What Size Hail Damages a Roof?

Updated 2026-10-24 · Sources checked

"It’s possible I miss-judged or am miss-remembering the size of the hail"

A commenter in an r/Insurance thread wrote that. If you're not sure how big your hail was either, that doubt is fair: no single size always damages a roof. On a general weather scale, hail from 1 inch (a quarter) to 1 3/4 inches (a golf ball) is rated as causing minor damage¹. Hail under 1 inch may quietly degrade asphalt shingles over time². So size alone can't settle it. Evidence you can collect from the ground can.

Quick answer:

Look from the ground for dents and spatter marks on the A/C unit, gutters, downspouts and metal flashing³.
Photograph or video the damage before any cleanup, and inspect only from ground level⁴.
Check your policy for the deductible, because wind and hail damage may have a different one⁵.
Once you have photos and your policy details, contact your insurer or a roofer you choose, not one who shows up uninvited⁶.

On this page

Why can't hail size alone tell you?
What does hail damage look like from the ground?
Steps to take before anyone touches the roof
While you wait for an inspection
Insurer or a roofer you choose?
Quick questions

Everything above is something you can do today from the yard.

Why can't hail size alone tell you?

Size is one clue, not a verdict. The weather scale above rates damage only in general terms and is not specific to roofs¹, so it can't tell you whether your roof was damaged.

Loose granules, the gritty bits that come off shingles, don't settle it either. Some lost granules do not mean there is hail damage³. As one roofing-thread reply put it, "Granule loss does not equal hail damage."

So the better question is not how big the hail was but what evidence there is.

Wondering whether some roofs stand up to hail better than others? Is hail resistant roofing really hail-proof.

What does hail damage look like from the ground?

Stay on the ground. The risk of falling is too great without proper safety systems⁴, and the roof is not yours to inspect. Walk around the house and photograph each of these:

Metal parts: check your soft metals for dents or spatter marks: the A/C unit, gutters, downspouts and metal flashing (the metal strips around vents and roof edges).
Yard items: dents or spatter marks on patio furniture.
Gutters: loose granules, which are not proof of hail damage³.

Dents and marks like these confirm that hail fell and help separate it from normal wear³. They do not tell you the shingles are hurt. That takes a close look by someone equipped to be up there.

Steps to take before anyone touches the roof

Document and protect. Photograph or videotape the damage, take reasonable steps to protect your property from further damage, and save receipts⁷ for what you spend. Make only temporary fixes.
Prepare. Find your deductible, the amount you pay out of pocket before the insurer pays. Ask whether wind and hail damage has its own deductible⁵; a wind and hail deductible can be set as a percentage, typically from 1 to 5 percent⁸. That percentage is applied to what your house is insured for, so a 2 percent deductible on a $100,000 home is $2,000⁸. Ask your insurer for the dollar amount on your policy. If repairs cost about the same as or less than your deductible, filing may not be worth it⁹. If you doubt the damage is above your deductible, a written estimate from a roofer you chose yourself helps you decide.
Make the call. Contact your insurer, or a roofer you choose, not one who shows up uninvited⁶. Have your questions ready, such as am I covered, and will my claim exceed my deductible⁷.
Wait for the inspection before permanent repairs. If you file a claim, do not have permanent repairs made until the insurer has inspected your property and you have agreed on the cost of repairs¹⁰. The adjuster is the person the insurer sends to look at the damage.

Still deciding whether a hail claim is worth filing? Should you file a hail damage roof insurance claim.

While you wait for an inspection

Protecting the house from more water is the part that is in your hands. Your photos already show what it looked like before.

Water coming in: put a bucket under it and move belongings out of the way.
Exposed spot: temporary repairs such as tarping exposed areas prevent further water damage³, so ask a roofer you chose to put the tarp on, because climbing up yourself risks a fall⁴.
If no roofer can come today: keep to temporary measures, keep your receipts, and look again from the ground after the next rain.

Insurer or a roofer you choose?

Either can be where you start. If you're going to have anyone up on your roof, what matters is who you pick. Beware of high-pressure sales tactics, "storm chasers" and unsolicited offers from contractors¹¹. One roofing-thread reply warned, "If hail hits an area there will be no shortage of roofers offering inspections and filing claims."

Whoever you pick, ask for what they find in writing before you sign anything: photos of every spot they call hail damage, and an estimate that lists each repair with its price. You can send this:

Please send photos of every spot you say is hail damage, and a written estimate that lists each repair and its price. I won't sign anything until I have compared it with other estimates.

If a roofer pushes you to sign today or won't put this in writing, that is an answer too: weigh it against the bids that do.

Leaning toward having a roofer look first? Is a free storm roof inspection safe to accept.

Quick questions

What size hail can a metal roof withstand?

No single size settles it for metal either, so ask the manufacturer or installer what your panels were built for. Also check your policy: in Texas, a metal-roof discount may come with conditions like an exclusion for cosmetic damage¹².

What is the 25% rule for roofing?

It is a building-code rule¹³, not a hail or insurance rule. In Florida, a statute applies when 25 percent or more of a roofing system or roof section is being repaired, replaced or recovered¹³. Elsewhere, ask the roofer which local code threshold applies to your roof.

How many hail hits mean a new roof?

There is no number to count to. Ask the adjuster and the roofer to clarify how they came to their conclusion, and ask each to show you the hits in photos.