How do I know if my roof has storm damage?
Wind and hail damage is often not visible from the ground. What shows up on the roof itself:
- Lifted or creased shingles
- Hail bruising that fractures the shingle mat
- Damaged flashing
- Displaced ridge cap
A roof that looks fine from the driveway doesn't rule out storm damage. Most of what matters is on the roof, not in the yard.
What does wind damage look like on a roof?
Wind does three things to shingles. It breaks the seal and lifts them, it folds them back and leaves a crease, and it tears them off. A creased shingle may lie flat again, but the seal is broken and the crease stays. A missing shingle leaves a dark patch or bare wood showing. Shingle pieces in the yard after a storm usually mean some are missing from the roof.
What does hail damage look like on a roof?
Soft metal shows hail first. Dents in the gutters, downspouts, roof vents and the metal along the fascia are often the first sign the shingles took hits too. On a shingle, a hail hit looks like a dark spot where the granules were knocked loose, sometimes soft to the touch. Fresh granules pile up where the downspouts drain. Most of it can only be confirmed up close, on the roof.
What size hail damages a roof?
The National Weather Service calls a storm severe (opens in a new tab) when it brings hail 1 inch across or larger, or winds of 58 mph or more. Small, pea size hail doesn't really damage shingles. Hail that big isn't common around Dayton, but it happens. On August 7, 2026, WYSO reported (opens in a new tab) one-inch hail east of Miamisburg and hail near Beavercreek, and the same storm's winds brought down trees in Dayton, Xenia and Kettering.
What should I do after a storm?
Note the date of the storm and anything you can see:
- Debris in the yard
- Shingle granules collecting at the base of downspouts or in the gutters
- Damaged fascia
- Interior signs, including a fresh ceiling stain
If it's safe, take photos from the ground. Don't climb up on the roof. A wet or steep roof is dangerous, and a professional inspection is both safer and far more thorough.
If damage is letting water in, the roof needs temporary protection before anything else happens. Emergency tarping buys you time while the claim is processed.
Should I have my roof inspected before I file a claim?
Helping Hands Roofing can be your first look, before you open a claim and have it on your record. If a storm did not cause damage your policy covers, it is better to know that before you file than after.
What we do:
- Inspect the roof
- Document what damage exists, with photographs
- Explain what we find in plain terms
- Check your insurance company's estimate against our own measurements
- Meet your insurance adjuster at your home
What we do not do:
We do not act as a public adjuster or an attorney, and we do not decide what your policy covers. Coverage is decided by your insurance company under the terms of your policy. Our job is to document the roof accurately, and to build the work correctly if a claim is approved.
What does a storm damage inspection cover?
The whole system, not just the shingles:
- Shingle field
- Flashings at walls and penetrations
- Vents
- Gutters
- Roof edges
Some of it we cover by drone, which lets us photograph the roof close up without walking it. Some of it requires physically getting on the roof and looking. The goal is to determine whether damage is genuinely storm related, and to document it clearly so the condition of the roof is accurately reflected.
What does the insurance adjuster do?
Your insurance company assigns an adjuster to evaluate the claim and determine what, if anything, is covered. It's often useful for the roofer and the adjuster to look at the same roof together, so the documentation is based on the same observations. The adjuster, not the contractor, makes the coverage decision.
A claim can take anywhere from two weeks to six months, depending on the insurance company.
What does Ohio's matching rule say?
Ohio sets minimum standards for how property and casualty claims are handled. One of them addresses matching. Where a fire and extended coverage policy settles losses on a replacement cost basis, and replacing a damaged item would not match the quality, color or size of what was there, the rule says the insurer replaces as much of the item as results in a reasonably comparable appearance.
In plain terms, it speaks to whether a few replacement shingles that do not match the rest of the roof are an acceptable outcome.
Three things to be clear about. It applies to fire and extended coverage policies settling first party losses on a replacement cost basis, not to every policy. It sets a minimum standard rather than guaranteeing a particular result, and its own words are "as much of the item as to result in a reasonably comparable appearance", which does not by itself say how much of a roof that means. And the rule states plainly that nothing in it creates or implies a private cause of action.
We are not telling you what your policy covers or what your insurer will decide. This is a rule worth knowing exists so you can ask your insurer how it applies to your claim.
Worth checking separately: many Ohio policies now carry a wind and hail deductible that is separate from the standard deductible. Your declarations page will say.
What happens if the claim is approved?
Restoration means returning the roof toward its pre-storm condition, built correctly to The Helping Hands Roofing Standard rather than just quickly.
The same standard that governs any replacement applies. The deck, underlayment, flashing and ventilation are inspected and corrected as part of the work.
For the whole process, from your declarations page to the final check, read How to Get Insurance to Pay for a Roof Replacement.
What do people get wrong about storm damage?
Storm damage frequently isn't visible from the ground, so a roof that looks fine isn't proof there's no damage. It takes either close detail photography or someone physically on the roof.
A roofing contractor cannot approve or deny a claim. And a workmanship warranty from the installer and a coverage decision from your insurer are entirely separate things. Understanding those distinctions early tends to make the whole process less stressful.
Jobs behind this article
Our drone photos are taken by FAA Part 107 certified drone pilots.