Hail or wind hit your roof? A Houston homeowner's next steps

Gulf Coast storms move fast, and the damage they leave on a roof is often invisible from the ground. If a hail or high-wind event just rolled through your neighborhood, here’s a calm, in-order checklist — and the mistakes that cost homeowners the most.

First: stay off the roof

A wet or damaged roof is dangerous, and walking it can create damage that complicates a claim. Do your first look from the ground and the gutters. Leave the roof-level inspection to someone with fall protection.

How to tell if your roof actually took a hit

Not every storm causes roof damage worth a claim. These are the honest indicators:

• Gutters and downspouts: fresh, round dents on the gutter apron or soft metal.
• A/C condenser fins: dings on the unit’s coil are a strong hail-size proxy — photograph them, they’re at ground level.
• Shingles: granule loss collecting in gutters beyond the normal shed of an aging roof; bruised or fractured shingle mats (best seen up close).
• Ridge caps and flashing: lifted or torn caps point to wind exposure.

If you see several of these, a documented inspection is worth it. If you don’t, a claim may be denied — and a denied claim can be worse than no claim.

Document before you call anyone

Photos win claims. Capture dated photos of the gutters, the A/C unit, any interior ceiling stains, and the storm date. A reputable roofer’s inspection adds a slope-by-slope photo packet aligned to the line items an adjuster uses. See our free roof inspection and storm damage pages for what thorough documentation looks like.

Handle the insurance claim the right way

A few rules protect you and keep the claim clean:

• You file the claim. A contractor supports and documents; we are not public adjusters. (In Texas, that’s a separately licensed role — see our insurance claims page.)
• Never accept a “we’ll waive your deductible” offer. That’s a criminal offense in Texas (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 27.02), with exposure for both you and the contractor. Walk away from anyone who suggests it.
• Don’t sign a contract at the door under pressure. Under Texas’s home-solicitation law (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code ch. 601) and the FTC Cooling-Off Rule, a contract signed at your home after a door-to-door solicitation can generally be canceled until midnight of the third business day. Take the time.

What “supplements” are (and why they matter)

When an adjuster’s first scope misses code-required items — new decking, drip edge — or best-practice components like ice-and-water shield, a contractor documents those and the carrier pays a supplement. This is normal and legitimate, and it’s where a careful, documentation- heavy roofer earns their keep on a storm job.

The four rules that protect you

Get a documented inspection, file your own claim, keep every photo, and steer clear of anyone promising to game your deductible. If you’d like a no-pressure look after a storm, book a free inspection — written findings, no obligation.