A calm, step-by-step plan for the two days after hail: check for hazards, document everything, prevent further damage, and decide about a claim on your timeline — not a stranger’s.
Hail damage is not an emergency in the way a fire is. Almost nothing about a hail claim is decided in the first hours — but two things genuinely matter early: making sure your home is safe, and documenting what happened before evidence washes away or gets cleaned up. Here is the order that works.
Hour 0–1: Check for hazards, from the ground. Broken glass, downed power lines, tree limbs on the roof, water coming in. If a line is down, stay far away and call your utility. If water is entering, catch it with buckets and move belongings — that’s the only urgent repair.
Hour 1–24: Document before you touch anything. Photograph hailstones next to a coin or tape measure (put some in the freezer in a zip bag). Photograph cars, screens, gutters, AC fins, patio furniture, and all four sides of the house. Wide shots first, then close-ups. Do not clean up, repair, or discard anything until it’s photographed. Our documentation guide has the full shot list.
Hour 24–48: Prevent further damage. If there are holes or broken windows, cover them — board, tarp, or a professional emergency tarping service. Keep receipts: reasonable costs to prevent further damage are typically reimbursable under a claim. This is also a policy obligation ("mitigation") — insurers can decline damage that got worse because it was left open.
Day 2: Read your policy, then decide about inspection. Find your wind/hail deductible and your filing deadline. If the estimated hail was near or above 1" — or you can see damage from the ground — a roof inspection is worth it. Choose the inspector yourself (see Protect Yourself); don’t outsource that decision to whoever knocks first.
When you’re ready: decide about a claim deliberately. You typically have months, not days, to file. If damage is clearly below your deductible, a claim may not make sense. If it’s real, file with your documentation in hand. Our claims guide walks through the whole process.
The knock on the door: In hail-prone areas, door-to-door roofing sales crews often arrive within hours. Some are legitimate; the business model isn’t built around your interests. You lose nothing by saying "we don’t make decisions at the door" — the storm already happened; your leverage doesn’t expire. Never sign anything on day one. See Roofing Scam Red Flags before you sign anything at all.
What NOT to worry about yet: Choosing a contractor, negotiating with your insurer, picking shingle colors — none of it is a first-48-hours problem. Safety, documentation, and a dry house. Everything else waits for you.