Rated 4.9 by 200+ DFW homeowners on Google
What size hail damages a roof?
The honest answer is smaller than most people think, especially with wind behind it.
- Free inspection, free estimate, always
- Licensed and insured, BBB A+ accredited
- 30 year manufacturer warranty on shingles
Hail size and damage
How big does hail have to be to damage a roof?
Hail around 1 inch, roughly the size of a quarter, can start to damage asphalt shingles, and wind driven hail can cause harm at smaller sizes. Hail of 1.5 inches or more often causes clear, widespread damage.
The rough size thresholds
- Pea to marble, under 1 inch: usually cosmetic, but wind driven can still bruise shingles
- Quarter, about 1 inch: can begin to damage asphalt shingles
- Golf ball, about 1.75 inches: frequently causes real, functional damage
- Baseball, 2.75 inches and up: severe, often obvious damage across the roof
Why small hail still matters
Wind behind the hail, an older roof, or already thin granule coverage all lower the size it takes to do harm. That is why a roof can be damaged by hail that seemed too small to worry about.
Hail size is not the whole story
Wind speed, the angle the hail falls at, how long the storm lasts, and the age and type of your shingles all change the outcome. Two homes a mile apart can come out of the same storm very differently.
How to know if your roof took damage
You genuinely cannot judge functional hail damage from the ground. The only reliable way to know is a close inspection of the shingle surface. See the signs of hail damage or book a free inspection.
What to do if you think you have damage
- Do not climb up yourself, it is dangerous and hail damage is hard to read
- Get a free, documented inspection with photos
- Keep the photo report, it is proof if you need it later
- Decide, with the evidence in hand, whether a claim is worth it
Think a storm hit your roof? See signs of hail damage, book a free inspection, or read about storm and hail damage repair. Daniel Ali is a licensed and insured roofing contractor in Plano; the roof inspection is free, and so is the honest answer on roof repair versus roof replacement.
Common questions
Straight answers
Anything else, ask me directly. You will get me, not a phone tree.
What size hail damages a roof?
Hail around 1 inch, the size of a quarter, can start to damage asphalt shingles, and wind driven hail can do harm at smaller sizes. At 1.5 inches or more, damage is often clear and widespread.
Can pea sized hail damage a roof?
On its own, small hail is usually cosmetic, but driven by strong wind or falling on an older roof it can still bruise shingles and knock off granules.
How do I know what size hail fell?
Local weather reports often estimate it, and dents in soft metal like gutters, vents and downspouts are a good clue that the hail was large enough to matter.
Does hail damage always leak right away?
No. A bruised shingle can take months to fail, so a roof that looks fine after a storm can spring a leak much later. That is why a prompt inspection is worth it.
Your roof checked and priced this week
Free inspection, free estimate, straight answer. If your roof is fine, I will tell you exactly that.
Same day reply · No spam, no robocalls · You deal with one person