Hail Damage or Normal Wear? How to Tell, and What Ohio Adjusters Look For

Short answer: Hail damage on an asphalt shingle roof shows up in a random, scattered pattern. The hits are soft "bruises" you can feel, often with fresh, dark exposed asphalt, and usually come with dents or spatter marks on gutters, vents, and A/C fins. Normal wear looks different. It is even and roof-wide, with granules thinning along shingle edges, curling, and cracking that has built up over years. The difference matters because homeowners policies generally pay for sudden storm damage, not age-related wear.

By Shawn Stypa, Owner, Pring Roofing LLC | Cleveland, Ohio | Updated October 2026

According to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), real hail damage has a few consistent traits:

• A random pattern. Hail falls wherever it falls, so hits are scattered across a slope, sometimes overlapping, and land on any part of the shingle.
• A bruise you can feel. Press lightly on a hail hit and it often feels soft or spongy, like a bruise on an apple.
• Ridge caps take the worst of it. IBHS calls ridge caps one of the most hail-vulnerable parts of a shingle roof.

InterNACHI's roof inspection training adds an important detail. Hailstones don't crush granules. They push granules out to the sides and press them toward the center of the impact, deeper into the asphalt. Haag Engineering's hail assessment protocol notes that bruises often show up where shingles have less support, such as along ridges, valleys, and overhanging edges.

Usually about 1 inch or larger. Haag's published protocol reports that punctures or bruises in asphalt shingles rarely occur with hailstones under 1 inch in diameter, unless the shingles are already deteriorated or poorly supported. In Haag's testing, hard hailstones hitting straight on damaged weathered shingles at about 1 1/4 inches and new shingles at about 1 1/2 inches.

That's why the date and size of the storm matter. If a storm in Westlake, North Olmsted, or Avon dropped pea-sized hail, it probably didn't harm a roof in good condition, even if the gutters look rough.

This is where many claims go wrong. IBHS lists several look-alikes:

Blisters are small pockets that pop and leave pits. InterNACHI describes them as small, steep-sided craters, usually 1/4 inch or less, often flat across the bottom with the mat visible and no granules left inside. Hail marks have sloped, rounded bottoms that follow the shape of the hailstone.

Shingles shed granules as they age, especially along their edges. Uniform granule loss across the roof is weathering, not hail. InterNACHI also notes that on old roofs, small hail can knock off granules that were already loose. That is generally not counted as hail damage, because those granules were already failing.

Foot traffic, tools, and handling during installation can scuff shingles, especially when the shingles are warm. Haag notes that these marks often leave a ridge of asphalt and granules around the edge, which hail doesn't.

Curling, cracking, and widespread granule loss on a 20-year-old roof are signs of age. If that sounds like your roof, read our post on the 7 signs your Cleveland home needs a new roof.

No. Insurers and inspectors generally look for functional damage, meaning damage that shortens the shingle's life or lets water in. Haag reports that minor granule loss from a hail hit, with no asphalt exposed, has not been found to cause any measurable loss of service life. Chipped shingle edges usually aren't counted either.

InterNACHI puts it simply: if you have to bend down and squint to decide whether a mark is a hail strike, it probably isn't severe enough to count.

Start on the ground, where it's safe. IBHS says collateral damage is a good sign that hail actually fell at your house:

• Dents in metal flashing, gutters, downspouts, and roof vents
• Dented A/C condenser fins
• Spatter marks, which are clean spots where hail knocked dirt or oxidation off metal or painted surfaces. IBHS notes spatter is not damage itself, but it is evidence of hail.
• Damage to siding, window screens, fences, patio furniture, and vehicles

Then write down the date of the storm and take photos before anything gets repaired. Do not climb on the roof yourself. Let a roofer or adjuster do the up-close inspection.

An adjuster is trying to answer three questions:

1. 1Did hail actually hit this property, and when? They check storm dates and look for collateral damage on metal and other surfaces.
2. 2Is the damage from hail, or something else? They separate hail hits from blisters, wear, mechanical marks, and defects, using the traits above.
3. 3Is the damage functional, and how widespread is it? They look slope by slope for bruises, fractures, and exposed mat, not just cosmetic marks.

Homeowners policies generally separate sudden damage from a covered event, like a hailstorm, from wear and tear or poor maintenance, which usually isn't covered. Your own policy language controls, so read it or ask your agent.

