Does homeowners insurance cover hail damage to the roof?
Short answer. Yes. Hail is a standard covered peril in homeowners insurance, so hail damage to your roof and the rest of the house is covered, minus your wind and hail deductible. What you are paid depends on the extent of functional damage, your roof's settlement terms and any cosmetic damage exclusion on your policy.
What a hail claim pays for
- Roof repair or replacement where hail fractured or bruised shingles, including underlayment, drip edge, ridge cap, vents and flashing needed to do the job
- Gutters, downspouts and gutter guards that were dented
- Siding, window screens, window wraps and skylights
- AC condenser fins, in many claims
- Fences, sheds and other structures
- Interior damage if hail broke through and water got in
How adjusters decide on the roof
They look for functional damage, meaning hits that crack the shingle mat or knock away granules so the asphalt is exposed, usually counted within test squares on each slope. Enough hits on a slope typically means that slope is replaced; enough slopes means the whole roof. See test squares and hail size and roof damage.
Limits to know
- Wind and hail deductible, often a percentage of the dwelling limit in Georgia.
- Settlement type: replacement cost, actual cash value or a payment schedule.
- Cosmetic damage exclusion: dents that do not affect function may be excluded, especially on metal. See cosmetic damage exclusions.
- Pre-existing damage from earlier storms that was never repaired.
First steps
Check soft metals for dents, get the roof inspected and file promptly with the storm date. Robust Roofing's hail damage roof page shows what real hail hits look like.