# Hail Damage on Your Roof: What to Look For > How to spot hail damage on a tile, shingle or foam roof in the Valley. What you can check from the ground, and when to get a free roof check from a pro. Canonical: https://www.masizodevelopment.com/guides/hail-damage-roof Last updated: 2026-10-26 Published: 2026-10-26 Start on the ground. Dented gutters, cracked skylights and dinged rooftop AC units are signs the roof took hits too. Hail damage often doesn't leak right away, so a roof that looks fine can still need a check. ## Hail Hits the Valley More Than You'd Think Most people picture Phoenix storms as dust and wind. But hail has hit the Valley at least twice in the past year. - October 5, 2010: hailstorms caused about $2.7 billion in insured damage. It's the costliest weather disaster on record in Arizona. - November 19, 2025: quarter to golf ball size hail in Ahwatukee and Tempe, including on Loop 202. - October 20 and 21, 2026: a photo east of Mesa showed hail 1 to 2 inches wide. News crews reported hail up to baseball size in North Phoenix. The National Weather Service mapped two hail zones from the October storms. One covers the East Valley around Mesa. The other covers the central Valley. ## What You Can Check From the Ground Don't climb up. Your yard and your driveway tell you a lot. Look for: - Dents in gutters, downspouts and metal roof vents - Cracked skylights, or dings on rooftop AC units - Broken tile pieces or loose shingle grit in the yard, the gutters or at the bottom of a downspout - Chipped stucco, torn window screens or a dented patio cover on the side the storm came from - Dents or cracked glass on cars that were parked outside If you spot any of these, the roof may have taken hits too. Take photos with the date on them. They help if you file a claim. ## What Hail Does on the Roof On a shingle roof, hail knocks off the granules. That gritty top layer shields the shingle from the sun. The hit spot looks darker, and in time the mat under it shows through and lets water in. On a tile roof, we look for cracked, chipped and broken tiles. Clay tile breaks more easily than concrete. A hairline crack is hard to see from the ground, but it lets rain reach the underlayment every time it rains. On a flat or foam roof, hail leaves dents and small holes in the coating. Our sun then breaks down the bare foam, so a small dent can grow into a leak. Hail damage takes time to show. After the October storms, a Mesa roofer warned that a roof with 10 or 15 years left can lose most of that life to hail. It can happen without a single leak at first. ## What Happens at a Free Hail Inspection We check the whole roof, including the flashing, vents, skylights and any solar panels. Then we look in the attic for water stains or wet insulation. You get photos of the hits we find and a written report. If you file a claim, you can send that report to your insurance company. We're a licensed roofer and restoration company based in Gilbert (AZ ROC #336058 and #347030). We answer the phone 24/7. ## Have Us Check for Hail Damage Tell us your address and when the storm hit. We'll inspect your roof for free and show you what we find. [Book a Free Inspection](https://www.masizodevelopment.com/services/roofing#estimate) or call (602) 909-7630. ## Questions About Hail Damage ### My roof isn't leaking. Can it still have hail damage? Yes. Hail often cracks tiles or strips shingle granules without a leak right away. The damage tends to show up later, often in the next big rain. ### Which roofs held up best in the October hail? A Mesa roofer checking roofs after the storms saw the worst damage on asphalt shingles. Clay tile and foam roofs took damage too, and concrete tile mostly held up. ### Can hail damage solar panels? Yes, and a damaged system can still seem to work as usual, so it's easy to miss. Have the panels checked along with the roof. ### Does homeowners insurance cover hail damage? Many policies cover hail, but each one has its own deductible and limits. Read yours or call your agent. Your insurance company decides what's covered. ### A roofer knocked on my door. Should I let them inspect? Check their ROC license first, and don't sign anything on the spot. If your insurer names the storm a catastrophe, state law gives you four business days to cancel a repair contract. ### How much does a hail inspection cost? Nothing. Our roof inspection and estimate are free, with no obligation. ## Related - [Roofing](https://www.masizodevelopment.com/services/roofing)