How does an insurance adjuster decide if a roof has hail damage?
The test square
On each slope that faced the storm, the adjuster outlines a 10 by 10 foot square, which equals one roofing square, and circles every qualifying hit inside it. The count per slope drives the decision. There is no single industry rule for how many hits are enough, and each carrier sets its own guideline.
What counts as a hit
- A bruise that feels soft when pressed, like a bruised apple, because the mat underneath is fractured.
- Granule loss that exposes the black asphalt in a roughly round spot.
- Cracks or punctures, especially near tab edges.
- A random pattern across the slope. Hail does not land in neat rows.
What gets ruled out
Blisters, scuffs from foot traffic, nail pops, manufacturing defects and general granule wear from age are not hail. Expect the adjuster to separate these from true hits; wear vs hail damage explains the differences.
Supporting evidence
Dents in roof vents, ridge vents, gutters, downspouts and AC fins show the hail's size and direction, and adjusters check storm reports for your address and date. Hail around 1 inch and larger is generally where asphalt shingles start to suffer functional damage, though older, brittle shingles can be hurt by smaller stones; see hail size and roof damage. You can look up past hail near your zip code on the free North Georgia Hail Map.
What you can do
Photograph soft metal dents and any hailstones on storm day, and have a roofer mark and photograph test squares before the adjuster arrives. If the adjuster's counts are lower than yours, ask which slopes were tested and request a side by side review of the test squares.