hail damage - and what it (really) means

Storm season is coming! Will it be a wild one? Or calm and uneventful?

One of the more common questions that I've gotten over the years deals with hail damage to a home's roof covering materials.

There are some common misconceptions regarding hail damage, & I try to dispel those whenever I'm approached about them while inspecting a home for a client.
Here are some of the basic points that every homeowner, agent, and inspector should know!

1. Hail damage does not = roof leaks. Some catastrophic hail damage could potentially result in a roof leak, but that type of hail damage is exceedingly rare. If a roof was in even adequate condition, an average hail storm that drops even golf ball sized hail is not going to damage the roof coverings enough to cause a roof leak. 

2. Hail damage is common. Even if a neighborhood has had the roofers/vultures swoop through post hail storm, that doesn't mean everyone in the neighborhood had their roof fixed. 

3. Hail damage that must be fixed is opinion based. Trust me - one inspector will say the roof is in need of repair, the roofer that follows up might say the whole roof should be replaced, and then the insurance company adjuster may come by and say it looks fine. Each of these folks works from their own standards:
- the inspector per State of Texas standards of practice
- the roofer based on whatever makes them the most money
- the insurer based on whatever limits their exposure and/or saves them money

4. Just because the neighbor had a new roof put on, doesn't mean you should. Storms are unpredictable in West Texas and wind plays a major factor.

5. Your inspector is required to report hail damage. Major damage, minor damage, small hail dents, huge craters; their all some type of impact damage and your inspector is required to report that damage. What you do with that info after that is up to you!

I hope this helps! If you'd like to learn more about other parts of a home, the real estate transaction, or home inspections, please check out our volumes of blog info right here at www.doublecinspection.com/home-inspection-info-blog