Do this first
What to do right now
- Write down the date and rough time of the storm, carriers verify hail events against radar and mesonet data by date and location.
- Photograph anything hail hit at ground level: HVAC condenser fins, gutters, downspouts, vent caps, soft metal fascia, skylights, signage and vehicles.
- Look for granule loss in downspout outlets and at scuppers on modified bitumen and built-up roofs.
- Do not authorise repairs or let anyone remove damaged components before the roof is documented and, ideally, before the adjuster sees it.
- Get a written, photo-documented inspection from a commercial roofing contractor in Plano, test squares, hit counts, core samples where warranted.
- Notify your insurer promptly, in writing, and keep a log of every call, adjuster name and claim number.
What a usable hail inspection report contains
- Test squares
- Marked squares of a defined size in each roof slope or quadrant, with hit counts per square.
- Photographs
- Wide and close-up shots with a scale reference, plus collateral damage to soft metals: HVAC fins, vent caps and gutters.
- Core cuts
- Showing whether the insulation beneath the membrane is fractured.
- Storm date
- Matched to public weather data. Carriers verify hail events against radar and mesonet records by date and location.
- Policy terms to read before filing
- Percentage wind and hail deductible calculated on insured value, cosmetic damage exclusion, and actual cash value settlement for roof surfacing.
- Why hail damage does not leak immediately
- Hail fractures the insulation board and stretches the membrane over the crater without puncturing it. The failure arrives after the next freeze-thaw cycle or the next summer of thermal movement.
What hail actually does to a commercial roof
On single-ply membrane, hail bruises: the impact fractures the insulation board underneath and stretches the
membrane over the crater without necessarily puncturing it. The roof does not leak that day. It leaks after the next
freeze-thaw cycle or the next summer of thermal movement opens the bruise. On modified bitumen and built-up systems
hail knocks granules loose and exposes the asphalt to UV, which then ages years in months. On metal panels it dents
pans and, more importantly, damages the finish and the fasteners. Soft-metal collateral: HVAC fins, vent caps,
gutters, is what an adjuster looks at first to confirm a hail event even happened at your address.
Why a documented inspection matters more than a quote
Commercial hail claims are won and lost on documentation. A useful inspection report on a Plano building includes
marked test squares of a defined size in each roof slope or quadrant, hit counts per square, close-up photographs with
a scale reference, core cuts showing whether the insulation is fractured, photographs of collateral damage, and the
storm date matched to public weather data. That is a report an adjuster can work with. A one-page "roof is hail
damaged, price to replace" letter is not.
Texas policy language to check before you file
Read your own declarations page. Many Texas commercial property policies carry a separate percentage wind and hail
deductible calculated on the insured value rather than a flat dollar amount, which on a large building can be
substantial. Some carry a cosmetic damage exclusion that excludes dents which do not affect function, and some carry
actual cash value settlement for roof surfacing, which depreciates the payout by the roof age. Also check the notice
provision: Texas law includes specific pre-suit notice requirements for property insurance claims, and policies
generally require prompt notice of loss. Late notice is one of the most common reasons a legitimate hail claim gets
reduced or denied.
Choosing who inspects it
Use a contractor who will still be in Plano in three years. After a large Texas hail event, out-of-state storm
crews arrive within days, sign as many contingency agreements as they can, and leave. Ask how long they have worked in
the area, whether they are approved by the manufacturer of your existing system, and whether they will provide the
inspection report even if you do not use them for the repair.
