10 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Hail Damage Roofer (2026)
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1
Do You Have a Permanent Local Office I Can Visit?
🟢 beginner 🔥 High Impact
After a major hailstorm, out-of-state roofing crews — known as storm chasers — flood affected neighborhoods with door-to-door sales pitches. They set up temporary operations, collect deposits, do fast work with minimal quality control, and leave town before problems surface. A roofer with a permanent local office has invested in the community and will be there when you need warranty service in 3 years. Drive by the address they give you to verify it is a real office, not a PO box or a rented mailbox at a shipping store.
Pro tip: Check how long the company has been registered with your state's contractor licensing board — storm chasers often create new LLCs in each state they work, so a business that has been registered for less than a year is a red flag.
2
Are You Licensed, Bonded, and Insured in This State?
🟢 beginner 🔥 High Impact
Roofing license requirements vary by state, but most require a contractor license, a surety bond of $10,000 to $50,000, and both general liability and workers' compensation insurance. If an unlicensed or uninsured roofer is injured on your property or damages a neighbor's home, you are personally liable. Ask for the license number and insurance certificate, then verify both — call the insurance company on the certificate to confirm the policy is active, because fraudulent or expired certificates are common in storm-chasing operations.
Pro tip: Ask the insurer to add you as an 'additional insured' on the contractor's policy for the duration of the project — this costs the contractor nothing and gives you direct protection if something goes wrong.
How to do it:
- Ask for the contractor's state license number and verify it on your state licensing board's website
- Request a current certificate of insurance listing both general liability and workers' compensation
- Call the insurance company directly using the phone number on the certificate to confirm the policy is active
- Verify the surety bond is current and sufficient to cover your project value
3
Will You Perform a Full Roof Inspection Before Signing Anything?
🟢 beginner 🔥 High Impact
A legitimate hail damage roofer inspects the entire roof — not just the obvious dents — before providing an estimate. Hail damage patterns vary across a single roof because wind direction, roof slope, and obstructions like trees create different impact zones. A thorough inspection checks shingles, flashing, vents, skylights, gutters, and the attic from below. Contractors who quote a full replacement after a 5-minute glance from the ground are either guessing or planning to bill insurance for more work than needed. A proper inspection takes 45 to 90 minutes.
Pro tip: Ask the roofer to photograph each area of damage with a chalk circle around each impact mark — this is the standard insurance documentation format and shows the adjuster exactly what was found on every slope of the roof.
4
How Do You Handle the Insurance Claim Process?
🟡 intermediate 🔥 High Impact
Experienced hail damage roofers work with insurance claims daily and should be able to explain the process clearly: filing the claim, meeting the adjuster on the roof, supplementing if the adjuster's scope is incomplete, and managing the depreciation holdback recovery. Be cautious of roofers who promise to cover your deductible — this is insurance fraud in most states and can result in policy cancellation. Also be wary of contractors who want to handle the entire claim without involving you, as this limits your control over the settlement.
Pro tip: The best hail damage roofers will meet your insurance adjuster on the roof during the inspection — this ensures nothing is missed in the scope and prevents the common problem of the adjuster underestimating damage from the ground.
5
What Specific Hail Damage Do You See on My Roof?
🟡 intermediate 🔥 High Impact
Ask the roofer to show you specific examples of hail damage rather than just telling you the roof needs replacement. Legitimate hail damage on asphalt shingles shows as random, dark-colored dents where granules have been knocked loose, exposing the black mat underneath. The dent should be soft to the touch, not hard like manufacturing marks. If the roofer cannot point out specific damage or shows you only normal wear patterns like blistering, cracking, or granule erosion from age, the damage may not warrant a claim.
Pro tip: Hail hits random spots across the roof — if every alleged damage mark is in a neat line or only on one shingle, it was likely caused by foot traffic, manufacturing defects, or even deliberate damage by an unscrupulous contractor trying to manufacture a claim.
6
What Brand and Grade of Shingles Will You Install?
