Hail-Cracked Vinyl Siding Claim — Chips, Cracks and the Light Test
In daylight the siding looks fine. Shine a light across it at a low angle and the north and west walls are covered in half-moon cracks. That is what the adjuster needs to see, and what we photograph.
A hail damaged vinyl siding claim comes down to what you can show: cracks, chips and holes in the panels, counted per wall and written by the square. JMB Builders documents it across the Twin Cities metro with the low-angle light test that makes hail cracks visible, writes the scope in squares per elevation the way the adjuster's reads, and replaces the panels or walls once the claim is approved. You file the claim. Priced per wall.
- Priced per wall, in squares like the scope
- Low-angle light test photos of every crack
- Matched profile and color, or documented when discontinued
- Send photos, reply within one business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Send photos and hear back within one business day — or book a free in-home estimate.
Hail breaks vinyl differently than it dents aluminum. A cold, brittle panel takes a hit and cracks in a half-moon or a star, often on the lower edge of the lap where the panel is unsupported. Chips come out of the butt edge. Big hail punches holes. Most of it is nearly invisible in flat daylight, which is why so many vinyl siding claims get written for one wall when three were hit.
The light test is how you find it. At dusk, or at night with a flashlight, hold the light flat against the wall and shine it across the panels, not at them. Every crack throws a shadow. We photograph each wall that way, mark the cracks with chalk or tape, count them per panel and per wall, and photograph again with a tape measure in the frame. The adjuster writes vinyl siding by the square per elevation; our scope is written the same way, with a crack count behind each square, so the two can be compared line by line.
Replacement is per wall, not per crack, because a cracked panel is removed with the zip tool and replaced in kind and the color has to match its neighbors. Where the profile and color are still made, we replace the hit walls and they match. Where the siding is discontinued or faded, we document it for Minnesota's matching rule, and the question of whether the undamaged walls are included is between you and your insurer. We do the walls on the approved scope.
What you supply
- Photos of each side of the house in daylight, plus any you can take at dusk with a flashlight held flat against the wall
- A loose or spare panel from the garage if you have one, for the profile and color, and the brand if you know it
- The adjuster's scope when you have it, with the squares per elevation
- Your claim number and the date of the storm
What JMB supplies
- A wall-by-wall inspection with the low-angle light test, cracks marked and counted, photographed with scale
- A scope in squares per elevation, with crack counts, in the adjuster's format, plus a note on the roof and trim we can see from the ladder
- Replacement vinyl in the matching profile, exposure and color where it is still made, installed loose on the nails the way vinyl has to be
- J-channel, corner posts and utility trim replaced where hail cracked them, which the adjuster often leaves off
- House wrap checked and patched behind removed panels
- Documentation of a discontinued profile or faded color for the claim file, with a sample panel kept
- Before-and-after photos per wall in your job folder
How it is priced: per wall
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- How many walls were hit and the squares on each; the north and west walls are usually the worst after a Minnesota storm
- Profile and color still in production vs. a discontinued line that pushes the decision to whole-house
- Corner posts, J-channel and trim pieces that were cracked along with the panels
- One-story walls from a ladder vs. two-story walls on staging
- Windows, lights, vents and hose bibs on the wall that have to be worked around
- Whether the approved scope is per wall or whole house
Send daylight photos of each side and, if you can, one taken at dusk with a flashlight flat against the worst wall. We reply within one business day with what to look for before the adjuster comes.
How long it takes
One or two walls on a one-story house: one to two days once the siding is in. A whole house: about a week, depending on the stories and the trim. Matching color typically takes a couple of weeks to arrive.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Light-test documentation before the adjuster
We walk every wall with a light at a low angle, mark and count the cracks, and photograph them with scale. You get the photos and a scope in squares per elevation before the adjuster's visit, so the damage is on record whether or not it is visible on inspection day.
Panel-by-panel on one or two walls
The siding is a current profile and color. Cracked panels are unzipped and replaced in kind on the hit walls, J-channel and corners replaced where cracked, and the wall looks like it did before the storm.
