Your roof after a hailstorm is an evidence file, a construction job and an insurance claim all at once, and the order you handle those three jobs matters. This report follows a real Thrush & Son® project, one of the oldest homes in Centerville, Ohio, rebuilt after a spring 2011 hailstorm, and turns it into a timeline you can use at your own house.
Get safe. Photograph your roof after a hailstorm before anything moves. Tarp simply. Call your insurer fast, log every call and skip the first knock on the door. Then choose a system that fits the house.
The Incident Timeline
Hour 0: Your Roof After a Hailstorm Can Wait an Hour
Let the whole storm pass
Hail usually rides inside a thunderstorm. The National Weather Service keeps it short: “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors.”
Inspect from the yard
Wet shingles are slick, and hailstones roll underfoot. Look at your roof after a hailstorm from the ground, a window or with binoculars. Stay well away from any downed line and call the utility.
Find the water
Check ceilings and the attic with a flashlight. Set buckets and note where each drip starts.
Day 1: Document First, Then Tarp
The Ohio Department of Insurance severe weather toolkit sets the order: photograph the damage and list damaged items before you clear debris, then take reasonable steps to stop more damage. Insurers typically reimburse those temporary measures, so keep receipts.
Shoot your roof after a hailstorm the way an adjuster reads it, from wide to close:
- Every elevation, wideFront, back and both sides.
- Soft metals up closeDented gutters, vents and flashing show where hail hit.
- Shingles with a scaleA coin or ruler beside bruises.
- Inside the houseStains, wet insulation, drips.
Our signs of hail damage guide shows which marks on a roof after a hailstorm to photograph.
After the Storm: Your Phase-by-Phase File
Tap a stop to see what your roof after a hailstorm needs at each phase, then build your claim file below.
Checklist
- Stay inside until the thunder ends.
- Catch drips and move valuables.
- No ladders, no roof walking.
What to document
- The time the storm hit.
- Hail on the ground beside a coin.
Checklist
- Walk all four sides from the ground.
- Arrange a tarp or board-up.
- Call your agent or claims line.
What to document
- Wide shots of every elevation.
- Close-ups of dents and bruises.
Checklist
- Meet the adjuster on site.
- Collect at least three written estimates.
- Ask how depreciation is handled.
What to document
- A log of every call: date, name, title.
- The adjuster’s report.
Checklist
- Approve the scope and materials.
- Confirm permits and any historic review.
- Choose color and profile.
What to document
- The signed contract.
- Material and color selections.
Checklist
- Walk the job with the crew lead.
- Check gutters, flashing and cleanup.
- Send the final invoice to your insurer.
What to document
- After photos from the same angles.
- The final invoice and lien waiver.
Your claim file
Week 1: The Claim and the Knock on the Door
File quickly. The Ohio Department of Insurance says your policy may require notice within a set time frame. Log every conversation with the date, name, title and what was said. Expect an adjuster visit; the first check is often an emergency advance.
Then read how your policy pays for a roof after a hailstorm. The department’s roof insurance page lays out the two settlement types:
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Actual cash value | Current cost minus depreciation |
| Replacement cost | Full cost with like kind and quality, often if work is finished within a set time, such as 180 days |
| Wind/hail deductible | A flat amount or a percentage of insured value; 2% on a $300,000 home is $6,000 |
Storm chasers follow every roof after a hailstorm. The Ohio Attorney General advises getting written estimates from at least three contractors. Treat these as red flags:
- A large payment up front, or a request to sign over your insurance check.
- No address or phone number you can verify.
- A request for power of attorney or to settle your claim for you.
- Pressure to sign today. For door-to-door sales, Ohio’s Home Solicitation Sales Act generally gives you three days to cancel.
Questions about a claim? Call ODI Consumer Services: 1-800-686-1526
Month 1: Historic Homes Need a Different Scope
Preservation Brief 4 treats a roof’s shape and detailing as core to a building’s character, and asks that a visible substitute material match “the scale, texture, and coloration” of the original. It also says to photograph gutters, flashing, valleys, ridges and eaves first.
Thrush & Son’s project record describes the storm as heavy winds, torrential rain, baseball-size hail and a tornado. The crew delivered a step-by-step damage analysis and a two-part plan: restore the house to its pre-storm condition, then improve its quality.
A century of changes had left multiple roof pitches and dead valleys, spots where roof planes meet with no clean path for water. The rebuild had to fix the water path on this roof after a hailstorm, not just swap shingles.
A storm claim pays to put the roof back. A good scope decides whether your roof after a hailstorm goes back right.
Choosing the replacement system
A shingle roof is a system of seven parts: leak barrier, underlayment, starter strip, shingles, flashing including drip edge, hip and ridge cap, and attic ventilation. Plan all seven together on a roof after a hailstorm, then pick the look. Compare impact and wind ratings in our shingles for storms guide. For a slate-look historic roof, Thrush & Son® installs GAF Camelot II and Slateline today.
Finished: The Centerville Case File
Here is how one roof after a hailstorm went from damage report to finished system.
- The home needed new siding, windows, aluminum gutters, entry doors, garage doors and a roof.
- Mixed pitches and dead valleys trapped water.
- Box gutters sat at the eaves.
- Metal valleys let shingles run cleanly from pitch to pitch.
- Box gutters removed, rafter tails trimmed, new fascia installed.
- 76 squares of slate-look roofing, an Atlas system used at the time.
One square covers 100 square feet, so this roof topped 7,600 square feet. More on older homes: our historic home renovation guide.
The Takeaway Worth Sharing
Safety, then photos, then a tarp, then the phone call. Handle your roof after a hailstorm in that order and the claim, the contractor and the house all go easier.
Send this to the neighbor who just heard hail on the gutters.
Storm Came Through? We’ll Read the Roof
Thrush & Son®: family-owned exterior pros since 1960.
If you’re in the Miami Valley and your roof after a hailstorm needs a careful look, see the Thrush & Son® historic Centerville project story, then book an inspection.
➡️ Schedule in Dayton➡️ View All ServicesCall (937) 833-5136 · 115 Jefferson St, Brookville, OH 45309
- GAF President’s Club Contractor
- Best of Dayton 2024 Winner · 2025 and 2026 Finalist
- BBB Accredited A+
- Since 1960
Further Reading
Official sources: the National Weather Service, the Ohio Department of Insurance, the Ohio Attorney General and the National Park Service.
Roof After a Hailstorm FAQ
What should I do first with my roof after a hailstorm?
Stay inside until the storm passes, then check from the ground and the attic. Don’t climb a wet roof. Photograph the damage before anything is moved or covered.
Should I tarp my roof after a hailstorm before the adjuster comes?
Yes, if water is getting in and it can be done safely. The Ohio Department of Insurance says insurers typically reimburse reasonable temporary measures, so keep photos and receipts.
How soon should I file a hail claim in Ohio?
Right away. The Ohio Department of Insurance notes that policies may require notice within a set time frame, and many replacement cost policies set a deadline to finish the work.
How do I spot a storm chaser?
Watch for door-to-door pressure, big deposits up front, no address you can check, and requests to sign over your insurance check or settle your claim for you.
Can a historic home get impact-rated shingles?
Often, yes. Slate-look shingles can keep the scale and texture of a historic roof, and a careful scope keeps the original roof shape intact. Check local historic district rules first.
Written by Corey Thrush, Vice President and third generation of Thrush & Son®.
Leave a Reply