HAIL
DAMAGE
EXPERTS

This is one of the most common questions we get, and the answer is: you usually can't tell from the ground. Hail damage to asphalt shingles is largely invisible at street level. The damage occurs at the granule layer - the small mineral particles embedded in the surface of each shingle that protect the underlying asphalt mat from UV radiation and weathering. When hail impacts a shingle, it knocks granules away and may bruise or crack the mat beneath. From the ground, this looks like nothing. From the roof, it looks like dark circles or exposed spots scattered across the shingle field. The definitive way to know is a professional inspection from someone who gets on the roof and examines shingles up close. We also check gutters (granule accumulation after a storm is a strong indicator), metal components like vents and flashing (denting is immediate and obvious), and ridge cap shingles which are particularly vulnerable. Our free inspection takes about 30–45 minutes and produces a written report you can rely on - not a guess from the driveway.

In the roofing and insurance industry, hail that is 1 inch in diameter (the size of a quarter) is the general threshold for causing insurable damage to standard asphalt shingles. However, this isn't a hard rule - hail size, density, velocity, wind speed during the storm, and the age and condition of the existing shingles all factor into whether damage occurred. Older shingles with existing granule loss are more susceptible to damage from smaller hail. New, higher-grade shingles may withstand hail that would damage an older roof. Oklahoma City regularly sees hail events with stones exceeding golf ball size (1.75 inches) and sometimes baseball size (2.75 inches) during severe spring storm seasons. Any hail event that produced stones larger than a quarter should trigger a professional inspection, regardless of how your roof looks from the ground. We track significant OKC-area hail events and can tell you if your neighborhood was in the damage zone for a specific storm. That information is useful when you're trying to determine if a claim filing window is still open.

No. Oklahoma law gives you the right to choose your own licensed contractor for any insurance-covered repair. Your insurance company can suggest preferred vendors or contractors they have relationships with, but they cannot require you to use them. In fact, contractors who are part of insurance company preferred networks may have pricing arrangements that benefit the carrier - not necessarily you. When you choose your own contractor, you're choosing someone working entirely in your interest. Osuna Roofing represents you, not your insurance company. We document damage thoroughly, attend adjuster meetings in person, and file supplements when claims are underpaid. A carrier-preferred contractor may not be motivated to push back on a low initial estimate the way we are. Choosing your contractor is one of the most important decisions in the claims process - make it intentionally.

Hail damage rarely stops at shingles. A thorough hail damage inspection covers the entire roofing system and all exterior components that were exposed to the same event. This includes: metal ridge vents and attic fans (denting is usually visible and clearly storm-related), pipe boots and rubber boots around plumbing penetrations (cracking), step and counter flashing around chimneys and dormers, gutters and downspouts (impacts leave circular dents that are easy to document), gutter guards, skylights and skylight frames, exterior AC unit fins and housing, window screens and frames, and painted wood surfaces like fascia boards. We document all of it. Your insurance claim can and should include every component that sustained storm damage - not just the shingles. Leaving items off the initial claim and trying to add them later is harder than getting them included from the start. A comprehensive inspection at the beginning of the process is always the right approach.

The total timeline from storm to new roof depends primarily on how quickly the insurance claim process moves. From your initial call to us to completed installation, the typical OKC timeline looks like this: inspection within 24–48 hours of your call, claim opened within the same week, adjuster visit scheduled within 5–14 business days (this is the most variable part - busy storm seasons slow adjuster availability), claim decision issued within 5–10 business days of the adjuster visit, material ordering and installation scheduling within 1–2 weeks of approval, and installation completed in one day for most residential roofs. Total elapsed time in a typical scenario: 4–8 weeks. During a major regional storm event affecting thousands of OKC homes simultaneously, timelines can extend to 10–14 weeks, primarily due to adjuster backlogs and material availability. We keep you updated throughout the process and work aggressively to move things forward on our end.

Yes - and it's a decision worth making intentionally for OKC homeowners. Class 4 impact-resistant shingles are specifically engineered and tested to withstand hail impacts without sustaining the granule loss and bruising that standard shingles experience. They're tested using a 2-inch steel ball dropped from a specific height and must show no cracking or fracture to earn the Class 4 designation. In Oklahoma, many insurance carriers offer meaningful premium discounts - sometimes 20–30% - for homes with Class 4 rated roofing, because the statistical likelihood of a significant damage claim is reduced. Over time, the premium savings can offset the higher upfront cost of impact-resistant shingles. We install Class 4 products from multiple manufacturers and can walk you through the cost difference and projected insurance savings specific to your situation. If your current roof is being replaced through insurance, it's also worth discussing whether upgrading to Class 4 makes sense - you'd pay the difference between what insurance covers for standard shingles and the actual cost of the upgrade.

Yes - and this is an area where many OKC homeowners don't understand their rights. Your insurance policy covers storm damage regardless of the age of your roof, though how that damage is paid may differ depending on your policy type. Policies that pay Actual Cash Value (ACV) apply depreciation to older roofs, meaning you receive less than full replacement cost. Policies that include Replacement Cost Value (RCV) coverage pay the full replacement cost after you complete the repair, with initial payment held back as recoverable depreciation. A 15-year-old roof that sustained genuine hail damage is still entitled to coverage - the carrier can't simply deny a claim because the roof was already aging. What carriers can and will do is argue that some of the damage is attributable to wear and tear rather than the storm. This is where our thorough documentation and adjuster meeting presence matters most. We distinguish storm damage from pre-existing conditions clearly, and we know how to document that distinction in a way that protects your claim.

Several common mistakes can complicate your claim or damage your home further. First, do not go on your roof yourself - wet, hail-impacted shingles are slippery, and structural damage may not be obvious from the outside. Second, do not make permanent repairs before your insurance adjuster has inspected the damage. If you repair or replace items before the adjuster visit, you may lose the ability to document those damages for your claim. Temporary weatherproofing like tarping is fine and encouraged - permanent fixes are not. Third, do not agree to any settlement or sign any insurance paperwork before getting an independent inspection from a contractor working in your interest. Initial settlement offers are sometimes lower than what your claim is worth. Fourth, be very cautious about signing anything with a door-to-door contractor who approaches you after a storm - assignment of benefits agreements and other documents can transfer your rights in ways you don't intend. Call us first. We'll give you an honest assessment with no pressure and no fine print.