Distinguishing hail vs wind roof damage is a daily challenge for adjusters and contractors. Each leaves distinct signatures on roofing materials, and the documentation required for a solid claim differs accordingly. Accurate roof measurements serve as the common foundation for both types of damage, ensuring your estimate is defensible from the start.
- Hail damage creates random, circular impact marks; wind damage lifts shingles and leaves crease lines.
- Wind claims need photos of lifted tabs and displaced granules; hail claims need consistent strike patterns across slopes.
- A precise roof measurement report is the baseline for both hail and wind damage estimates.
- Order a same-day ESX report to import directly into Xactimate® and save hours of field measuring.
How Hail Damage Presents on a Roof
Hail damage is typically random and scattered across the roof surface. On asphalt shingles, look for circular bruising or dimples where the hailstone struck. The granules are dislodged, exposing the underlying mat, and the fiberglass mat may be fractured. On impact, the shingle loses flexibility, and over time the exposed area can lead to granule loss and accelerated aging.
On metal roofs, hail leaves dents or divots, often with a visible ring around the impact point. On wood shakes, hail creates splits or punctures. The key is that hail damage follows no directional pattern. It appears on all slopes facing the storm, and the density of strikes depends on the hail size and wind speed during the storm. For documentation, you need close-up photos of the impact marks, a measurement of the hailstone size (if possible), and a clear record of which slopes are affected.
How Wind Damage Presents on a Roof
Wind damage is directional and often concentrated on the windward side of the roof. The most common signs are lifted or curled shingle tabs, crease lines where the shingle has been bent back, and missing shingles entirely. Wind-driven rain can also cause granule loss that is concentrated along the leading edge of the shingle.
On a ridge, wind can blow off ridge caps or create a gap between the cap and the field shingles. On a hip, wind can lift the shingles along the hip line. The damage pattern is linear and follows the wind path. For documentation, you need photos showing the lifted tabs, the crease lines, and the direction of the damage. A wind speed report from a nearby weather station can support the claim, but the physical evidence on the roof is the primary documentation.
The Common Foundation: Accurate Roof Measurements
Whether you are documenting hail or wind damage, the claim starts with the roof measurements. You need the total square footage, the pitch, the number of squares, and the linear footage of hips, ridges, valleys, and rakes. Without these numbers, you cannot write an accurate estimate in Xactimate®.
A same-day measurement report from SketchMyRoof delivers an ESX file that imports directly into Xactimate®. This gives you the exact dimensions for each roof plane, so you can build your estimate around the damaged areas. For hail claims, you need the square footage of each slope to calculate the percentage of damage. For wind claims, you need the linear footage of ridges and hips to account for replaced caps and underlayment. The measurements are the same, but how you apply them to the claim differs.
Documenting a Hail Damage Claim: What to Include
For a hail damage claim, your documentation should include the following: a weather report showing the date and size of hail in the area, photos of the impact marks on each affected slope, a measurement of the hailstone size (use a coin or ruler for scale), and a diagram of the roof with the strike pattern marked. The adjuster needs to see that the damage is consistent with a hailstorm and not isolated to one area.
Your Xactimate® estimate should include the replacement of all damaged shingles, underlayment, and any accessories (like ridge caps and pipe boots) that were struck. The measurement report provides the base numbers. You then apply the line items for the damaged slopes. For a full replacement, you need the total square footage. For a partial repair, you need the specific slope dimensions.
Documenting a Wind Damage Claim: What to Include
For a wind damage claim, your documentation should include photos of lifted tabs, crease lines, and missing shingles. You also need a wind speed report from the nearest weather station for the date of the storm. Photos should show the direction of the damage, typically from the windward side. If the ridge caps are lifted, get close-ups of the exposed nails and the gap between the cap and the field shingles.
Your Xactimate® estimate for wind damage will include replacement of lifted shingles, new ridge caps, and possibly new underlayment if the wind exposed the deck. The measurement report gives you the linear footage for ridges and hips, and the square footage for each slope. For wind damage, the linear measurements are often more critical than the square footage, because you are replacing caps and starter strips along the edges.
Why a Same-Day Report Saves Your Claim Timeline
When you are on the roof inspecting damage, you cannot afford to wait days for a measurement report. With SketchMyRoof, you order by property address and receive the ESX file the same day, before the daily cutoff. This means you can write your estimate and submit the claim within 24 hours of the inspection.
For both hail and wind claims, speed matters. The homeowner wants a quick resolution, and the carrier wants a complete, accurate estimate. A measurement report from SketchMyRoof gives you the confidence that your dimensions are correct, so you do not have to revisit the property to remeasure. That is time saved on every claim.
Frequently asked questions
Hail damage appears as random, circular impact marks or bruising on shingles, while wind damage shows directional lifting, creasing, or missing shingles along the windward side. Hail damage is scattered across slopes; wind damage follows a linear pattern.
Yes. The measurement report provides the square footage, pitch, and linear measurements for every roof plane. You then apply the specific line items for hail or wind damage in your Xactimate® estimate. The measurements are the foundation for both claim types.
The standard deliverable is an ESX file that imports directly into Xactimate®. For Symbility® users, an XML format is available and chosen at order time. A PDF is an optional add-on. The ESX file is the primary format for Xactimate® users.
Visit the product page, enter the property address, and place your order. The report is delivered the same day, before the daily cutoff. You will receive the ESX file via email, ready to import into Xactimate®.
No. You order by property address, and the report is generated from the address. You still need to inspect the roof for damage, but the measurements are provided so you can focus on documenting the damage rather than measuring.
One agreed set of numbers.