What to Do After a Hail Storm: A Homeowner's Guide to Roof Damage & Insurance Claims

Hail season in the west metro is short and unfair. A storm can cross Minnetonka, Hopkins, and St. Louis Park in fifteen minutes and leave one street with shredded shingles while the next block gets nothing. What you do in the days afterward largely determines how smoothly your claim goes.

Step 1: Look for damage safely, from the ground

Do not climb a wet roof after a storm. Almost everything an adjuster cares about has a visible clue at ground level.

• Dents or dings on gutters, downspouts, fascia, and metal vents.
• Bruised or pitted spots where shingle granules were knocked loose.
• Dents in your AC condenser fins, mailbox, or grill — good proxies for hail size.
• Damage to siding, window screens, and deck boards on the storm-facing side.
• Granule piles at downspout outlets.

Metal accessories are the most useful tell. If the vents and gutter aprons are dented, the shingles almost certainly took hits too.

Step 2: Document everything with dates

Take wide photos showing the whole elevation, then close-ups of individual damage points. Photograph hail on the ground next to a coin or ruler if you can do it safely while it's still there. Note the date and rough time the storm hit — adjusters work by storm date.

Handle emergency water intrusion first

If water is actively coming in, mitigating the damage is both allowed and expected. Tarp it, catch the water, move belongings, and keep receipts. Don't start permanent repairs before the adjuster sees it.

Step 3: Get a professional inspection before you file

A qualified roofer can tell you whether you actually have claimable damage. That matters, because filing a claim for cosmetic wear that gets denied still puts a claim on your record. An honest inspection saves you that.

When we inspect after a storm, we walk the roof, mark impact points, photograph each slope, and tell you plainly whether we think there's a claim. If there isn't, we say so.

Step 4: File the claim and prepare for the adjuster

Call your insurer, give them the storm date, and ask what documentation they want. When the adjuster schedules, ask your roofer to be there. Having the contractor and adjuster on the roof at the same time prevents most scope disputes.

What adjusters typically evaluate

• Number of qualifying impacts within a test square on each slope.
• Whether damage is functional (affecting the roof's ability to shed water) or cosmetic.
• Damage to soft metals and other accessories that corroborates hail size.
• Pre-existing wear versus storm-caused damage.

Step 5: Read the scope, not just the total

Insurance estimates are line-item documents. Check that they include everything a real replacement needs: tear-off, underlayment, ice-and-water membrane, drip edge, ridge vent, pipe boots, flashing, and disposal. Missing line items are common and usually fixable with a supplement backed by photos.

Understand your deductible and whether your policy pays replacement cost or actual cash value. That single distinction changes your out-of-pocket cost substantially.

How to avoid storm-chaser contractors

After a big hail event, out-of-state crews flood the metro. Some are fine. Many disappear the week after the last check clears — and a warranty from a company that no longer exists is worth nothing.

• Be skeptical of anyone who knocks and pressures you to sign that day.
• Never sign a document that assigns your claim or authorizes work contingent on approval you haven't read.
• Ask where the company's office is and who will be on your roof.
• Walk away from any offer to 'cover' or 'eat' your deductible — that's insurance fraud in Minnesota.

A local contractor still answers the phone in three years. We work with adjusters across Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, and Plymouth regularly, and we're here after the storm season ends.

Get a real assessment after the storm

If hail crossed your neighborhood, get eyes on your roof before the next rain. Call Rocket Roofing at 952.649.6449 or request a fast quote — we'll walk the roof with you, document what we find, and work directly with your adjuster so the scope matches the actual damage.