Key takeaways
- Hail damage is random, round and often accompanied by dents on soft metals.
- Bruises can be felt as soft spots in the shingle.
- Check vents, gutters and flashing for matching dents.
- Wear patterns follow age and sun, not storms.
Hail damage is easy to miss from the ground, and easy to confuse with age. Knowing the difference matters if you need to document a storm.
What hail damage looks like
- Random, round marks. Hail falls everywhere, so the damage is scattered rather than in a neat line.
- Bruises. Press gently and the spot may feel soft or give. The mat underneath is cracked.
- Missing granules. Impacts knock granules loose and leave dark, bare spots.
- Dents in soft metals. Check roof vents, gutters, downspouts and flashing. Hail leaves clean, round dents.
What it is probably not
- Blistering. Often heat or ventilation related.
- Uniform granule loss across a slope. Usually age and sun.
- Cracks following nails. Often installation or thermal movement.
Safety first: do not climb a wet or damaged roof. Look from the ground with binoculars, or ask for an inspection. We would rather climb it ourselves.
If you suspect hail, document dents on soft metals and take photos from the ground, then call us. A trained eye on the roof settles the question.