Hail Just Hit San Antonio? Do These 5 Things First

If hail just came through San Antonio, do these five things first: note the storm date, photograph any damage you can safely see from the ground, check your attic and ceilings for water, get a professional roof inspection, and stop any active leak right away. Doing them in that order protects your home and tells you whether your roof actually took damage, which is not something you can judge from the driveway. Hail damage is often invisible from the ground, so the goal in the first few days is a clear record and a professional set of eyes on the roof.

San Antonio and the surrounding Hill Country sit in one of the most active hail corridors in the country. The April 2016 Helotes storm remains the costliest hailstorm in Texas history at $1.4 billion in damage, and spring storms drop damaging stones across Bexar and Comal counties most years. Here is how to handle it.

What should I do first after a hailstorm?

Write down the date and rough time of the storm, and keep it somewhere you will not lose it. Then, from the ground, take wide photos of your home and any obvious damage: dented gutters, dinged garage doors, split fence pickets, damaged AC fins, and shredded leaves or downed branches. These "collateral" signs help show a hail event happened even when the roof damage itself is hard to see, and they give you a dated record of the storm's effect on your property. Do not climb on the roof. Wet or hail-damaged roofs are slick, and you cannot spot most hail bruising from up there without training anyway.

How do I know if my roof actually has hail damage?

Often you cannot tell from the ground, and that is the trap. Hail damage to an asphalt shingle usually looks like a dark bruise where the granules were knocked loose and the mat underneath was struck. It does not always leak right away. A bruised shingle can hold water out for months, then fail during an ordinary rain long after the storm, which is why some homeowners think they dodged it and get a surprise leak in the fall. Metal roofs dent, and vents, flashing, and soft metals show hail strikes clearly. The only reliable way to know is a close inspection by someone who knows what a fresh bruise looks like versus normal wear. Book a free storm damage inspection and get it looked at properly.

Should I get my roof inspected after hail?

Yes, especially after a storm your neighbors are talking about. A qualified inspection tells you whether there is real damage before you spend money or make decisions. As a Haag Certified Inspector, Christian inspects the roof and documents what he finds, hail bruising, wind creasing, damaged flashing, with photos you can keep. If there is damage, we show you the evidence and quote the fix. If there is not, we tell you that too, and you have peace of mind and a dated record of your roof's condition.

What if my roof is leaking right now after the storm?

Stop the water first. If hail or wind opened up your roof and water is coming in, call our 24/7 line and we will tarp and stabilize it to protect your drywall, insulation, and wiring, then come back to do the permanent repair. Do not let a wait turn a one-day roof leak repair into weeks of interior water damage.

Should I get repairs or a replacement after hail damage?

That depends on how much of the roof is affected, which is exactly what the inspection determines. Scattered damage on an otherwise sound roof is often a repair. Widespread bruising across an aging roof can mean a replacement makes more sense. We lead with repairs where a repair will genuinely hold, and we show you the photos either way so you are deciding on evidence, not a sales pitch.

The bottom line

After a San Antonio hailstorm, move deliberately: note the date, photograph the ground-level evidence, check your attic, get a certified inspection, and stop any active leak. Protect the home first, get the facts second. If a storm just rolled through your neighborhood, the smartest, cheapest move is a free roof inspection while the evidence is fresh.