A roof can quickly be destroyed by even small hail when a hail-producing storm happens.

What many homeowners do not realize is that by the time they need the services of a roofing company due to leaks and other problems caused by hail, many weeks or months may have passed.

This can become an issue when filing an insurance claim, as many damage claims get denied when the cause is found to be hail damage from months prior.

Protecting a roof and retaining insurance coverage for hail damage demands fast action.

Hail Damage To Roofs Can Be Stealthy

Hail can cause serious damage to a roof, both when it first happens and much later on.

When a storm brings hail with it, those pieces of ice can dent, scratch, and ding a roof, or chip away at the granule coating on shingles, causing immediate damage.

If not immediately repaired, those dents and scuffs and areas where the granules are broken off can shorten the resilience of the roof.

After some time, areas affected by uncorrected hail damage may start to dry rot, leak, or both, eventually causing more serious damage to the whole roof.

Unfortunately, many times homeowners may not even realize this damage has occurred, as there may not be much visible evidence from ground level of any damage until it is too late and their roof, many times including the structural support system, is well on its way to being destroyed.

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Hail Damage?

Homeowners insurance does cover hail damage to roofs unless otherwise excluded in the policy; however, homeowners must understand that a stipulation to having an insurance claim for roof damage approved reporting such damage within 2 years of when it occurred, that time limit being subject to change and each carrier's own terms.

Claims for roof damage that has gone unrepaired and allowed to worsen may not be approved after 2 years have passed.

This makes the issue of claiming hail damage even more challenging, since it can be hard for homeowners to detect and many incidents of hail damage do not reveal themselves until much later.

If a problem develops and an adjuster determines its cause to be previously unreported hail damage, the claim may not be approved.

What Can You Prevent A Claims Denial For Hail Damage?

No matter what type of damage has occurred to a roof, there always is a chance the homeowner's insurance policy may cover it, so it is worth filing a claim.

Noting this, the best way to ensure that a claim for hail damage roofing repair will be approved is to stay diligent with roofing inspections, especially after a storm with hail has passed.

It is the homeowner’s responsibility to adhere to the rules of their policy and state statutes, which usually state that damage must be reported within a certain amount of time for it to be covered.

Roofers who deal with hail damaged roofs often recommend that homeowners arrange an inspection as soon as a hail-producing storm passes so that hail damage can be discovered when it first happens and repaired at that time.

Although it is still recommended that a claim be filed even when damage is discovered later, the sooner that hail damage is reported, the greater the chance of having a claim accepted.

Promptly Let A Roofer Inspect For Hail Damage

When a hail-producing storm passes by, homeowners should immediately have their roofs inspected by roofers experienced with hail damage repair to facilitate the filing of an insurance claim.

Whether that claim is approved or denied by an insurance carrier, a hail damage roofing company will know affordable ways to remedy this often undetected but serious type of roofing damage.

Contact a local hail damage repair roofer to arrange for a roof inspection to identify hail damage on the roof!