Storm and Hail Damage Assessment — What to Look For After a Storm
Manufacturer-referenced guide to identifying hail and wind damage on asphalt shingles. From 1 Source Roofing, Atlanta's GAF and CertainTeed certified contractor.
Certified by Industry-Leading Manufacturers
Manufacturer Technical Bulletins
- Replacement of Storm Damaged Shingles (GAF)
- Hail Damage Assessment (CertainTeed)
How to Identify Hail Damage on Asphalt Shingles
Hail damage on an asphalt shingle roof does not always look the way homeowners expect. The movies show shingles torn off in sheets, but real hail damage is often subtle and difficult to detect from ground level. The destructive mechanism is impact fracture: when a hailstone strikes the shingle surface, it displaces granules, bruises the underlying asphalt mat, and can fracture the fiberglass reinforcement layer beneath. The damage may not produce a visible hole or tear, but the shingle's weathering protection is compromised at every impact point.
Understanding the specific indicators of hail damage is essential for homeowners, insurance adjusters, and contractors to accurately assess a roof's condition after a storm event. The following damage patterns are referenced in manufacturer technical bulletins from both GAF and CertainTeed, and they represent the diagnostic criteria that trained inspectors use during post-storm assessments.
Granule Loss at Impact Sites
The most common and identifiable form of hail damage is localized granule displacement. When a hailstone — typically 1 inch or larger in diameter — strikes the shingle surface at terminal velocity, it dislodges the ceramic-coated mineral granules that form the shingle's outermost protective layer. The result is a circular or slightly irregular area of exposed black asphalt substrate surrounded by intact granule coverage. These impact marks are distinguishable from normal granule weathering because they appear as discrete spots rather than the gradual, even thinning that occurs over a shingle's lifespan.
GAF's technical literature on storm damage replacement emphasizes that granule loss at impact sites exposes the asphalt layer to direct UV radiation, which accelerates oxidation and drying of the asphalt binder. A shingle with multiple impact sites will age significantly faster than its rated lifespan suggests. On a high-end Atlanta home, where shingle replacement costs can exceed $15,000 to $30,000, allowing impact-damaged shingles to remain in place is a compounding financial decision — the longer they stay, the more secondary damage accumulates.
Bruising and Soft Spots
Bruising is the damage that most homeowners miss entirely. A hail impact can compress the fiberglass mat inside the shingle without displacing visible granules. The result is a soft spot — an area where pressing your thumb against the shingle surface reveals a loss of structural rigidity that the surrounding undamaged area does not have. This is called a "bruise" in the roofing industry, and it is a legitimate warranty-relevant damage condition.
CertainTeed's hail damage bulletin specifically addresses bruising as a condition that compromises the shingle's long-term integrity. A bruised shingle has a fractured or weakened fiberglass mat, which means it will be more susceptible to cracking, curling, and wind uplift over time. The damage is real even when the surface appears intact. An untrained adjuster who only looks for visible granule loss will miss bruised shingles entirely — and that is exactly why 1 Source Roofing attends every adjuster meeting with our own documentation.
Cracking and Fracture Patterns
High-velocity or larger hailstones — 1.5 inches and above — can cause outright cracking of the shingle surface. These cracks may radiate outward from the impact point in a starburst pattern, or they may follow the grain of the fiberglass mat in a linear fracture. Either way, a cracked shingle is a failed shingle. Water will penetrate the crack during the next rain event, reach the underlayment, and eventually compromise the deck if the shingle is not replaced.
Impact fractures are particularly concerning on architectural (dimensional) shingles because the laminated layers can separate along the fracture line. What begins as a surface crack can propagate into delamination — a condition where the upper layer of the shingle separates from the lower layer, creating a pathway for wind-driven rain to reach the roof deck. GAF's replacement guidelines are clear: fractured shingles should be replaced, not sealed or patched.
Wind Damage Patterns and What They Mean for Your Roof
Wind damage operates differently than hail damage. Where hail creates point-source impacts distributed randomly across the roof surface, wind damage follows predictable patterns based on aerodynamic forces. The highest wind uplift forces on any roof occur at the edges, ridges, hips, and corners — areas where airflow separates from the roof surface and creates negative pressure (suction) on the shingle tabs.
