How to Spot Hail Damage: The “Invisible” Signs

If You Can See It From the Ground, It’s Too Late.

In Peoria and Central Illinois, we live in “Hail Alley.” Every spring and summer, storms drop hail ranging from pea-sized to baseball-sized on our homes.

After the storm passes, most homeowners walk out to their driveway, look up at their roof, and say, “Looks fine to me.” This is a costly mistake.

Hail damage is rarely visible from the ground. It doesn’t always punch holes in your roof; it bruises the shingles, significantly shortening their lifespan. If you wait until you see a leak, your insurance filing window may have already closed.

Here is the professional guide on how to spot hail damage like a pro.

1. The “Bruise” Test (What Hail Actually Does)

Think of a shingle like an apple. If you drop an apple, the skin might not break, but the fruit underneath turns brown and soft.

• The Science: When hail hits an asphalt shingle, it crushes the fiberglass matting underneath.

• The Symptom: You will see a small, dark spot where the granules (the rough, sandy coating) have been knocked off. If you touch this spot, it will feel soft, like a bruised apple.

• The Result: The UV sun will burn through this bald spot, causing the shingle to crack and leak within 1-3 years.

2. Check the “Collateral” (The Easy Indicators)

You don’t need to climb on the roof to know if you have damage. Look for “collateral damage” on the softer metals around your home. If these are dented, your shingles are definitely hit.

• Gutters & Downspouts: Look for dings on the aluminum.

• Window Screens: Are there small tears or holes in your screens?

• AC Unit: Check the fins on your air conditioner condenser unit. Are they bent or flattened?

3. The Gutter Granule Check

Go to your downspouts after a storm.

• What to look for: A pile of black mineral granules at the bottom of the spout.

• Why it matters: This means the hail impact was strong enough to scour the protective coating off your roof. This is a primary sign of storm damage.

4. Metal Vents and Flashing

This is the easiest thing to spot from a ladder. Your roof has metal vents (box vents) and flashing around the chimney.

• The Test: Metal is soft. If you see random dents on your vents that look like someone hit them with a ball-peen hammer, your roof has sustained hail damage.

The “Insurance Clock” is Ticking

In Illinois, most insurance policies have a strict deadline for filing a hail claim—usually one to two years from the date of the storm.

• The Risk: If you ignore the “invisible” damage now and your roof starts leaking 3 years later, your insurance company will deny the claim, leaving you to pay $15,000+ for a replacement out of pocket.

Don’t risk it. Get a Drone Inspection.

Walking on a hail-damaged roof can be dangerous, as the granules act like ball bearings, making it slippery. According to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), a professional inspection is the only way to accurately assess impact severity.

At SNS Roofing, we use high-definition drones and on-roof analysis to document the damage for your insurance carrier.

Suspect your home was hit? Contact SNS Roofing today for a free storm damage assessment.