Hail damage on a Virginia roof: the evidence, the inspection and the questions to ask
A hailstorm leaves a trail of proof on the property and a separate trail on paper. This guide covers both: what counts as hail evidence, what an inspection looks for, and what to put to your insurer and to a roofer before anything is signed.
IBHS says dents on metal items around the house confirm that hail fell, and that the first call after suspected damage is to your insurance agent, who "will explain coverage and the next steps".
- Photograph the collateral evidence
- Tarp or cover exposed areas
- Read the policy wording on roofs
Evidence ladder
Which proof of hail do you collect first, second and third?
IBHS, the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, lays out a sequence in its "Is It Hail Damage?" guidance. The order matters because each rung supports the next.
Rung one: things that are not the roof
- What you see
- Dents or spatter marks on A/C units, gutters, metal flashing, downspouts or patio furniture.
- What IBHS says
- "Collateral damage confirms a hail event occurred."
- What to do
- Photograph each item with the date and the side of the house. Stay on the ground.
Rung two: the roof covering
- What you see
- A random pattern of impact marks, bruising ("soft spots you can feel when pressing on the shingle") and cracks or breaks. Ridge caps are especially vulnerable on an asphalt shingle roof, says IBHS.
- What it can mean
- Possible hail damage, once look-alikes are ruled out.
- Who looks
- A roofing professional.
Rung three: the paper
- What you hold
- Dated photos, the storm date, written inspection notes and the policy.
- What NAIC says
- Read the policy and "make certain you understand its contents".
- Who answers
- Your agent, for what your own policy says about roofs.
Granule loss alone does not prove hail: what else looks the same?
IBHS names look-alikes in the same guidance. An inspection exists to tell them apart.
What IBHS lists as hail indicators
- Pattern
- A random pattern of impact marks on shingles.
- Feel
- Bruising: soft spots when the shingle is pressed.
- Break
- Cracks or breaks where hail has struck.
- Nearby proof
- Dents or spatter on A/C units, gutters, flashing, downspouts.
What IBHS lists as not hail
- Edges
- Granule loss along the edge of shingles, which IBHS calls normal natural weathering.
- Surface
- Uniform wear or discoloration.
- Product
- Manufacturer defects.
- Human marks
- Marks from installation, tools or other man-made damage. Heavy rain can also knock granules off.
NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory adds: "If the winds near the surface are strong enough, hail can fall at an angle or even nearly sideways." Note the side of the house when you photograph.
How big was the hail, and where does a measurement come from?
Insurers and weather records both ask for a size. These are the sources for how it is described.
| Comparison object | Diameter (NOAA NSSL) |
|---|---|
| Pea | 1/4 inch |
| Penny | 3/4 inch |
| Quarter | 1 inch: "hail quarter size or larger is considered severe" |
| Ping-pong ball | 1 1/2 inches |
| Golf ball | 1 3/4 inches |
NSSL says comparisons to a known object are good, and that a ruler, calipers or a tape measure are best. NOAA's Storm Events database stores hail size "in inches to the hundredth", with a source field such as Public, Trained Spotter or CoCoRaHS. The severe label is a weather-service classification, not a roofing standard, and it does not say whether a given shingle was damaged.
For your insurer
What should you put to your insurance agent or adjuster?
These are questions, not advice on what your policy says. The answers sit in your own policy and in what your insurer tells you. King's Roofing does not handle insurance claims.
- Is my roof covered at replacement cost or actual cash value?NAIC: replacement cost is the amount to repair or replace "without deducting for depreciation"; actual cash value is the amount "after depreciation".
- Is roof depreciation deducted in my policy?NAIC names full replacement cost coverage on the roof with no deduction for depreciation as a coverage to ask your agent about.
- What is the deductible for this kind of loss?NAIC: the deductible is "the amount you have to pay out of pocket on each claim". Ask whether a separate figure applies to storm or hail.
- How does the insurer treat damage that has not caused a leak yet?IBHS says hail damage "can shorten its life and may require repair or replacement". Ask how your policy words damage with no leak.
- Does the policy say anything about cosmetic damage to roof surfaces?We state no rule here, because Virginia's Bureau of Insurance pages were not available to us. Ask for the wording in writing.
- Are temporary repairs expected, and what do I keep?IBHS lists temporary repairs such as tarping to prevent further water damage. Ask what the insurer wants in photos and receipts.
- Where in the policy does it say how a roof loss is measured and paid?NAIC: the policy states the rights and responsibilities of both sides. Ask for the page and section.
NAIC describes a state department of insurance as an office that "protects policyholders by sharing information about insurance". In Virginia that is the State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Insurance. Check its consumer pages directly for what it publishes on homeowners claims.
For a roofer
What should an inspection and a written estimate tell you?
