The honest answer: you usually can't tell, not from the ground. And even up close, the untrained eye overlooks most hail damage. Our trained inspectors will check your entire roof system and give you a free damage report.
From 20 feet below, a hail-hit roof and a healthy roof look almost the same. The damage is small, spread out, and often doesn't show until months later.
A roof that looks "fine." Maybe a few dents in the gutters. No missing shingles, no leaks — yet.
Most homeowners stop here and assume they're good. That's how storm damage goes undocumented until it turns into leaks and rot.
Bruises — soft spots where hail cracked the shingle mat under the surface. You can feel them, but you often can't see them.
Granule loss — the protective layer knocked off, leaving the asphalt open to sun and water.
Fractures and cracks — tiny breaks that let water in a little more after every rain.
Damage to the rest of the system — vents, flashing, pipe boots, skylights, ridge caps and gutters.
Hail damage is long-term damage. The real cost shows up over time, not the day of the storm.
You get a bruise. It hurts for a while, then your body repairs itself. A few weeks later, you're back to normal. You heal because you're human.
Every hailstone is a punch. But a roof has no way to repair itself. Every bruise and every crack stays there — and gets worse with each round of sun, rain, heat and freezing.
Hail bruises shingles and knocks off granules. The roof still looks fine from the ground.
Bare spots bake in the sun. The asphalt dries out, gets brittle and starts to crack.
Cracks open up. Water works under the shingles and into the decking, insulation and ceilings.
Leaks, rot and mold, plus a storm date that's hard to prove after this much time.
Even "small" hail adds up. In a 2025 study, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) found that repeated hits from hail under 1 inch knocked off more granules overall than a single 2-inch hailstone. Shingles that had been through small hail and a year of weathering were about ten times more likely to be damaged by the next big hailstorm.
Source: IBHS research, reported by Insurance Journal, Oct. 2025.
You can safely check these from the ground. They don't tell you how badly your roof was hit. They tell you it's time to get it inspected.
Soft metal shows hail hits clearly. If the gutters are dented, the roof took hits too.
Look for sand-like grit at the bottom of downspouts or along the drip line after a storm.
Look for dented AC fins, mailboxes, and metal vents or caps you can see from the yard.
Look for chipped paint, cracked vinyl siding, or torn window screens on the side facing the storm.
Look for dents on cars, grills, patio furniture or fences left out during the storm.
If roofers are working on your street, the same storm almost certainly crossed your roof.
Please don't climb on your roof. Wet or damaged roofs are slippery, and ladder falls are a leading cause of serious home injuries. Besides, what to look for up there takes training. Let our inspectors handle it, for free.
Our team brings 25+ years of hands-on storm restoration experience. We take the time to document what we find, with photos and notes you can show anyone who asks.
A free report showing what we found, with photos of the damage across your roof system, so you know exactly where your roof stands and what your options are.
If there's no damage, we'll give you a Clearance Certificate showing your roof's condition on the inspection date. Keep it on file for your insurance company and for any future storm claims.
No. Hail damage almost never leaks right away. Bruised and cracked shingles can hold up for months before water starts getting through. By the time you see a ceiling stain, the damage has been there a while.
Larger hail (1 inch and up) can damage a roof in a single storm. But recent IBHS research shows that repeated smaller hail also wears roofs down and makes them far more likely to fail in the next big storm. Wind speed, the angle of the hail, and your roof's age and material all matter too, which is why an inspection beats guessing.
You can check the ground-level clues above. But please don't climb up there. Hail bruises are often found by touch and trained eye, not just by looking, and an untrained look usually misses them.
Yes. The inspection and the report are free. If you later sign a Project Agreement, its fee and cancellation terms are at SkyViewRestore.com/terms. If there's no damage, you also get a Clearance Certificate to keep on file.
It's dated proof of your roof's condition. If a storm hits later, you'll have a record showing your roof was in good shape before that storm. That's useful for your insurance file and any future claim.
Every insurance policy is different, and many set time limits for reporting storm damage. Check your policy. The sooner your roof is inspected and documented after a storm, the better.
Yes. We inspect residential and commercial roof systems nationwide, including flat roofs, metal, tile and historic tile.
Tell us about your roof and the storm. A member of our team will answer your question and set up your free inspection if you'd like one.
Damage or no damage, you'll know where your roof stands, and you'll have it in writing.