During a high-wind event — and metro Atlanta regularly experiences thunderstorm gusts exceeding 60 mph — the most vulnerable shingles are those along the roof perimeter and at ridge lines. This is where you will see the earliest signs of wind damage: lifted tabs, curled edges, and in severe cases, shingles torn completely from the roof surface.
Lifted and Creased Shingles
A wind gust strong enough to overcome the adhesive seal strip on a shingle will lift the tab from the course below. If the gust is brief, the shingle may settle back into approximately its original position. But the seal strip bond is broken, and the shingle now has a visible crease line where it was bent backward during the uplift event. That crease is a permanent structural compromise. The granule surface along the crease is disrupted, the asphalt mat is fatigued, and the shingle will be more susceptible to future wind events.
Creased shingles are one of the most commonly missed damage conditions during post-storm inspections. From ground level or even from a drone at altitude, a creased shingle that has settled back into position looks normal. Only a close-range inspection — walking the roof surface or reviewing high-resolution close-up photography — will reveal the crease line and the broken seal strip beneath. 1 Source Roofing's inspection protocol includes close-range documentation of exactly these conditions.
Missing Shingles and Exposed Underlayment
When wind forces exceed the fastener holding strength of the shingle — either because the nails were placed too high (a common installation defect), the seal strip never bonded properly, or the wind speed was genuinely extreme — shingles are torn from the roof surface entirely. The result is exposed underlayment or, in worst-case scenarios, exposed roof deck. Both conditions are emergencies that require immediate temporary protection (tarping) followed by permanent repair.
The location of missing shingles tells a story about the installation quality beneath. If shingles are missing from the middle of a field area, the nailing pattern or seal strip adhesion was likely deficient before the storm. If shingles are missing only from edges and ridges — the highest wind-load areas — the storm may have simply exceeded the design capacity of the system. Both scenarios are legitimate insurance claims, but the documentation approach differs. 1 Source Roofing assesses the cause and documents accordingly.
Flashing and Component Damage
High winds do not just affect shingles. Aluminum and galvanized steel flashing around chimneys, dormers, skylights, and wall-to-roof transitions can be bent, separated, or dislodged by sustained wind pressure. Vent caps can be displaced. Gutter hangers can fail, allowing gutters to pull away from the fascia. Ridge vents can be lifted or shifted, creating open pathways for water entry at the highest point on the roof.
A thorough post-storm inspection must evaluate every component of the roof system, not just the shingle field. Many insurance adjusters scope claims based only on shingle damage, missing the component damage that will cause leaks long after the claim is closed. At 1 Source Roofing, our inspection reports include every penetration, transition, and accessory on the roof — because that is what a complete assessment requires.
When to Repair vs. When to Replace After Storm Damage
The decision between repairing storm-damaged shingles and replacing the full roof is not arbitrary. Manufacturer guidelines, insurance industry standards, and practical roofing experience all converge on a set of criteria that make the determination clear in most cases.
When Repair Is Appropriate
Localized storm damage — a small number of shingles affected on a single slope, damage confined to a specific area from a falling tree branch, or isolated flashing damage at one penetration — is often a repair candidate. The key requirement is that the repair area is genuinely isolated and the surrounding undamaged shingles are in good condition with substantial remaining service life. Repairing a patch of storm damage on a 22-year-old roof that is already showing widespread granule loss and curling is not a repair — it is a temporary measure that will be followed by a full replacement within a few years regardless.
Matching replacement shingles to existing roof material is another practical consideration. If the existing shingle product has been discontinued, or if the existing roof has weathered to a color that new shingles of the same line cannot match, the repaired area will be visually obvious. On a premium home in Buckhead or Alpharetta, a mismatched repair patch is not acceptable to most homeowners.
When Full Replacement Is Warranted
Full replacement is the appropriate response when hail damage is distributed across multiple slopes and the impact density is high enough that selective replacement would leave the majority of the roof surface in a compromised state. Both GAF and CertainTeed reference test square analysis: a representative 100-square-foot section of roof is examined for impact count. When the density exceeds the manufacturer's threshold — typically 8 to 10 or more impacts per test square across multiple slopes — full replacement is the warranted scope.
