Hail & Storm Damage · Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins & the Front Range
Hail Damage Roof Repair & Storm Damage Restoration in Colorado
Roof, siding, window and gutter damage after a Colorado hail or wind storm — inspected properly, documented for your adjuster, and repaired by a Class C general contractor who has worked the Front Range since 2001. We are not a storm chaser and we will be here for the warranty.
What to Do First After a Hail or Wind Storm
In order, and before you sign anything: document it, then get an independent inspection, then open the claim. Photograph what you can see safely from the ground — dented gutters, torn screens, granules at the downspout — and note the date of the storm. Then have the whole exterior looked at, not just the roof, because siding, windows and gutters are where estimates most often come up short.
You do not have to use the contractor who knocks on your door the next morning, and you do not have to accept the first estimate. Northern Lights Exteriors has worked Colorado hail since 2001 — we inspect, document for the adjuster, and meet them at the property.
How to Tell If Your Roof Has Hail Damage
Most homeowners look at the shingles first, which is the hardest place to read damage from the ground. Work through it in this order instead.
| Where to look | What hail damage looks like |
|---|---|
| Asphalt shingles | Dark bruises where granules are knocked off, soft to the touch like a bruise on fruit. Random pattern, not in rows — a straight line usually means foot traffic or a manufacturing defect, not hail. |
| Gutters and downspouts | Dents and dings. Gutters are the easiest place to confirm a hail event from the ground, and a pile of granules in the downspout outlet is corroborating evidence. |
| Siding and trim | Cracks, chips and pockmarks, usually worst on the elevation the storm came from. Hail damage to siding is often missed because everyone looks at the roof. |
| Windows and screens | Torn screens, cracked glazing beads, damaged frames. Adjusters frequently leave these off the first estimate. |
| Soft metals | Vents, flashing, AC condenser fins. These dent before shingles do, which makes them the best early tell that a storm was strong enough to matter. |
Do not climb on the roof to check. Walking a hail-damaged roof can worsen the damage and muddy the evidence — foot traffic leaves marks an adjuster can read as pre-existing wear. Everything above can be seen from the ground or a ladder at the eave.
How a Colorado Hail Damage Insurance Claim Works
- Get the property inspected for full exterior storm damage — roof, siding, windows, gutters and soft metals, not just the roof.
- Open the claim with your insurance company. Have the storm date and your photographs ready.
- Meet the adjuster during the site visit. We attend, so the damage is documented while someone who works on roofs is present. This is the step that most changes the outcome.
- Review the estimate before assuming it is complete. Missing line items are normal and are corrected with a supplement, not an argument.
Two policy details decide what you actually receive, and they are worth reading before you call anyone: whether you have replacement cost or actual cash value, and what your wind and hail deductible is — in Colorado that is often a percentage of the dwelling value rather than a flat amount. The full walkthrough, including where claims commonly go wrong, is on the insurance claim process page.
We will not waive or absorb your deductible. In Colorado that is illegal, and a contractor who offers it is telling you something about how they will handle the rest of your claim.
Hail and Wind Damage Repair We Handle
Roof repair and replacement
Asphalt, Class 4 impact-resistant, metal and synthetic. Most hail claims end in a full replacement rather than a patch, because matching aged shingles rarely works.
Siding hail damage
Cracks and pockmarks on the impact elevation. Frequently missed on first estimates, and frequently the difference between a repaired house and a patched one.
Windows and screens
Torn screens, damaged frames and cracked glazing. Small line items that add up and are easy for an adjuster to overlook.
Gutters and downspouts
Dented gutters are both damage and evidence. We document them before anything is replaced.
Rebuilding after a storm is also the cheapest moment to upgrade. Class 4 impact-resistant shingles are the standard quote here rather than an upsell — they carry the highest UL 2218 impact rating, and most Colorado carriers offer a premium discount for them, which is what makes the upgrade pay for itself over a few years.
Storm Damage Guides
- Hail Damage OverviewWhat Colorado hail does to a roof, and what it costs to put right.
- Hail Damage Roof Repair & ReplacementRepair versus replacement, and how the call gets made.
- How the Insurance Claim Process WorksStep by step, including where claims commonly go wrong.
- Choosing a Storm Damage ContractorHow to tell a local contractor from a storm chaser.
- Colorado Hail Damage Insurance Claim GuideThe long-form guide, with real Colorado claim examples.
- How to Spot Hail Damage on Your RoofWhat to look for before you call anyone.
- Roofing Companies & Contractors in DenverRoof replacement outside of a storm claim.
- Roof Replacement Cost in ColoradoWhat a roof costs when insurance is not paying.
Where We Handle Storm Damage
Crews run out of Fort Lupton, so the whole hail corridor from Denver to the Wyoming line is local work rather than a travel job — which is the point after a storm, when the out-of-state crews arrive and then leave.
Denver metro
Boulder County & US-36
Northern Colorado
Carbon Valley & I-25 north
Also see Berthoud hail damage, or all service areas.
Hail and Storm Damage FAQs
Does homeowners insurance cover hail damage to a roof?
Almost always, yes — hail is a covered peril on standard Colorado homeowners policies. What varies is how it pays: whether you have replacement cost or actual cash value, and what your wind and hail deductible is, which in Colorado is often a percentage of the dwelling value rather than a flat figure. Read those two lines of your policy before you do anything else.
How do I know if my roof actually has hail damage?
Check the soft metals first — vents, flashing and the AC condenser dent before shingles do. Then look at gutters for dings and downspouts for granules. On the shingles themselves you are looking for dark, soft bruises in a random pattern. Full detail is in how to spot hail damage.
Is there a deadline to file a hail claim in Colorado?
There is usually a window, and it runs from your date of loss — the day of the storm — not from the day you noticed the damage. In practice most carriers want the work started or completed within one to two years of the date of loss, but it is policy and company dependent, so the language in your own policy is what actually governs. Two things follow from that: know your storm date, and if it was more than a season ago do not assume you have missed the window — call the carrier and ask, because a claim can often still be opened.
Will filing a hail claim raise my rates?
Hail is generally treated as a catastrophic weather loss rather than something you caused, which is not the same as a liability claim. Rates across a region often move after a major storm whether or not you personally filed. We cover this properly on the claims process page.
Do you work directly with my adjuster?
Yes. We inspect the whole exterior first, then meet the adjuster on site so the damage is documented while someone who works on roofs is standing there. That single step is where most under-scoped estimates get corrected.
What if the insurance estimate misses things?
That is what a supplement is for, and it is normal rather than adversarial. Adjusters routinely miss detached structures, siding on the impact elevation, window screens and code-required items. We document them with photographs and measurements and submit them.
Are you a storm chaser?
No. We have worked the Front Range since 2001 from an office in Fort Lupton, we are a Colorado Class C general contractor, and we will still be here for the warranty. Out-of-state crews that appear after a hail event and leave with the season are a real problem in Colorado, and the tell is usually a company with no local address and no history before the storm.
Get a Storm Damage Inspection
If a storm has been through, have the whole exterior looked at before you open the claim — it costs nothing and it is much easier to add damage to a claim at the start than to argue it back in later. Call (303) 776-5263 or request an inspection. Our credentials are on the awards and credentials page.