Under Ohio Administrative Code 3901-1-54:

• An insurer must acknowledge your claim within 15 days of being notified.
• It must accept or deny the claim within 21 days of receiving a properly executed proof of loss. If it needs more time, it must tell you within those 21 days and explain why, then send written status updates at least every 45 days.

For the step-by-step claim process, including documentation, adjuster meetings, and ACV vs. RCV, see our guide on how to file a roof insurance claim after storm damage in Ohio.

1. 1Note the storm date and save local weather reports or alerts.
2. 2Photograph collateral damage from the ground, including gutters, vents, A/C fins, and any spatter.
3. 3Check inside for new ceiling stains or attic leaks.
4. 4Get a professional inspection before or alongside the adjuster visit.
5. 5Be careful with door-to-door storm offers. IBHS warns homeowners to beware of unsolicited offers to inspect or repair a roof.

It's worth asking about. IBHS recommends roof coverings with a Class 4 rating under UL 2218 or FM 4473 when you replace a roof. Owens Corning says its Duration FLEX shingle carries a UL 2218 Class 4 rating, and that a complete Class 4 system with its ImpactRidge hip and ridge shingles may qualify for a homeowners insurance discount. Ask your insurer whether it offers one. Any replacement also has to meet Ohio code, including the ice barrier at every eave; see what Ohio building code requires under a new roof. If you're wondering whether new shingles can go over the hail-damaged layer, read overlay vs. tear-off in Ohio.

Hail damage appears as random, scattered hits that often feel soft like a bruise, sometimes with fresh exposed asphalt, plus dents or spatter on nearby metal. Normal wear is even across the roof, with granule loss along edges, curling, and cracking.

Haag Engineering reports that hail under 1 inch rarely bruises or punctures asphalt shingles unless they are already deteriorated. In its testing, about 1 1/4 inches damaged weathered shingles and about 1 1/2 inches damaged new shingles.

Yes. Blisters are small, steep-sided pits, usually 1/4 inch or less, often flat-bottomed with the mat visible. Hail marks have sloped, rounded bottoms with granules pushed into the asphalt.

No. Even granule loss across the roof is normal weathering. Minor granule loss from a hail hit that doesn't expose the asphalt hasn't been shown to shorten shingle life, according to Haag.

Under Ohio Administrative Code 3901-1-54, the insurer must acknowledge the claim within 15 days and accept or deny it within 21 days of receiving a properly executed proof of loss, or explain why it needs more time and update you in writing every 45 days.

They may. Owens Corning says its Class 4 Duration FLEX system may qualify for a homeowners insurance discount, but discounts depend on your insurer and policy, so ask your agent.

Pring Roofing LLC has provided residential and commercial roofing in Northeast Ohio since 1936, serving mostly Cuyahoga, Lorain, Medina, and Lake counties from 4472 W 160th St, Cleveland, OH 44135.

• Owens Corning Preferred Contractor (residential)
• Elevate (formerly Firestone) Licensed Applicator and Carlisle authorized applicator (commercial)
• Fully insured
• BBB A+ rating
• Free quotes and inspections
• Open 7am to 10pm, every day

Written by Shawn Stypa, Owner, Pring Roofing LLC.

Pring Roofing will inspect your roof, check the collateral evidence, and tell you plainly whether we see hail damage or normal wear, before you decide whether to file a claim. The inspection and quote are free.

Call 216-941-6298, email contact@pringroofing.com, or request your free inspection. We're available 7am to 10pm, seven days a week.

• Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), "Is It Hail Damage?": https://ibhs.org/wp-content/uploads/member_docs/ibhs-do-i-have-hail-damage.pdf
• Haag Engineering, "Protocol for Assessment of Hail-Damaged Roofing," Proceedings of the North American Conference on Roofing Technology: https://haagglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/protocol-for-assessment-of-hail-damaged-roofing-1.pdf
• InterNACHI, Mastering Roof Inspections: Asphalt Composition Shingles, Parts 46 and 48: https://www.nachi.org/asphalt-comp-shingles-part46-100.htm and https://www.nachi.org/asphalt-comp-shingles-part48-102.htm
• InterNACHI Inspection Narrative Library, "Blisters vs. Hail Damage": https://hinarratives.com/reference/roof/asphalt-shingles/blisters-vs-hail-damage/
• Ohio Administrative Code 3901-1-54: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-3901-1-54
• Owens Corning, Duration FLEX shingle brochure: https://dcpd6wotaa0mb.cloudfront.net/mdms/dms/Roofing/501310CA/501310-Duration-FLEX-All-Weather-Brochure-EN.pdf