Check the soft metal first
Gutters, downspouts, gutter aprons, vent caps and flashing dent long before shingles show anything. If the metal on your house is peppered, the roof almost certainly took hits too.
Look for granules where water lands
A handful of dark sand at the bottom of the downspout, or in the splash zone at the end of the extension, means the shingle surface is losing its protective layer. After a hail event, that is a strong signal.
What hail damage looks like up close
- Round, dark bruises where granules are knocked away
- A soft spot you can feel with a thumb, like a bruise on fruit
- Cracked or shattered shingle surfaces on older, brittle roofs
- Random pattern, not lines, not rows, not wear
What is not hail damage
Blistering, algae streaking, normal granule wear and manufacturing defects all get mistaken for hail. A good inspector will tell you which one you have, because filing on the wrong thing wastes your time and the carrier's.
Why timing matters
Hail bruises weather over time and eventually become hard to distinguish from age. Documenting close to the storm date is what protects the claim.