Whoever inspects, the output you want is a document you can read, compare and show to your insurer.
- Sorting the marks
- Ask the inspector to say which marks they treat as hail and which as look-alikes, using the IBHS lists above, and to tie each to a slope and a location on the roof.
- Repair or replace
- ARMA describes asphalt shingle roofs as repairable by a qualified roofing professional, one component at a time. Ask why the inspector recommends repair or replacement for each slope.
- Matching
- ARMA says new shingles "may be aesthetically different initially because the newly installed material has not aged the same". Ask how the repair will be matched, and give the color name and install date if you have them.
- The written estimate
- IBHS asks for written estimates that outline scope of work, materials, start and completion dates and payment terms, and advises against contractors who demand full payment upfront.
- Written terms
- IBHS advises reviewing the terms for materials and workmanship, "including exclusions that may void coverage". Ask for those terms in writing before signing.
- Permits
- IBHS: ensure the roofer obtains permits before starting "if required by your jurisdiction". Ask who applies and where. Our roof replacement page points to the permit offices.
An unsolicited offer to inspect is a reason to slow down
IBHS advises avoiding unsolicited offers to inspect or repair a roof and points to the National Insurance Crime Bureau for more. You choose who inspects. Ask for the same written output from anyone who comes to the door.
If the roof is replaced, what do impact ratings tell you?
ARMA says impact resistance is "not required by the building codes". Two lab methods are used: UL 2218 drops steel balls from 12 to 20 feet and assigns Class 1 to 4, with 4 the highest, and FM 4473 launches freezer ice balls and also uses four classes. ARMA adds that results "may help homeowners obtain a reduction in home insurance costs in some areas and from some insurers". That is a question for your agent, not a promise.
IBHS runs its own tests on shingles bought at retail and warns that "not all 'impact-resistant' asphalt shingles perform the same". Ask a roofer which test a proposed product carries. For other materials see our materials guide and asphalt shingles against metal, and for low-slope roofs see our flat roof page.
Where can you check whether hail was reported near you?
NOAA's Storm Events database is the public record. We have already printed its hail rows, with dates and sizes, on several local pages, so we link them instead of repeating them.
- ArlingtonHail rows and what the log does not say, on our Arlington page.
- ChantillyHail entries with spotter wording, on our Chantilly page.
- WoodbridgeHail rows for two storms, on our Woodbridge page.
- ManassasThe city's hail entries, on our Manassas page.
- Chevy ChaseTwo hail reports in Montgomery County, on our Chevy Chase page.
Those pages note that no hail row they print states roof damage. A report of hail near an address supports the storm date. It does not show what happened to a particular roof, which is why the evidence ladder starts at the house. For repairs after a storm that are not about hail, see roof repair.
Questions about hail evidence, inspections and insurers
What is the first thing to do after hail passes over the house?
IBHS lists collateral evidence first: dents or spatter on A/C units, gutters, metal flashing, downspouts and patio furniture. Photograph them with the date. Then IBHS says to call your insurance agent first to report suspected hail damage.
Does missing granule coverage mean hail hit my shingles?
IBHS says granule loss alone does not mean hail damage and lists edge wear, uniform wear, manufacturer defects and tool marks as look-alikes. It also says heavy rain can knock granules off.
Can I check the roof myself?
ARMA says roof repairs should be done by a qualified roofing professional with safety equipment for a sloped roof. Looking from the ground and photographing gutters and metal items needs no ladder.
What does "replacement cost" mean on a roof?
NAIC defines replacement cost as the amount to repair or replace damage with materials of similar kind and quality, without deducting for depreciation. Actual cash value is the amount after depreciation. Ask your agent which applies to your roof.
Will an impact-rated shingle lower my premium?
ARMA says impact test results may help in some areas and from some insurers. Ask your own insurer before choosing a product for that reason.
Does a hail report near me prove my roof was damaged?
No. NOAA's Storm Events record logs reports with a size and a source. The hail rows we have printed on local pages state no roof damage, so the record supports a storm date and nothing more.
Official pages from IBHS, NOAA, NAIC and ARMA, checked October 16, 2026
IBHS, Is It Hail Damage?, IBHS, Tips for Hiring a Roofing Contractor, IBHS hail impact-resistant shingle ratings, IBHS Roof 101, NOAA NSSL hail, NCEI Storm Events format, NAIC homeowners insurance, NAIC, your state department of insurance, ARMA, Asphalt Shingle Roofs Are Repairable and ARMA, Asphalt Shingle Product and Test Standards.
Talk through the next step
Hail came through and you are not sure what you are looking at
Tell us the date of the storm, the size of the hail if you measured it and what you saw on the gutters or the roof. We will talk through what an inspection checks and which questions to take to your insurer.
9220 Topaz St, Fairfax, VA 22031
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