🟡 intermediate 🔥 High Impact
Not all replacement shingles are equal. Budget 3-tab shingles cost $80 to $100 per square (100 sq ft) but only carry a 20 to 25 year warranty and offer minimal wind resistance. Architectural (dimensional) shingles cost $100 to $150 per square and carry 30 to 50 year warranties with wind ratings up to 130 mph. Your insurance payout should cover like-for-like replacement at minimum. Make sure the roofer specifies the exact brand, product line, and warranty tier in writing — some contractors quote premium materials but install builder-grade products.
Pro tip: Ask if the roofer is a certified installer for the shingle manufacturer (GAF Master Elite, Owens Corning Preferred, CertainTeed SELECT) — certified installers can offer manufacturer-backed workmanship warranties of 25 years, which is far better than the standard 1- to 5-year contractor warranty.
7
Will You Replace the Underlayment and Ice-and-Water Shield?
🟡 intermediate 🔥 High Impact
The layer beneath the shingles matters as much as the shingles themselves. Hail that dents shingles often cracks or weakens the underlayment beneath them, and reusing compromised felt paper under new shingles sets up future leaks. Building code in most areas requires synthetic underlayment for re-roofs, plus ice-and-water shield membrane in valleys, at eaves, and around penetrations. Some budget roofers skip these components to cut costs, especially if the insurance scope does not explicitly list them. Get this in writing before work begins.
Pro tip: Ask for synthetic underlayment specifically, not 15-pound felt paper — synthetic costs about $10 more per square but lays flat, resists tearing during installation, and can be left exposed to weather for 6 months versus 2 weeks for felt if there is a delay between tear-off and shingle installation.
8
What Is Your Timeline and What Happens If There Is a Delay?
🟢 beginner 💪 Medium Impact
After a major hailstorm, every roofer in the area is booked for weeks or months. Get a realistic start date and completion date in writing, and ask what happens if the roofer delays. A reasonable timeline for a standard residential re-roof is 1 to 3 days once materials are delivered. If the contractor quotes a start date 3 to 4 months out, make sure your roof can withstand weather exposure during the wait and ask about temporary tarp installation if needed. Also confirm that weather delays do not void the contract or change the price.
Pro tip: Ask if materials will be delivered and staged on your property before the crew arrives — roof projects that start on day one with a materials delivery delay can leave your roof partially stripped and exposed to rain.
9
Do You Handle Supplemental Claims If the Adjuster's Scope Falls Short?
🔴 advanced 🔥 High Impact
Insurance adjusters frequently underestimate hail damage scope, missing items like drip edge replacement, pipe boot replacement, ridge vent damage, or code-required upgrades. A supplemental claim is a formal request to the insurer to add these items to the approved scope. Experienced hail damage roofers know how to write and submit supplements with proper documentation, manufacturer specifications, and code citations. Ask how many supplements they typically file per job and what their approval rate is — a good contractor recovers an additional $1,000 to $5,000 per job through supplements.
Pro tip: The best time to identify supplement items is during tear-off when the old shingles come off and hidden damage becomes visible — insist on being available by phone on tear-off day so the roofer can photograph and report discovered damage immediately.
10
What Warranty Do You Offer on the Workmanship?
🟢 beginner 🔥 High Impact
Shingle manufacturers provide material warranties, but those do not cover installation errors — the most common cause of post-installation leaks. A roofer's workmanship warranty covers mistakes like improper nailing, poor flashing technique, or inadequate sealing. Industry standard is 5 to 10 years, but reputable local companies often offer 15 to 25 years because they plan to be around to honor it. Storm chasers typically offer a 1- to 2-year warranty from a company that may not exist next year. Get the warranty terms in writing with specific coverage details.
Pro tip: Ask whether the workmanship warranty is transferable to a new owner if you sell the house — a transferable roof warranty adds real value to your home's resale price and gives buyers confidence in the roof's condition.
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Bonus Tip
Get Three Estimates and Compare Scope, Not Just Price
The cheapest bid often means corners will be cut — fewer nails per shingle, cheaper underlayment, or skipped flashing replacements. Line up the three estimates side by side and compare what each one includes: underlayment type, ice-and-water shield placement, drip edge, ventilation, pipe boots, and debris removal. The most thorough scope at a fair price is almost always a better value than the lowest number on the page.
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