How to Check Your Roof and Gutters for Storm Damage

St. Louis gets its share of hail, high winds and severe thunderstorms, especially in spring and early summer. After a big storm rolls through, a quick, careful look at your roof and gutters can tell you whether you need a professional inspection, and the notes and photos you take will help if you end up filing an insurance claim. You can do most of this inspection without ever leaving the ground, and you should.

Difficulty: Easy · Time: 30 to 60 minutes

Safety first: stay off the roof

Do not climb onto your roof after a storm. Shingles may be loose, wet or covered in debris, and storm-damaged roofs can hide weak spots. Falls from roofs and ladders send thousands of people to the emergency room every year. Watch for downed power lines and stay well away from any line touching the house, a tree or the gutters; call Ameren or your utility. If a tree is on the house, get everyone out of the affected rooms and call for help before inspecting anything.

Tools and materials

Binoculars (the single most useful tool for this job)
A phone or camera with date stamps turned on
A notepad, or a notes app, to log what you see and where
A flashlight for the attic
A tape measure or a coin for scale in photos of hailstones and dents
Sturdy shoes and work gloves for picking up debris

Step-by-step

Document the storm itself. If it’s safe, photograph hailstones next to a coin or ruler while they are still on the ground. Write down the date and approximate time of the storm. National Weather Service storm reports for the St. Louis area can later confirm hail size and wind speeds for your location.
Walk the yard. Look for shingle pieces, granules, ridge caps, vent covers or flashing in the grass and driveway. Pieces of roofing on the ground are a clear sign something came off. Check where downspouts empty: a heavy pile of dark, sand-like granules after a storm can point to hail damage.
Scan the roof with binoculars. Walk all four sides of the house and stand far enough back to see each roof slope. Look for:
- Missing shingles or tabs, which show up as a different-colored patch or exposed underlayment.
- Creased or lifted tabs. Wind can lift a shingle and fold it back; a crease line across the tab means the seal is broken even if the shingle laid back down.
- Hail bruising and granule loss, which looks like random dark spots where granules were knocked off, often with a shiny or exposed mat underneath.
- Damaged ridge caps, vents, pipe boots and flashing. Metal roof vents dent easily and are one of the easiest places to spot hail hits.
- Debris and branches resting on the roof, which can hide punctures.
Check the gutters and downspouts. Look for dents, especially along the top edge of the gutter, sections pulling away from the fascia, bent downspouts and loose hangers. Dents in soft aluminum gutters and downspouts are often the easiest hail evidence to see from the ground.
Look at everything else around the house. Hail that dents gutters also hits other things. Check siding for cracks, holes or chips, window screens for tears, window wraps and trim for dents, painted surfaces for spatter marks, and the fins on your air conditioner condenser for dents. Check decks, fences and outdoor furniture too. Damage on several items supports a pattern.
Check the attic and ceilings. With a flashlight, look at the underside of the roof deck for wet spots, daylight, dripping or damp insulation. Inside the house, look at ceilings and the tops of walls on upper floors for new stains. Water stains can show up days after a storm.
Photograph and log everything. Take wide shots that show which part of the house you are looking at, then close-ups. Keep everything in one album with notes about location. Keep receipts for anything you spend on emergency repairs like tarping.
Prevent further damage. If water is coming in, move belongings, catch drips and, if needed, have a contractor tarp the roof. Most homeowner policies expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent additional damage.

Watch out for storm chasers

After a big hailstorm, out-of-town crews often go door to door offering free roofs or promising to “handle everything” with your insurance. Some are legitimate; many are not, and some are gone before warranty problems show up. A few ground rules:

Never sign a contract, “authorization” or “inspection agreement” on your doorstep. Read every document carefully and take your time.
Be wary of anyone who offers to waive or cover your deductible. Ask your insurer about it before agreeing to anything.
Ask for a local address, references from nearby jobs and proof of insurance, and verify them.
Don’t pay large sums up front, and don’t pay in cash.
Be cautious of anyone who wants to get on your roof without your permission or who shows you photos of “damage” you can’t confirm yourself.

The Missouri Attorney General’s office takes consumer complaints about home repair fraud if you run into trouble.

Insurance: inspect first, then decide

Before or alongside calling your insurance company, have a local contractor you trust inspect the roof. A good inspection tells you whether there is real storm damage, how extensive it is and whether a claim makes sense given your deductible. Read your policy for its deadlines for reporting damage, and report promptly once you know there is damage. When the insurance adjuster comes out, it helps to have your photos, notes and your contractor’s findings ready.

Mistakes to avoid

Climbing up to look. Binoculars and photos tell you plenty, and a professional can safely go up.
Waiting until the next storm. Small openings let water in slowly and cause rot and mold you won’t see for months.
Throwing away evidence. Keep damaged pieces, photos and receipts until any claim is settled.
Assuming no leak means no damage. Hail can break the shingle mat and shorten a roof’s life without any immediate leak.

When to call a pro

Call for a professional inspection if you found shingle debris in the yard, dented vents or gutters, creased or missing shingles, or any sign of water inside. RossBuilt Construction offers storm damage inspections and repairs for St. Louis-area homes, including roofing, gutters and siding. We will walk you through what we find in plain language and give you a written estimate you can share with your insurer.

Rather have it done for you? RossBuilt Construction serves the St. Louis metro. Request a free estimate or call 636-380-2574.