Wind damage that has compromised the seal strip adhesion across large areas of the roof similarly warrants full replacement. Once the thermal seal bond is broken on a significant percentage of shingles, the entire roof system is vulnerable to progressive failure during subsequent wind events. Repairing individual lifted tabs on a roof where the seal strip has failed across the field is an exercise in postponement, not restoration.
Age is a compounding factor. A 15-year-old roof with moderate storm damage is a borderline case that requires careful evaluation. A 20-year-old roof with the same damage is almost always a replacement candidate, because the remaining shingles are approaching the end of their serviceable life and the economics of repair do not justify the expenditure against the remaining useful life of the undamaged material.
Storm Damage? Get a Free Professional Assessment
1 Source Roofing provides free post-storm inspections with drone photography, written damage reports, and insurance documentation across metro Atlanta.
Schedule Free Storm InspectionDocumenting Storm Damage for Insurance Claims
Filing a successful insurance claim for storm damage requires specific documentation that meets the standards insurance adjusters use to evaluate scope and approve coverage. Homeowners who file claims without professional documentation routinely receive smaller scopes than those who have a certified roofing contractor involved from the beginning of the process.
Immediate Steps After a Storm
Record the date and time of the storm event. This establishes the cause-of-loss timeline that the insurance company will reference throughout the claim. Check local weather service records or news reports to confirm that a reportable weather event — hail, high wind, tornado — was documented in your area on that date. Insurance adjusters verify weather data independently, so the claim must align with a confirmed event.
Walk the perimeter of your property and photograph any ground-level evidence of storm impact: dented gutters and downspouts, cracked or marked siding, pockmarked window screens, damaged landscaping, dents on outdoor HVAC equipment or vehicles. Soft metal damage is the easiest evidence to document from ground level and establishes the presence of hail without requiring a roof inspection.
Professional Roof Inspection and Documentation
Do not walk on a storm-damaged roof yourself. Beyond the personal safety risk, an untrained inspection can cause additional damage that clouds the insurance assessment. A professional inspection by a certified contractor provides several things that a homeowner's own photos cannot: identification of damage types that are invisible from ground level (bruising, mat fracture), measurement of impact density across test squares, documentation of component damage at flashings and penetrations, and a written report that the adjuster can use as a reference scope.
1 Source Roofing uses drone photography on every post-storm inspection. The drone captures the entire roof surface at resolution sufficient to identify individual impact marks, crease lines, and missing shingles. This documentation is timestamped, geolocated, and provided to the homeowner and adjuster in a format that establishes condition at the time of inspection. It is far more comprehensive than what a ladder-based inspection can provide, and it eliminates the "I couldn't access that slope" gaps that plague incomplete inspections.
The Adjuster Meeting
Insurance adjusters are trained to evaluate damage according to their company's standards, which do not always align with manufacturer guidelines or industry best practices. An adjuster may approve repair where a manufacturer's technical bulletin indicates replacement. An adjuster may miss component damage that a certified contractor would document. An adjuster may use a pricing database that undervalues labor or materials in the current market.
1 Source Roofing attends every adjuster meeting for our clients. We bring our inspection report, our drone photography, our written estimate, and the applicable manufacturer technical bulletins — including GAF's storm damage replacement guidelines and CertainTeed's hail damage bulletin. We do not argue with adjusters; we present documented evidence and manufacturer standards. In our experience, claims where the contractor is present and prepared receive materially better scopes than claims where the homeowner meets the adjuster alone.
If you have experienced a storm in the metro Atlanta area and need your roof assessed, call (404) 277-1377 to schedule a free inspection. We serve Alpharetta, Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Johns Creek, Marietta, Lawrenceville, and all surrounding communities within 30 miles of Atlanta.
GAF and CertainTeed Storm Damage Guidelines
Both GAF and CertainTeed publish technical bulletins that address storm damage assessment, replacement criteria, and warranty implications. Understanding these manufacturer positions is essential for homeowners navigating the insurance claim process, because manufacturer guidelines carry significant weight with adjusters and with the contractors who will perform the repair or replacement work.
