You can do most of this in one weekend, with a phone, a coin, and a ladder you do not climb. Good documentation is the single biggest thing a homeowner controls, because every policy puts the duty to prove the loss on you, not on the carrier.
Here is the checklist we would hand a homeowner, in the order we would do it. If you want the background on why the burden sits with you, read our post on the burden of proof.
Write it down first
Before you do anything else, write down the storm date and what you saw. Where were you? What did you hear? Did you see hail on the ground, how big, how long did it last? Note when you first noticed damage and when you first saw a stain or a leak.
Do it today, while you remember. A claim that says "sometime this summer" is easier for a carrier to dispute than one that says "June 14, around 4 p.m., hail about the size of quarters."
Pull public weather data for your address
NOAA publishes storm reports, and several hail maps show the size of hail reported near an address on a given date. Print or screenshot what you find, with the date and source visible.
This matters more than people expect. Carrier-hired engineers sometimes use boilerplate checklists, and public weather data is hard to argue with. It also helps with the date problem. Hail from one to two years ago is hard to date, so any record that ties the damage to a specific storm is worth saving.
Take 20 or more photos before touching anything
Photos do the heavy lifting on a claim. Take them in a deliberate order.
- Wide. Each side of the house, so the carrier can see what is where.
- Medium. Each roof slope from the ground or a safe spot, and each elevation of siding.
- Close. Individual dents, cracks, and marks, with a coin or tape measure beside them for scale.
- Different light. Shoot in morning or evening and again at midday. Low sun shows dents that flat light hides.
Do not climb an icy or steep roof for these. A drone or a roofer's photos are fine, and your safety is worth more than a picture.
Photograph the collateral damage
Hail leaves clues beyond the shingles. Photograph:
- Soft metals like vents, pipe jacks, and gutters.
- Window screens and the AC condenser fins.
- Mailbox, deck, grill, and patio furniture.
- Granules collecting in your gutters or at the bottom of downspouts.
These show the size of hail and its direction. They also protect you from "magnetic hail," where a carrier pays for the metals but not the shingles. We cover that in our post on magnetic hail.
Inside the house
Photograph any ceiling stains, wet insulation, or drywall damage, with a date on each photo or a note of when you first saw it. Mark the edge of a stain with a pencil and the date so you can show if it grew. A covered peril, such as hail or wind, that causes a leak can mean the roof and the interior are both owed, so interior photos matter.
Keep every letter, ask for photos, and do not repair yet
Keep every carrier letter, email, and estimate in one folder. Ask the carrier's adjuster for a copy of their photos and their estimate if they have not sent them. You are entitled to see what they used.
Now the part that feels like a trap. Do not make permanent repairs before documenting, but do protect the property. Minn. Stat. § 65A.01, subd. 3 says: "If the insured property shall be exposed to loss or damage from the perils insured against, the insured shall make all reasonable exertions to save and protect same." We are public adjusters, not attorneys. This is how the statute reads and how we use it; for legal advice talk to a Minnesota attorney.
So it is darned if you do, darned if you don't. Tarp the leak, keep the receipt, take photos before and after, and hold off on new shingles until the file is built.
Proof of what the roof looked like before
The best answer to "old damage" is proof the roof was fine before the storm. Look for a pre-purchase inspection report, an old roof invoice, earlier photos, or satellite images from before. Even a listing photo can help.
What we add on top
We take measurements and count test squares on each slope. We read the policy before we argue anything. We pull weather data and, when needed, bring in a contractor or engineer. And we write an estimate at fair market value, not a low number that undercuts your recovery. One homeowner in the Twin Cities area went from a $10,891 first offer to $238,239 on a multi-trade loss, and documentation was a large part of that, though no one can honestly promise a result.
If the carrier already called it wear and tear, good documentation is still the way back. You can take our four-question quiz to see whether your damage qualifies.
The honest answer
Write it down, get the weather data, take 20 or more photos, protect the property, and keep every piece of paper. That alone puts you ahead of most homeowners we meet, and it makes every later step easier, with or without us.