Guide
What hail damage on a roof looks like
Bruises, missing granules and dents, and the hail size that makes them.
Short answer
On asphalt shingles, hail leaves round dark spots where the granules have been knocked off, often soft when pressed, like a bruise on fruit, and in larger storms cracked or torn shingle edges. It usually starts at about 1 inch hail. Metal roofs show round dents, and wood shakes split with sharp, light-coloured edges. The damage is rarely visible from the ground; dented gutters and vents are the easiest clue.
What to look for, by roof type
- Asphalt shingles: dark, roughly circular marks with the granules missing and the black mat showing; soft spots that give under a thumb; cracks radiating from an impact; granules collected in the gutters and at the downspout outlets.
- Metal: round dents on panels and ridge caps. Many policies treat purely cosmetic dents differently from damage that lets water in, so read yours.
- Wood shakes and shingles: fresh splits with sharp edges and a light, unweathered colour inside, often with a dent mark at the split.
- Tile and slate: cracked or broken pieces, and chips at the edges.
Check from the ground first
A roof is dangerous to walk on, and walking on hail-bruised shingles damages them further. Start with what you can see safely: dents in gutters, downspouts, roof vents and the fins of the air conditioning unit; spatter marks on painted surfaces; torn window screens; and granules washed out of the downspouts. If the soft metals are dented, the roof took the same hits, and a roofer or an adjuster should inspect it.
The hail size that does the damage
| Size | About the size of | Typical damage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 1½ in | quarter to ping-pong ball | Dents and chipped paint on vehicles; damage to tender plants. |
| 1½ to 2 in | golf ball | Vehicle dents and cracked windshields; shingle and gutter damage begins. |
| 2 to 2¾ in | hen egg to tennis ball | Widespread shingle damage, siding fractures, soft-metal dents. |
| 2¾ to 4 in | baseball to grapefruit | Severe roof and siding damage; broken windows; vehicle glass failure. |
| 4 in and larger | softball and larger | Structural damage, destroyed roofing, injury risk to people and animals outdoors. |
Older, brittle shingles and roofs in the sun take damage at smaller sizes; impact-resistant Class 4 shingles hold out at larger ones. The hail size chart covers every class.
Find the date of the storm
An insurer will ask for the date of loss. The ZIP lookup lists dated hail reports of 1 inch and larger for your county from NOAA’s Storm Events Database, 93,151 reports across 3,031 counties from 2016 to 2026. How a hail claim works covers the next steps.