What Hail Damage Actually Is, and Isn't
West Michigan sees hail-producing thunderstorms every warm season, and the damage they leave is quiet. Unlike a wind event that tears shingles off, a hailstone that hits hard enough fractures the fiberglass mat inside the shingle. That fracture is what the industry calls a bruise. Haag Engineering, whose certification our inspectors hold, defines functional hail damage as punctures, tears, or fractures in the shingle mat. A bruise is an indentation with a fracture underneath that feels soft, and it usually has granules dislodged over it, exposing the asphalt.
Here's the part most roofers get wrong, and it matters for your claim. Hail also knocks granules loose without fracturing the mat. Roofers point at those bare spots and call it damage. Haag ran a ten-year field study on exactly that question, removing up to 70 percent of the granules from test shingles and weathering them for a decade, and found no loss of life and no loss of water shedding as long as the mat wasn't bruised or punctured. Shingles are made with more granules than they need. Losing some in a storm is part of the design. So granule loss by itself is not functional damage, and an adjuster trained by Haag knows it.
That's why what we count is bruises, not bare spots. A bruise is a structural failure in the shingle. It's the damage that shortens the roof's life and the damage a carrier pays for. Bare spots without a bruise are cosmetic. Confusing the two is how claims get denied and how honest roofers lose credibility with adjusters.
Hail size matters, but it interacts with the roof's age. Haag's impact testing on eleven-year-old shingles found that roughly one-inch stones bruised aged organic-mat shingles about half the time, aged fiberglass shingles took about an inch and a quarter, and thicker aged laminated shingles took about an inch and a half. A brittle twenty-year-old roof bruises from stones a five-year-old roof shrugs off. Which is why we don't tell you what happened to your roof until we've been on it.
If you're still learning the warning signs, our hail damage problem page walks through them.
Signs Your Roof Has Hail Damage
After a storm, a look around the yard tells you a lot before we get on the roof.
- Dents and dings in soft metal: gutters, downspouts, roof vents, valley metal, drip edge, AC fins, siding, mailboxes. Metal shows hail clearly, and it tells us how hard the storm hit and from which direction. If the metal is clean, the roof usually is too.
- Spatter marks on faded metal surfaces, junction boxes, and window frames, and scuff marks on wood fences.
- A sudden pile of granules at the downspouts right after one storm.
- Cracked or split shingles that were sound before the storm.
- Bruises on the shingles, soft spots with fractured mat underneath. This is the one that counts, and it's the one you can't confirm from the ground.
Even if all you see is dents on the gutters, the roof took the same storm. Get it looked at while the evidence is fresh.
How a Haag Certified Hail Inspection Works
Our process is built to protect the roof and the claim at the same time, and it follows the assessment method Haag Engineering published for exactly this purpose.
- Step 1
Roof Identity and Condition
Manufacturer, product, age, pitch, orientation, layers, existing condition. A twenty-year-old three-tab roof and a five-year-old architectural roof respond to the same storm differently, and we need to know which one we're looking at.
- Step 2
Collateral Damage
Every soft metal on the property. Gutters, vents, AC fins, siding, screens, flashing. This tells us hail size, direction, and whether the storm hit hard enough to bruise the roof at all.
- Step 3
Test Squares on Every Slope
We lay out ten-by-ten test squares on each directional slope, count and photograph every mark, and examine the mat under each one. We separate hail bruising from blisters, foot scuffs, adhesive spots, manufacturing defects, marring from someone walking on hot shingles, and mechanical damage. Hail is random, and heaviest on the windward slope. Fake damage clusters, sits in the middle of shingles, and hits every slope the same. We know the difference because it's what the training is for.
- Step 4
Correlate With the Storm
Date, reported hail size, direction. If what's on the roof doesn't match the storm, we say so. Fresh exposed asphalt is black. Asphalt exposed months ago has oxidized grey. That's one of the ways we tell this storm's damage from an old one.
- Step 5
Document and Scope
A written report with photos, bruise counts per square by slope, collateral damage, and an itemized scope of what the roof needs. That's what you and your adjuster work from.
- Step 6
Repair or Replace
Isolated bruising on a sound roof, we fix. Widespread bruising across slopes, we coordinate a full replacement to the approved scope. Either way, our name goes on the report and the work.
Hail rarely arrives alone. If your roof also took wind or debris damage in the same storm, our storm damage roof repair service covers the full event.
Documentation That Holds Up
Most Michigan homeowners policies cover sudden hail damage, but a claim lives or dies on documentation. A roofer who chalks every bare spot and calls it hail gets the claim denied and the homeowner labeled. A Haag Certified inspector who counts bruises, separates them from anomalies, and correlates with the storm hands the adjuster something they can't argue with.
Here's what we hand you:
- A written report tying the damage to the storm event
- Marked test squares showing bruise counts per ten-by-ten area on each slope
- Close-up photos of fractured mat, not just missing granules
- Collateral damage on gutters, vents, AC, siding, with hail size and direction
- An itemized repair or replacement scope
When you file, we meet the adjuster on the roof, walk through what we documented, and answer questions on the scope. We don't negotiate your claim. That's between you and your carrier. But we make sure the adjuster is looking at bruises, not bare spots, and that the scope covers what the roof actually needs: ice and water shield, starter, ridge cap, flashing, drip edge, code-required ventilation, tear-off and disposal. Those are the items that get missed on a fifteen-minute adjuster walk. In our experience, that difference shows up in the number.
Repair or Replace After Hail?
Not every hail event means a new roof. The answer depends on bruise density per test square, how many slopes are hit, and the roof's age.
