Hail Damage Roof Inspection and Insurance Claim Repair
After a hailstorm the question is simple: is there real damage, and is it enough to matter? We look, we document, and we tell you straight before anyone calls your insurance company.
JMB Builders does hail damage roof inspections across the Twin Cities metro after a storm: we walk the roof, photograph every bruise, crease and dented soft metal with a chalk circle and a scale, give you a written report, and meet your adjuster on the roof if you file a claim. Repair or replacement is then done to the scope your policy approves, priced per project. We do not promise a free roof and we do not waive deductibles.
- Written photo report, whether or not you file
- We meet the adjuster on the roof
- No free-roof promises, no deductible games
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Hail damage on an asphalt shingle is a bruise: a spot where the granules are knocked loose and the mat under them is soft or fractured. From the ground it is invisible. On the roof it shows as dark circles the size of a coin, dents in the gutters, downspouts and vent caps, and splatter marks on the electrical box or the AC fins. A storm strong enough to bruise shingles almost always dents the soft metals too, which is why we look at those first.
The trouble is the door-knockers. After every storm the neighborhood fills with out-of-state crews promising a free roof and offering to eat the deductible. Minnesota law does not allow that, and it is how homeowners end up with a lien, a half-finished roof or a fraud problem on their own policy. We are a local licensed contractor. We inspect, we document what is actually there, and if it is a claim we help you through it; if it is not, we say so and you have a photo report for the file.
When a claim is approved, the work is a full tear-off and reroof or a repair, exactly as on the shingle roof replacement page, done to the adjuster's scope with any items they missed sent back as a supplement with photos.
What you supply
- The date of the storm and any photos you took of hail on the ground or on the deck
- Your insurance company and policy number if you decide to file; you make the call, not us
- A copy of the adjuster's scope and estimate once the claim is approved
- Your deductible, paid to us directly as part of the job
What JMB supplies
- Roof walk with a chalk test square on each slope, photos of every hit with a scale reference
- Inspection of gutters, downspouts, vent caps, siding, screens and AC fins for collateral damage
- A written report with photos you can keep or send to your insurer
- Meeting the adjuster on the roof to walk the damage together
- Supplement requests with photos for items the scope missed: ice and water shield, drip edge, vents
- The repair or replacement itself, done to the approved scope, with finished photos in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Repair of a few damaged slopes vs. full replacement, as the approved scope defines it
- Roof size, pitch, layers and penetrations, same as any reroof
- Collateral items in the claim: gutters, downspouts, window screens, siding, AC fin combing
- Code items the policy covers on top of the base scope, such as ice and water shield and drip edge
- Whether the inspection is a standalone report with no claim work following
The inspection and report are quick for us; ask about them on their own. Claim work is priced to the insurance scope, so the number is your deductible plus any upgrades you choose beyond the scope.
How long it takes
Inspection and written report: within a few days of your call after a storm. Adjuster meetings are scheduled by the insurer. Replacement: one to two days on site once approved.
How your project works
- 1
Inspection and report
We walk every slope, chalk the hits in a test square, photograph soft metals and collateral damage, and write it up. You get the report whether or not you file.
- 2
You decide whether to file
We tell you what we found and whether it is likely to meet a claim. Filing is your decision; we do not file for you or pressure you into it.
- 3
Adjuster meeting
We meet the adjuster on the roof and walk the same hits. Two sets of eyes on the roof at once is how items stop getting missed.
- 4
Scope review and supplement
We read the approved scope line by line. Anything missed that the roof needs gets a supplement request with photos. You see the final scope before work starts.
- 5
The work
Tear-off and reroof or repair to the scope, with the same membrane, flashing and ventilation standards as any roof we do. Finished photos go to you and, if needed, to the insurer.
Hail Damage Roof Inspection and Insurance Claim Repair: questions, answered
What does hail damage look like on a roof?
Round dark spots on the shingles where granules were knocked off and the mat underneath is bruised; press on one and it feels soft. Bigger hail creases the tabs or cracks the mat. Check the soft metals first: dents in gutters, downspouts, roof vents and the AC unit fins show a storm was strong enough to matter. If the metals are clean, the shingles usually are too.
Should I file an insurance claim for hail damage on my roof?
Only if there is enough damage to justify it, and only after you have seen it documented. A claim on a roof with a handful of hits can be denied and still count against you. We inspect first and tell you honestly whether what we found is likely to meet the insurer's threshold. Then it is your call. Most policies have a time limit to file after a storm, so do not wait months to get it looked at.
Do you meet the insurance adjuster?
Yes. We schedule around the adjuster's visit and walk the roof with them, pointing out the hits we chalked and the collateral damage we photographed. Adjusters see a lot of roofs quickly; having the contractor there with photos and a test square means fewer missed items and fewer supplements later.
Can a contractor waive my deductible on a roof claim?
No. Offering to absorb or rebate a deductible is illegal in Minnesota and it is insurance fraud on your policy. Any contractor who offers it is telling you something about how they do business. Your deductible is your share of the claim and it is paid to the contractor as part of the job.
Is a free roof after hail damage real?
No roof is free. If a claim is approved, your insurer pays the approved scope minus your deductible and you pay the deductible. That is a legitimate claim, not a free roof. Anyone knocking on your door promising otherwise is either eating the deductible illegally or making it up on the invoice. We do not do either.
What if the adjuster misses something on the roof?
We send a supplement. The most common misses are ice and water shield, drip edge, pipe boots, ridge vent and the cost to detach and reset things like satellite dishes. Each one goes back to the insurer with a photo and a reason. We do not start the roof until the scope covers what the roof needs, so you are not paying for code items out of pocket.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All roofing pages
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