What to Do After a Hail Storm in North Texas

North Texas gets hit by more large hail events than almost anywhere else in the country. If a storm just rolled through your neighborhood in Plano, McKinney, Frisco, Celina, or anywhere across the DFW area, the steps you take in the next 24 to 72 hours can make a significant difference in how your insurance claim is handled — and how much you ultimately recover.

This guide walks you through exactly what to do after a hail storm, in order.

1. Stay Inside Until the Storm Has Fully Passed

This sounds obvious, but it’s worth saying: don’t go outside to inspect your property while hail is still falling. Large hail — anything over an inch — can cause serious injury. Wait until the storm has completely passed and conditions are calm before going outside.

2. Do a Safe Visual Walk-Around of Your Property

Once it’s safe, walk your property and look for obvious signs of hail damage. You’re not climbing onto the roof — you’re looking for clues at ground level:

• Dents on AC condenser fins — HVAC units are almost always struck and are one of the most reliable indicators of hail size
• Dented gutters and downspouts — hail hits metal first and leaves clear circular impacts
• Broken or cracked window screens — a strong indicator of hail energy
• Damage to wood fences — fresh splits, chips, or circular impact marks on fence rails
• Dented garage door panels — often clearly visible from the driveway
• Granule loss in gutters or on the ground — dark granules washed out of shingles collect in gutters and at downspout exits

Take photos of everything you see from the ground. Date-stamped photos are valuable documentation for your insurance claim.

3. Do Not Go on the Roof Yourself

Resist the urge to climb up and check. Aside from the obvious safety risk, an untrained eye often misses the most important damage — and can sometimes create new damage that complicates the claim. Hail damage to shingles includes bruising (soft spots in the mat beneath the granules), cracked shingles, and exposed underlayment — none of which are easily spotted without knowing exactly what to look for.

This is what a professional inspection is for.

4. Call a Local Storm Damage Contractor for a Free Inspection

After a significant hail event, you want a contractor on your roof before your insurance adjuster shows up — not after. Here’s why: adjusters work for the insurance company. Their job is to identify damage, but the scope they write often misses supplemental items like window screens, fence sections, code-required upgrades, and overhead and profit.

A qualified storm damage contractor will:

• Document damage with photos and measurements in the format adjusters expect to see
• Identify every line item that belongs on your claim
• Attend the adjuster inspection with you to advocate for a full scope

Stormhaven Exteriors offers free storm inspectionsacross North Texas with no obligation. We’ll tell you honestly whether there’s a valid claim, and if there is, we help you open it and work it from start to finish.

5. File Your Claim Promptly — Don’t Wait

Most homeowner policies in Texas require you to file a claim within one year of the date of loss, but waiting too long can still create problems. Storms produce a surge of claims across your area, and insurance companies begin tracking the event. Filing promptly establishes your timeline and keeps your options open.

If you’re not sure whether to file, get a professional inspection first. Once you have documentation of damage, you can make an informed decision.

6. Understand What Your Policy Covers

Texas homeowner policies vary, but most cover hail damage to:

• Roofing — shingles, underlayment, flashing, ridge caps, and ventilation
• Gutters and downspouts — full seamless gutter replacement is common after significant hail
• Fencing — wood and metal fence damage is covered but frequently underdocumented by adjusters
• Garage doors — impact damage to door panels is a separate line item on most scopes
• Window screens — screen replacement is often missed entirely; a good contractor supplements for it
• Exterior paint — paint damage related to the restoration of other surfaces is typically included

Most policies pay actual cash value (ACV) first — which is depreciated value — and then release the recoverable depreciation after work is completed and you submit a certificate of completion. This is why choosing the right contractor matters. A contractor who understands the supplement and depreciation release process can significantly increase what you actually recover.

7. Beware of Storm Chasers

After major hail events, out-of-state contractors flood North Texas neighborhoods. Some are legitimate, but many are not. Warning signs include:

• Pressure to sign a contract before you’ve filed a claim
• No physical address or local presence in North Texas
• Demanding your insurance check before work begins
• Offering to waive your deductible (this is insurance fraud in Texas)

Work with a licensed, locally based contractor who will still be around when you need a warranty call two years from now.

8. Don’t Make Permanent Repairs Before the Adjuster Comes Out

If you have active leaking or broken windows, you should absolutely make temporary repairs to prevent further damage — document everything and keep receipts. But avoid making permanent repairs before your adjuster has inspected the property. Permanent repairs can make it difficult to prove the original scope of damage, which could reduce your claim.

What Happens After You File

Once your claim is open, your carrier will send an adjuster to inspect the property. If you’ve had a contractor document the damage beforehand, they should attend the adjuster walkthrough with you to make sure every item gets on the scope.

After the inspection, your carrier will issue an Actual Cash Value (ACV) payment — the depreciated value of the damage. Once that arrives, work can begin. After completion, your contractor submits a certificate of completion, which triggers the release of recoverable depreciation and officially closes the claim.

At Stormhaven Exteriors, we manage the entire process for homeowners across the DFW metroplex and North Texas — from the first inspection through final sign-off. Our goal is to get your home restored to pre-storm condition at no more than your deductible.

Stormhaven Exteriors is a GAF Certified storm damage contractor based in Gunter, TX, serving Plano, McKinney, Allen, Frisco, Celina, Prosper, and surrounding North Texas communities. Call us at (469) 790-8336.