What hail damage actually looks like

01The damage is in the mat, not the surface

A hail strike leaves a bruise: the shingle's asphalt mat compacts under impact and the protective granules above it loosen and wash away. From the ground the roof can look completely fine. On the slope, an inspector finds the bruise by touch — a soft spot with a dark center where granules are gone.

That's why carriers send adjusters onto the roof, and why 'it looks fine from here' means nothing either way.

02The signatures inspectors count

Hail damage follows patterns. Inspectors map hits per test square — a 10x10 foot area on each slope — because carriers approve claims on hit counts and directionality, not vibes.

• ▚Bruised or soft spots with granule loss, dark centers
• ▚Hits in a directional pattern matching the storm track
• ▚Dents on soft metals: gutters, downspouts, vent caps, AC fins
• ▚Granule piles at downspout exits and in gutters
• ▚Cracked or punctured shingle tabs on older roofs

03Wind does its own signature

Straight-line wind creases and lifts tabs: look for shingles bent back on a clean line, missing ridge caps, and lifted edges with fresh adhesive failure. Wind damage clusters on windward slopes and ridges; hail scatters across the face the storm struck.

04Why age matters — and doesn't

Older shingles bruise more easily, and carriers know it. An inspector documents the roof's age and condition alongside the damage so the claim reflects the storm, not pre-existing wear — and so the carrier's 'wear and tear' denial has to argue with photographs instead of you.