How to Identify Hail Damage to Shingles

Look at the gutter downspouts on your home. The Nebraska Department of Insurance states that you may be able to identify hail damage to your shingles by noticing granules, or small shavings of shingle, gathered in your downspouts. This may be difficult to achieve, however, if your gutters are not clean, and granules alone are not a definitive proof of shingle damage.

Inspect your shingles by using a ladder to mount your roof. To minimize the risk of injury, wait until the weather is dry.

Look for bruises on your shingles. A bruise is an area in which some of the granules have come off the shingle. According to the Proceedings of the North American Conference on Roofing Technology, a bruise will feel softer than the rest of the shingle when you touch it with your finger. Use a magnifying glass if needed to see smaller strike marks.

Scan the entire roof to determine if the bruising or other damage you see, such as cracking or blistering of the shingles, is uniform or random in its pattern. As explained by the Nebraska Department of Insurance, hail damage is random, and will not appear in the same spot on every damaged shingle. A more regular pattern of bruising is likely not hail damage, but damage from another source.

Call your insurance company once you have identified what you think is hail damage. An adjuster will visit your home and examine your roof to confirm your findings and to file a claim for damage.