What to Do After Hail Hits Your Roof in Abilene

Abilene sits squarely in Texas hail alley. When a storm rolls through, what you do in the first few days determines whether your insurance claim goes smoothly — or gets denied. Here’s the checklist.

Step 1: Document from the ground

Walk your property and photograph everything: dented gutters, granules in downspouts, shingle pieces in the yard, damaged window screens, dents in AC fins. Date-stamped phone photos are fine. Don’t get on the roof.

Step 2: Get a professional inspection

Most hail damage isn’t visible from the ground — bruised shingles and cracked mats only show up close. Get a local roofing company to inspect and photograph the roof itself. This documentation is the backbone of your claim.

Step 3: Watch out for storm chasers

After every big Abilene hail event, out-of-town crews go door to door. Some are legitimate; many aren’t. Red flags:

• Pressure to sign “today only” paperwork
• Asking you to sign over your insurance claim (an “assignment of benefits”)
• No local address or local references
• Demanding large deposits before work starts

Choose a company you called, not one that knocked.

Step 4: File the claim with documentation in hand

Call your insurer with your photos and the inspection report ready. Ask your roofing contractor to be present when the adjuster comes — a second set of trained eyes keeps damage from being missed.

Step 5: Repair or replace

If damage is confined to one area, repair may be all you need. Widespread hail bruising across multiple slopes usually means the adjuster approves full replacement.