The hail came down hard for a few minutes, bouncing off the driveway and piling up in the grass. Now it’s melted, the sun is out, and the roof looks about the same as it did this morning. That’s the frustrating part. You can’t tell whether it came through fine or took damage that will start leaking next spring.
Hail damage roof repair in Kansas City begins with a close, honest look. The damage depends on the size of the hail, the wind behind it and, a lot, on what your roof is made of. A shingle roof, a metal roof and a flat roof over the garage each show hail differently.
APC Roofing is a GAF Certified contractor, in business since 2017, licensed and insured, with an office in Shawnee, Kansas. We inspect hail-hit roofs across the metro for free and photograph every hit we find, so you can see the damage for yourself.
How hail damages different roofs
Asphalt shingles
Most homes in the metro have shingle roofs, and hail is hard on them. A hailstone can knock the protective granules off and leave a dark spot of bare asphalt. A harder hit bruises the shingle, crushing the fiberglass mat so it feels soft when pressed, or cracks it outright. Bare and bruised spots don’t always leak right away. The sun dries out the exposed asphalt, freeze-thaw works water into the cracks, and a roof that looked fine in May can be leaking by the next spring.
Metal roofs
Metal roofs usually keep water out through a hailstorm, but they can dent. Small dents are often cosmetic. Bigger hits can crack the paint finish, loosen fasteners or bend seams and flashing, and those are the ones that matter for leaks. If you have a metal roof, our metal roof repair page covers what a repair involves.
Flat and low-slope roofs
On a flat roof over a porch, addition or commercial building, hail can puncture or split the membrane, crack the surface and damage seams. Because water sits longer on a flat roof, even small punctures can let a lot of water in. Our flat roof repair page explains the options for EPDM, TPO and other low-slope roofs.
Tile roofs
Clay and concrete tile are heavy and long-lasting, but hail can chip or crack them, especially older tiles. A cracked tile exposes the underlayment beneath, which then takes the weather instead of the tile.
Signs of hail damage you can check from the ground
You don’t need a ladder to find clues. Please stay off the roof. Look for:
- Dents in gutters, downspouts and the metal vents on the roof
- Dents or chipped paint on window frames, siding and outdoor AC units
- Granules in the gutters or washing out of the downspouts
- Dark spots or shiny patches on the shingles you can see from the yard
- Cracked or missing tiles, or dented metal panels
- New stains on ceilings, especially on the top floor
Soft metals like gutters and vents are a good clue. If they’re dented, the roof probably took hits too.
What a hail inspection covers
During your free inspection we check every slope, not only the side that faced the storm. We look at the shingles or roofing surface, the flashing, pipe boots and vents, the gutters and the attic for signs of water. We mark and photograph the hits, measure the affected areas and write it all down.
Then we tell you plainly what we found. Sometimes it’s only cosmetic marks and you don’t need to do anything. Other times there’s real damage, and we’ll explain whether it’s a repair or, when it’s spread across the whole roof, a replacement.
Repair or replace after hail?
Hail damage on one slope, or a few cracked shingles or tiles, can often be repaired. When bruises and bare spots are spread across every slope, a repair won’t hold for long, and replacing the roof is usually the better choice.
If you do replace, it’s worth thinking about what goes back on. Impact-rated shingles and metal roofing both handle hail better than standard shingles, and in a region that sees hail most springs, they’re worth a conversation. For bigger storm repairs, see our storm damage roofing page.
Hail damage and your insurance claim
If hail damaged your roof, you file the claim with your insurance company and pay your deductible. We document the damage with photos and measurements, write the estimate and work with your adjuster so the damage gets seen. Be wary of anyone who offers to waive or cover your deductible.
Our insurance roof claims page explains the whole process.
How it works with APC Roofing
- Book your free inspection. Call 913-398-5020 or request a free estimate online.
- Get a clear, honest assessment and estimate. Photos of every hit, a plain answer on repair or replacement and a written estimate.
- Your roof gets done and the site gets cleaned up. Many residential shingle roofs are finished in a single day, and the crew cleans up before leaving.
Hail damage questions from Kansas City homeowners
How big does hail have to be to damage a roof?
There’s no single number. Size matters, but so do wind, the age of the roof and what it’s made of. Older shingles can be damaged by smaller hail than newer ones. An inspection is the only way to know.
My roof looks fine. Should I still have it checked?
If the hail was big enough to dent gutters or cars, yes. Hail damage on shingles is hard to see from the ground and often doesn’t leak until months later.
Are dents in my metal roof a problem?
Sometimes not. Small dents are often cosmetic. Dents that crack the finish, loosen fasteners or bend seams can let water in. We’ll tell you which kind you have.
How soon should I get a hail inspection?
Soon, while the damage is fresh and easy to document. Many insurance policies also have time limits for reporting it.
Start your hail damage roof repair in Kansas City with a free inspection
Call 913-398-5020 or start your estimate online.
You’ll know exactly what the hail did, what it’ll take to fix and what you’ll owe. Then you can stop checking the ceiling every time it rains. Your satisfaction is our reputation.
