A storm rolls through, the neighborhood group lights up, and the door-knockers arrive by lunch. Before anyone gets on your roof — including you — here's what you can safely check from the ground, and what actually warrants a professional look.
From the ground, look for
- Shingles in the yard. Whole tabs or large fragments mean wind got under the field. Note which side of the house they came from.
- Granules in gutters and downspout splash zones. A sudden pile of coarse granules after hail suggests impact damage even when the roof looks fine from below.
- Visible lifted or creased shingles. Binoculars help. Creases show as horizontal shadow lines across shingle tabs.
- Damage to the soft evidence. Dented gutters, window screens, and AC fins tell you the hail was big enough to matter. If the metal took dents, the shingles took bruises.
Inside, check
Ceilings and closet corners on the top floor for new stains, and the attic (if safely accessible) for daylight or damp insulation after the next rain.
What not to do
Don't climb on the roof — wet or storm-loosened shingles are genuinely dangerous, and walking a bruised roof adds damage. And don't sign anything on the doorstep the same afternoon. Storm-chasing crews count on urgency; a legitimate contractor will inspect, show you photos of what they found, and give you a repair-or-replace answer you can sit with. That's how we do it — see repair vs. replace.
If the ground-level signs are there, get a real inspection. Ours are free, come with photos, and end with a straight answer — see the roofing service page, our pricing page, and our FAQ.