Hail Damage Documentation for Texas Homeowners

Start with soft metals: gutters, downspouts, drip edge, AC unit tops, and vent caps. These surfaces show consistent, measurable impact patterns that correlate directly to hail size. Soft-metal documentation is the most reliable ground-level hail indicator, and it can be started safely from the ground.

Ground-level indicators, consistent dents in gutters, AC fins, and painted trim, are the first signal. Roof-surface damage requires roof-level access: look for impact bruising (dark spots where granules are displaced), cracked shingles, and mat fracture visible under granule displacement. The Roof Shepherd documents roof-surface conditions safely.

Documentation before insurance contact is preferable. Once a claim is filed, any documentation produced afterward can be questioned as motivated. A condition record made before claim filing, and before any contractor visit, cannot be questioned on those grounds.

3/4 inch (penny-sized) hail can dent soft metals. 1 inch (quarter-sized) hail begins to cause measurable impact bruising on standard shingles. 1.5 inches and larger causes visible damage to standard architectural shingles and soft metals that is consistent and documentable at roof level. Class 4 impact-resistant shingles resist damage from larger hail than standard materials.

Sooner is better. Fresh hail bruising and granule loss are easiest to identify and photograph clearly in the days after a storm, and delays let normal weathering blur the picture. There is no universal deadline, and your policy sets its own reporting window, so document promptly and keep your own dated record regardless of when you decide to file.

Your own dated photos and notes do not hurt anything; they add a record you control. What matters is that the documentation is clear, complete, and honest about what is actually present. An assessment made before any repair is proposed simply gives you a thorough second set of eyes. Your insurer still makes the final coverage decision.