Many homeowners are prone to ask, "What does it cost, on average, to repair the damage done by a hail storm?" The question is important, and hail damage repairs can often cost thousands of dollars, depending on the size of the hail, the impact angle and force, and the duration of the storm.

The truth is, however, that hail damage varies widely in total cost and falls into three major categories: roof damage, pavement damage, and vehicle damage. Siding, fences, and decking can also potentially suffer harm from hail impacts, but we should focus here on "the big three" that we have identified.

Hail Damage to Roofing

Being more exposed to the weather than any other part of the house, roofs take the brunt of every hailstorm. Asphalt shingles, while the most common and among the cheapest forms of roof material, are prone to severe damage by hail stones, given the right conditions.

Oftentimes, hail will leave circular dents, dings, and cracks predominantly only on one side/section of a roof or scattered here and there throughout. This makes it possible to usually replace only a portion of the shingles, but untouched shingles adjacent to damaged ones will have to be taken up and put back down during the repair process, which adds to labor costs. You can easily expect a few hundred to a few thousand dollars of damage in these partial replacement jobs.

When the damage is severe and widespread enough to call for total roof replacement, you could be looking at a $10,000 to $20,000 (approximately $13,440 to $26,880 CAD) bill. Luckily, homeowners' insurance will typically cover this expense, and you will only have to pay the deductible and any peripheral expenses like replacing pieces of rotted-out roof decking. However, insurance companies will withhold the "depreciation" value, meaning the difference between the value of a brand new roof and the value of your not-brand-new roof. If your roof is, say, 10 years old, expect $3,000 to $5,000 (approximately $4,032 to $6,720 CAD) to come off. Many insurers will "refund" the depreciation sum directly to the contractor after the new roof is on, but it won't be in your initial cash claim.

Finally, note that, whether replacement is total or partial, you can expect to pay $400 to $700 (approximately $537 to $940 CAD) per "square" (100 square foot roofing section). This includes material, labor, underlayment, flashing, and everything. The total cost is around $4,000 to $5,000 (approximately $5,376 to $6,720 CAD) on an average-sized roof, but this does not include extra for tearing off the existing roofing.

Hail Damage to Driveways

Concrete pavement should not be significantly damaged by hail, unless it was improperly installed to begin with, but asphalt driveways are often victimized by hail stones. Even basic homeowner's insurance, however, usually covers hail damage to asphalt surfaces, so long as the insurer's assessor agrees it really was hail that did the damage.

In mild cases, you can probably just patch up any dimples and reseal the surface, which ought to be done every 3 to 5 years anyway to strengthen the surface and keep it from getting too brittle in cold weather. This may not even cost $100 (approximately $134 CAD).

The next level is to have your asphalt resurfaced, which averages around $1.50 to $2.50 per square foot (approximately $21.69 to $36.15 CAD per square meter). It can be done in a single day, and would cost $750 to $1,250 (approximately $1,008 to $1,680 CAD) on a 500-square-foot (46.45 m²) drive.

If the hail damage has weakened the underlying structure enough to merit removal and replacement, you will be looking at about $3 to $4 per square foot (approximately $43.39 to $57.85 CAD per square meter). That's $1,500 to $2,000 (approximately $2,016 to $2,688 CAD) to replace 500 square feet (46.45 m²) of pavement.

Keep in mind that the real costs will vary greatly based on local pricing, size of driveway, and how "high-end" you choose to go.

Hail Damage to Automobiles

Often overlooked is the cost of hail damage to vehicles, but the total price tag can be quite significant. It is common to see prices of at least $30 (approximately $40 CAD) per hail impact for PDR (paintless dent repair) of even the smallest hail dents. Medium-sized dents may cost $50 (approximately $67 CAD) to remove, and large dents can cost up to $80 (approximately $107 CAD) per dent.

If the dents are in hard to work on areas like the car's roof, the cost goes up. Finally, broken windshields average about $300 (approximately $403 CAD) to replace.

If you have comprehensive auto insurance (often the case when you have not yet paid off the car loan), hail damage will be covered.

Hail damage costs homeowners millions of dollars in damage every single year in the U.S. While it often cannot be prevented, there are ways to minimize, and homeowner's and comprehensive auto insurance policies will cover it. Knowing the potential costs of hail damage ahead of time will help motivate to guard and insure against it so you are not caught unprepared should a major hail storm hit your home.

When a major hail storm strikes and you fear your roofing may have been damaged, it is critical that you have a basic understanding of how to do a preliminary hail damage check. If, after surveying your roofing, you still believe it has been damaged by hail impacts, then you will need to hire a professional roofing contractor to assess the damage to your insurance company's satisfaction.

You cannot afford to simply ignore hail damage, for even when your shingles are still intact, the structural damage done by hail stones can weaken them and leave an opening for water to infiltrate below the roofing. This can lead to further deterioration of shingles, decomposition of underlayment, and roof leaks that damage your home's interior.

Do An Initial "Investigation"

How much, if any, damage is done to your roof by hail will depend on multiple factors, including: the size/density of the hail stones, the directions and speed of the wind, and the duration of the storm. Check with your local meteorological society (typically at their website) for a detailed storm report that will give this kind of pertinent information.

Next, walk around your house, looking for signs of damage. If there are hail impact marks on your decking, siding, asphalt driveway, fences, or even a vehicle that was unsheltered during the storm, your roof may well have been damaged as well. Hail will affect different building materials differently and to a different degree, but any signs of damage below the roof is reason to investigate the roof itself.

You may or may not be comfortable setting up a ladder and walking  your roof to look for signs of hail damage. Some may prefer to call in a professional roofer at this point, but if you know how to safely walk on your roof, look first of all for dents/dings on metal flashing around vents and chimneys and in roof valleys. Also waste no time in checking the ridge cap, for being the highest point on the roof, it will typically take the greatest number of direct hits.

Investigating Roofing Shingles

First of all, be aware that shingle deterioration from years of exposure to the weather and from natural aging can sometimes be mistaken as the result of a hail storm. Tears at the edges of shingles, cracks, bubbles, and granule loss can all occur without a single hail stone being involved.

However, bruises, cracks, and granule loss can also be the result of hail impacts. If you see circular areas where granules are missing, it could be hail stones knocked them off. Sometimes, the dents will be fully visible and obvious, but other times, you may need to feel the shingles and/or look at them very closely to discern small dents and dimples caused by hail. You may also notice exposed roofing felt and "shiny" spots on the asphalt shingles. Finally, if you press down on the suspected hail impact spot, and it is soft and easily gives way, that is another sign that hail did the damage.

If you have a metal roof, the dings and dents from hail will be rather obvious. If you have a cedar shake roof, look for splits in shingles that show no other signs of wear/deterioration. If wood shingle cracks show marks/dents along their length, you can be relatively certain that hail is responsible for the damage.

Conclusion

It is not especially difficult to learn to recognize the signs of hail damage on a roof, but it is possible to mis-identify or overlook hail marks. And the last thing you want to do is to make a claim on your homeowner's insurance only to have it denied because it wasn't hail after all. Thus, while you can and should look for hail damage to your roof yourself, you will need to have an expert follow-up with an assessment that both you and your insurer can confidently trust.