Whole walls for a discontinued profile
The line is no longer made or the color has faded past matching. We document it with a sample panel and photos for the matching conversation. Whatever the scope approves, we reside those walls complete so there is no patchwork.
Siding plus the trim items
Hail that cracked vinyl also cracked the shutters, dented the window capping and punched the vent hoods. We put those on the same scope so the house is finished in one job, not three.
Hail-Cracked Vinyl Siding Claim — Chips, Cracks and the Light Test: questions, answered
How does an adjuster count hail damage on vinyl siding?
Most adjusters look for cracks, chips and holes per wall, sometimes in a marked test area, and write replacement by the square per elevation, with a line for the matching trim pieces. What counts as enough damage to replace a wall varies by insurer. Our scope gives a crack count per wall behind each square, so there is something to compare to if the adjuster's count is lower.
What is the flashlight test for hail damage on siding?
Hold a flashlight flat against the siding and shine it across the wall so the light skims the surface. Cracks and chips that disappear in daylight throw a shadow and show up. Do it at dusk or at night, wall by wall, and photograph what you find with the light still on it. It is the single most useful thing you can do before the adjuster visits.
Can you replace just the cracked panels of vinyl siding after hail?
Yes, when the profile, exposure and color are still made. A panel comes out with a zip tool, the new one hooks in and hangs on the nails loose, and the wall is whole again. The limit is color: new panel next to panel that has been in the sun for years will show on some colors. We tell you how it will look before we order.
My siding is discontinued and only two walls were hit. Does insurance replace all of it?
That is a matching question, and in Minnesota there is a matching rule for replacement-cost policies that your insurer has to apply. What it means for your house is between you and your insurer; ask your agent and get the answer in writing. What we do is document the discontinued profile with a sample panel, photos of the fade, and the supplier's word that it is no longer made, so the file is complete.
Does hail damage to vinyl siding have to be repaired right away?
A crack in vinyl lets water behind it, but the house wrap behind the siding is the real weather barrier, so a cracked wall is not an emergency. Chips and holes on a weather wall should be covered within the season. The claim, on the other hand, has a deadline in your policy for reporting the loss and usually one for completing the work; ask your agent what yours are.
Will the adjuster include the J-channel, corners and trim with the siding?
Often not, unless someone points them out. Hail that cracks a panel cracks the corner post and the J-channel beside the windows too, and a wall cannot be resided without them. We list them as their own lines with photos, so if they are missing from the scope you have what you need to ask for a supplement.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners, builders and dealers. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
Related jobs we do
Siding Repair — Storm, Hail and Woodpecker Damage
Wind took a run of siding off the gable, hail cracked the west wall, or a woodpecker found the LP — we repair the section, fix what is under it, and match it as close as the product allows.
Read moreVinyl Siding Panel Repair — Replace Cracked or Torn Vinyl Panels
A mower rock, a hailstorm or a windy night cracked or tore a few panels and the rest of the wall is fine. We replace just those panels, matched as close as the product allows, and fix the wrap behind them.
Read moreSiding Matching Insurance Claim — One Wall Hit, the Rest Discontinued
The adjuster approved the north wall. The siding on the north wall has not been made in ten years, and the other three walls have faded to a color nobody sells. Here is what to put in the file.
Read moreHail-Dented Window Capping Claim — Re-Wrap the Trim or Leave It
Every window on the west side has capping that looks like a golf ball. The windows themselves are fine. Whether that is a re-wrap or a shrug depends on where the dents are and what is under them.
Read moreInsurance Adjuster Missed Window Damage — Asking for a Supplement
The check came and the scope lists three windows, but six screens are torn and a sash on the back is cracked. Here is how the missing items get documented and back in front of your insurer.
Read moreActual Cash Value vs Replacement Cost — Why the First Check Is Less
The adjuster's estimate says one number, the check that came says a smaller one, and the letter mentions depreciation. Nothing is wrong. Here is what the numbers are and what has to happen for the rest to arrive.
Read morePage reviewed October 1, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All insurance repairs pages
Where we work
Insurance repairs near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: