The 10-minute ground check
Do this from your yard and driveway. If you find two or more of these, book a hail roof inspection.
- Roof vents and exhaust caps. Look at the metal box vents and the furnace or hot water cap on the roof. Fresh round dents or shiny spots are the clearest sign that hail was big enough to damage shingles.
- Eavestroughs and downspouts. Dents along the top edge of the gutter, crushed downspout elbows, and dents on the downspout’s face.
- Granules. Black sand-like grit piled at the bottom of downspouts, on the driveway, or in the gutters. A bit of granule loss is normal on a new roof. Piles after a storm are not.
- Siding and window wraps. Cracks or holes in vinyl siding, chips in paint, dents in aluminum window wraps and fascia, especially on the west and north sides.
- Window screens. Torn or dented screens on the storm-facing side.
- Everything else outside. Dents on cars, the barbecue lid, mailbox, fence caps and patio furniture. Splatter marks (lighter circles where hail knocked off dirt) on decks and fences show the hail size.
- Inside. New water stains on ceilings, especially upstairs near exterior walls.
What a roofer looks for on the roof
Bruising
The most common hail damage on asphalt shingles is a bruise: the hail cracks the fibreglass mat inside the shingle without making an obvious hole. From a distance the shingle looks fine. Pressed with a thumb, a bruise feels soft, like a spot on an apple. Bruised shingles lose granules faster and eventually crack through.
Granule loss in random spots
Hail knocks granules off in round or irregular spots, exposing black asphalt or the mat underneath. The key word is random. Wear from age shows up evenly, mostly on the sunniest slopes. Hail spots are scattered and concentrated on slopes facing the storm.
Cracks and tears
Large or wind-driven hail can crack shingles outright, tear corners, or break the exposed edge. In cold weather, older shingles are more brittle and crack more easily.
Damaged soft metals
Ridge vents, box vents, valley metal, step flashing and drip edge all dent. Dents tell an adjuster how big the hail was and which direction it came from.
Test squares
To decide between repair and replacement, roofers and adjusters mark a 10 ft × 10 ft square on each slope and count hits inside it. Many insurers look for a minimum number of hits per square on most slopes before approving a full replacement. That threshold varies by insurer.
Hail damage vs things that look like it
| Looks like hail | What it actually is | How to tell |
|---|---|---|
| Small dark spots | Blistering from heat or manufacturing | Raised, often uniform, on sunny slopes |
| Granule loss | Normal ageing | Even across the slope, worst on south faces |
| Scuffs | Foot traffic or tools | Linear marks, near ladders or vents |
| Cracks | Thermal cracking from age | Straight lines, not round impacts |
| Missing shingles | Wind | Torn at the nail line, often along edges |
A good inspection report explains which is which, because insurers pay for hail and wind, not wear.
How to photograph damage so it helps your claim
Good photos save time with your adjuster:
- Take a wide shot first, then a close-up. The wide shot shows where on the house the damage is. The close-up shows the damage itself.
- Put something in the frame for scale. A coin, a tape measure or a ruler.
- Photograph hail stones if you still have them, next to a ruler, as soon as possible after the storm. Hail size is strong evidence.
- Shoot every side of the house, including sides with no damage. It shows the storm direction.
- Keep the original files. They carry the date, time and often location. Screenshots and edited copies don’t.
A simple roof check calendar for Calgary
- Spring, after the snow melts: look for shingle pieces in the yard, granules in eavestroughs, and new ceiling stains from winter ice dams.
- After every summer storm with hail: do the 10-minute ground check above within a day or two.
- Early fall, before snow: clear eavestroughs, check vent boots and flashing, and book an inspection if anything looked off during the summer.
- After any big chinook wind event: check for creased or missing shingles and lost ridge caps.
Why hidden damage matters in Calgary
Calgary has had major hail damage in 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025. If you bought a house after one of those storms, or never had the roof inspected after one, there may be bruising on your roof that predates your ownership or that you were never told about. A dated inspection report protects you either way.
When you’re ready, book a free inspection or read how to file a hail claim in Alberta.