem. On the roof we look for a bruise: a soft, dark circle where the stone knocked granules off and fractured the mat underneath, which you can often feel with a thumb before you can see it. Round granule loss with no directional pattern, dents in soft metal — vents, valleys, flashing, gutter aprons — and split ridge caps point the same way. Blistering, scuffs from an old repair and ordinary weathering look similar to a homeowner and different to a HAAG-certified inspector.

What does wind damage look like?

Wind lifts rather than dents. Shingles crease across the tab where they were bent back and dropped again, and a creased shingle has lost its seal even when it looks fine from the driveway. We look along rakes, ridges and hips where uplift is highest, at ridge cap that has slid or torn, at backed-out fasteners, and at flashing that has been peeled and pushed back down. A branch through the decking is obvious. The creases are not, and they leak in the next storm.

Should I file an insurance claim for hail damage?

Your decision, and it should be made with the photographs in front of you rather than in the week after a storm because a truck was on your street. Damage unlikely to be approved still costs you a claim on your record; damage that clearly totals the roof usually should be filed. Your wind-and-hail deductible in Texas is often a percentage of the dwelling coverage rather than a flat figure, so check what yours actually is first.

You file your own claim; we inspect and document; we meet your adjuster on site if you invite us; we build to the approved scope and supplement with evidence when the scope is short; we do not promise an outcome, and Texas law forbids waiving your deductible. We are not public adjusters and cannot negotiate your settlement — Texas Insurance Code §4102.163 forbids it — and HB 2102 makes waiving, absorbing or rebating a deductible a Class B misdemeanor.The full sequence, with the statutes cited, is in our Texas roof insurance claims guide.

How long after a storm do I have to file a roof claim in Texas?

Sooner than most people think, and the deadline sits in your policy rather than in a single statute — Texas residential policies generally require prompt notice and set an outer limit measured from the date of loss. The practical answer is that the older the storm, the harder it is to show this damage came from that day. Read your policy or ask your agent for the notice provision in writing. Our claim guide goes through it properly.

Will my insurance rates go up if I file a hail claim?

It depends on your carrier, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. A weather claim is not an at-fault claim, but carriers differ on how claim history affects renewal pricing in a hail-exposed county, and only your agent can tell you how yours treats it. Ask before you file. Pushing the other way: Texas carriers commonly discount for Class 4 impact-rated shingles, which is what we install.

A roofer knocked on my door after the storm — should I sign anything?

Not that day, and not on a hood. Anyone promising to get your claim approved, handle the insurance company for you, or make your deductible disappear is describing something Texas law does not allow a roofer to do. Ask for a physical address, ask whether the crew is theirs or subcontracted, ask for a certificate of insurance, and read the cancellation terms indoors before you sign. We are at 100 Commons Rd in Dripping Springs, our number does not change between storms, and nothing we quote expires tonight.

What else does hail hit besides the roof?

Gutters and downspouts, window screens, garage doors, AC condenser fins, fascia and siding. We photograph all of it, because a dented gutter is evidence about the roof above it. See gutters and siding.