A targeted repair often works when:
- Bruising is isolated to one slope or one area
- The roof is relatively new and the mat is still pliable
- Matching shingles are available
- The bruise count per square is below the threshold that calls for a slope replacement
Replacement is usually warranted when:
- Bruising is widespread across multiple slopes
- The roof was already aging or brittle before the storm
- Bruise counts per square exceed the repair threshold on most slopes
- The carrier approves a full replacement
If a replacement is approved, we'll walk you through impact-resistant Class 4 shingles, which are tested to survive hail strikes far better than standard shingles and which many carriers discount on your premium. For a broader look at repair options across leaks, flashing, and wind damage, see our main roof repair service.
Hail Repair Cost in West Michigan
Because most hail work runs through insurance, your out-of-pocket is often your deductible. For homeowners paying directly, we price in three tiers.
Every repair starts at $500. That's the minimum, and it's what it costs to put a W-2 tradesman with health insurance, in a truck full of tools, at your house and back, with the office and equipment behind him, on a business that pays bills twelve months a year and can work eight.
- Minor repairs: $500 to about $1,500. A handful of bruised shingles and a dented vent on one slope.
- Moderate repairs: about $1,500 to $4,000. Bruising across a couple of slopes, with new flashing, valley metal, and drip edge.
- Major repairs and replacement: $4,000 and up. When bruising is widespread enough for a full storm-damage replacement, the project follows our standard replacement pricing, which starts around $500 per square and runs past $1,000 per square depending on materials, complexity, and what we find when the old roof comes off. Your carrier covers the approved portion above your deductible.
These are planning ranges. Your number depends on bruise counts, roof pitch and size, and material, and none of that shows from the driveway. We confirm it with a free on-site inspection and a written estimate.
Why West Michigan Trusts Stellar for Hail Repair
After a big storm, out-of-state storm chasers flood the area, chalk every roof they can get on, do fast work, and are gone before the warranty matters. Some of them chalk marks that aren't hail. Haag wrote a whole section of their paper on how to spot the ones who make marks with a hammer.
Stellar Roofing Company is here year-round. We've been in West Michigan since 2012 and we'll be here after the storm season ends. We know how lake-effect weather stresses a roof, and we stand behind every repair long after the trucks leave.
When you work with us, you get:
- Haag Certified inspectors, one of the few Michigan roofing companies with them
- Bruise counts, not bare-spot counts, so the claim holds
- Test-square documentation and photos an adjuster recognizes
- Adjuster meeting on the roof, walking through what we found
- Impact-resistant shingle options on replacements
- Clean job sites and a magnetic nail sweep
Our promise is simple: document what's actually there, and repair it right.
Storm Just Hit? Get Documented Fast
The best time to inspect for hail is right after the storm, while the evidence is fresh and the asphalt in any bruise is still black. Call Stellar Roofing Company and we'll get eyes on the roof, document everything, and walk you through the next steps.
(616) 840-1927Hail Damage Roof Repair Questions
How do I know if my West Michigan roof has hail damage?
From the ground: dents in gutters, downspouts, vents, flashing, screens, and AC fins, spatter on faded metal, and a sudden pile of granules at the downspouts. Those tell you a storm hit hard enough to matter. The damage that decides a claim, a fractured mat under the shingle surface, can only be confirmed on the roof by someone trained to tell hail bruising from blisters, foot scuffs, and age. Our inspectors are Haag Certified, and the inspection is free.
Is granule loss from hail considered damage?
Not by itself. Haag Engineering's ten-year field study found that shingles that lost granules in a storm, without a bruise or puncture in the mat, showed no loss of life and no loss of water shedding, even at 70 percent granule removal. Shingles are made with extra granules by design. Functional damage is a fracture in the mat. That's what we count, and that's what an adjuster trained by Haag is looking for.
Does homeowners insurance cover hail damage?
Most Michigan homeowners policies cover sudden hail damage, subject to your deductible. Coverage and the claim deadline are set by your policy, so read it now. What we control is documentation: a Haag Certified inspection with test squares, bruise counts, and collateral evidence, and a walkthrough with your adjuster on the roof.
How soon after a hailstorm should I get my roof inspected?
As soon as it's safe. Freshly exposed asphalt in a bruise is black. After a few months it oxidizes grey, and it gets harder to tie the damage to a specific storm. Your policy also sets a reporting deadline. Inspecting early is how you catch bruising before it turns into a leak and how you keep the claim clean.
Will you help me file my insurance claim?
Yes, within the lines. We give you the report, the photos, the test-square counts, and the itemized scope. We meet your adjuster on the roof and walk through what we documented. We don't negotiate the claim, that's between you and your carrier, but we make sure the adjuster is looking at the actual damage and the scope covers what the roof needs to be put back right.
Can hail damage be repaired, or do I need a full replacement?
Depends on bruise density and the roof's age. Isolated bruising on a newer, pliable roof can often be fixed with a targeted repair. When bruising is widespread across slopes or the roof was already brittle, a full replacement is usually the better call and is often what the carrier approves. We give you the answer either way.
What is an impact-resistant shingle and should I upgrade?
Impact-resistant shingles, rated Class 4 under UL 2218, are built to withstand hail strikes far better than standard shingles. If your roof needs replacement after a storm, upgrading reduces future damage and, with many carriers, earns a premium discount. We'll walk you through the options during your estimate.
What This Page Cites
- Marshall, T.P., Herzog, R.F., and Morrison, S.J., Haag Engineering Co., "Hail Damage to Asphalt Roof Shingles." haagglobal.com. Definition of functional hail damage, ten-year granule loss study, shingle anomalies mistaken for hail, and hail assessment methodology.
- Marshall, T.P. and Herzog, R.F., 1999, "Protocol for Assessment of Hail-Damaged Roofing," test square methodology.
- UL 2218, Standard for Impact Resistance of Prepared Roof Covering Materials, Class 4 rating.