GAF: Replacement of Storm Damaged Shingles
GAF's technical documentation on storm damage addresses the conditions under which storm-damaged shingles should be replaced rather than repaired. Key positions include: shingles with impact damage that has fractured the fiberglass mat are functionally failed and should be replaced; granule loss at impact sites exposes the asphalt to UV degradation and accelerates aging beyond the rated lifespan; and partial replacement with new shingles of the same product line is acceptable when damage is localized, but the new shingles may not color-match weathered existing shingles.
GAF also addresses the warranty implications of storm damage. Damage caused by storms is not a manufacturing defect and is therefore not covered under the material warranty. However, shingles that were improperly installed (incorrect nailing pattern, inadequate seal strip activation) and subsequently failed during a storm may involve both a storm damage claim and a workmanship warranty issue. This distinction matters, and it is one reason why installation by a GAF Certified contractor — with the documentation that certification requires — protects the homeowner on both fronts.
CertainTeed: Hail Damage Assessment
CertainTeed's hail damage bulletin provides detailed criteria for distinguishing hail damage from normal weathering, manufacturing characteristics, and pre-existing conditions. This is important because insurance adjusters must differentiate between damage caused by a specific storm event and deterioration that was present before the storm occurred. CertainTeed's guidelines help establish that distinction objectively.
The bulletin addresses bruising specifically, confirming that impact bruising — even without visible granule loss — constitutes damage that compromises the shingle's long-term performance. This is a critical reference for adjusters who may dismiss bruising as cosmetic. CertainTeed's position is that bruised shingles have sustained structural damage to the fiberglass mat and should be included in the replacement scope.
For homeowners in the metro Atlanta area, understanding these manufacturer guidelines is not academic — it directly affects the outcome of insurance claims. 1 Source Roofing applies these standards on every post-storm assessment we conduct, and we reference the specific technical bulletins when documenting our findings for adjusters. Read more about our approach to manufacturer standards on our Roofing Technical Standards hub page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Storm and Hail Damage
Answers to the questions Atlanta homeowners ask most about storm damage assessment and insurance claims
How can I tell if my roof has hail damage?
Hail damage on asphalt shingles presents as dark spots or bruises where granules have been dislodged on impact, exposed black asphalt substrate, cracked or fractured shingle surfaces, and dents on metal flashing or gutters. The damage pattern is random — unlike wear patterns that follow water flow lines. Walk the perimeter of your home and check soft metals first: if aluminum gutters, downspouts, or window trim show dents, the shingles almost certainly took hits as well. Call 1 Source Roofing at (404) 277-1377 for a professional assessment.
Should I repair hail-damaged shingles or replace the whole roof?
The answer depends on the extent and density of damage. If hail impacts are limited to a small area — a single slope or a localized section — targeted repair may be appropriate. But when damage is distributed across multiple slopes and the impact density exceeds 8 to 10 hits per 100-square-foot test square, manufacturer guidelines from GAF and CertainTeed typically indicate full replacement. Partial repairs on widespread damage leave compromised shingles in place that will fail prematurely.
How do I document roof storm damage for my insurance claim?
Document the date and time of the storm, take ground-level photos of any visible damage to gutters, siding, and landscaping, and file your claim promptly. Do not attempt to walk on a damaged roof — a professional inspector should assess the roof surface. 1 Source Roofing provides detailed photo documentation with drone photography and written damage reports that insurance adjusters can use directly for claim processing.
What does wind damage look like on a roof?
Wind damage typically appears as lifted, curled, or missing shingles, particularly along ridges, hips, and roof edges where wind uplift forces are strongest. You may see exposed underlayment or nail heads where shingles have been peeled back. Creased shingles — where the tab has been bent backward by a gust and then laid back down — are compromised even if they appear flat. The crease line breaks the granule seal and creates a future leak point.
How soon after a storm should I have my roof inspected?
Have your roof inspected within 7 to 14 days of a significant storm event. Most homeowner insurance policies require claims to be filed within a specific window — typically one year in Georgia, though some policies are shorter. Filing promptly protects your claim eligibility and allows damage to be documented before secondary deterioration sets in. Call 1 Source at (404) 277-1377 to schedule a free post-storm inspection.
Technical Bulletins from GAF and CertainTeed
The information on this page is backed by official manufacturer technical bulletins. These documents provide the installation specifications, warranty requirements, and best practices that certified contractors like 1 Source Roofing follow on every project.