Wind damage signs
Wind damage is easier to spot than hail damage because it tends to be visible from the ground. The hallmarks:
- Missing shingles — entire shingle blown off, exposing the underlayment or deck
- Lifted shingles — corner or edge curled up where the wind broke the seal
- Creased shingles — bent at the seal line; the seal is now broken even if the shingle hasn't blown off yet
- Diagonal patterns — wind damage often runs in diagonal stripes following the storm direction
- Missing ridge cap — ridge cap shingles are most exposed and blow off first
- Wind-driven debris damage — branches, lawn furniture, signs etc. striking the roof
Hail damage signs
Hail damage is harder to see — bruises are small (quarter-sized), randomly distributed, and don't change the shingle's shape. The hallmarks:
- Round dark spots where granules are missing in a circular pattern
- Random distribution across the slope (not in stripes or rows)
- Soft-metal damage on gutters, downspouts, AC fins (always check these first)
- Concentrated on storm-facing slopes
- Often invisible the day after the storm; becomes more obvious as bruised shingles shed granules over months
What insurance covers — and the gotchas
Both wind and hail are 'covered perils' on standard homeowners insurance policies in the US. Both should pay out if you can prove the damage occurred during a storm event. The gotchas to know:
- Some policies have a separate 'wind/hail deductible' that's higher than your normal deductible (often 1-5% of dwelling coverage). Check your declarations page
- Florida, Texas, and other coastal states often have a 'named storm deductible' that's even higher and applies only to hurricanes and tropical storms
- Cosmetic-damage exclusions are common in some carrier policies — they'll deny claims for hail bruises that don't yet show through to the deck. This is fightable but needs documentation
- ACV (actual cash value) policies depreciate the roof — you'll get less than full replacement cost for older roofs
Filing a combined wind + hail claim
Most damaging storms include both wind and hail. If your roof shows both types of damage, file ONE claim that covers both — don't split it into two claims. Multiple claims trigger more carrier scrutiny and can affect your policy at renewal. Document both types of damage clearly with photos. Your contractor's estimate should describe both, and the adjuster's scope should pay for both. If they only pay for one, file a supplement.