Back to Blog Storm Damage How to Identify Hail Damage on Your Roof (San Antonio Homeowner's Guide)
Mark WhiteApril 8, 20265 min read San Antonio averages 3-5 significant hail events per year. After each one, your inbox fills up with door-knocker postcards and your Ring doorbell captures a parade of guys offering 'free inspections.' Before you talk to any of them, here's what actual hail damage looks like, so you know whether you're dealing with real damage or a sales pitch.
What Hail Damage Actually Looks Like on Shingles
Legitimate hail damage on architectural shingles has specific characteristics:
- Random pattern, hail hits are randomly distributed across the roof, not concentrated in one area or in a line
- Dark spots where granules are knocked loose, these exposed asphalt spots are soft to the touch (you can press your thumb in and it gives)
- Dents or fractures in the shingle mat, on severe hits, you can feel a depression in the shingle
- Damage to soft metals, look at roof vents, gutters, and flashing for dents. If soft aluminum is dented, your shingles likely took damage too
- Consistent with hail direction, damage should be heavier on the side of the roof facing the storm's wind direction
What is NOT Hail Damage
Storm chasers love to point at these and call them 'hail damage.' They're not:
- Blistering, bubbles in shingles caused by trapped moisture or manufacturer defects. These are round but uniform and have a different texture than hail hits
- Foot traffic marks, scuff marks from people walking on the roof. These have a different shape than hail hits
- Normal granule loss from aging, gradual, uniform granule loss is just your roof getting older
- Algae staining, those dark streaks are algae, not damage
- Cracking from thermal cycling, straight-line cracks are temperature damage, not hail
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Before anyone gets on your roof, check these from the ground:
- Gutters and downspouts, look for dents in aluminum gutters
- Window screens, hail dents window screens consistently
- AC unit, check the condenser fins for hail dents
- Fence tops and mailbox, soft metals show hail impact clearly
- Car, if your car has fresh dents, your roof probably has damage too
When to Call a Professional
If you see dents on your soft metals (gutter installation, vents, AC unit), it's worth getting a professional free roof inspection. If none of those indicators are present, your roof likely weathered the storm fine.
Legacy Home Improvements offers free post-storm inspections with drone photography and a detailed written report. We'll tell you honestly whether you have a valid claim or not. Call (210) 272-7272.
Got a roofing question? Something keeping you up at night? (Besides that mysterious dripping sound?) Email me personally at mwhite@legacytx.com. I read and answer every single one.
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Owner, Legacy Home Improvements · San Antonio since 1999
Mark has been in the roofing business for over 25 years. He personally inspects homes, works with insurance adjusters, and answers every email at mwhite@legacytx.com.
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