What hail actually does to a roof, how an Idaho insurance claim works, and how to tell an honest roofer from a storm chaser.
Most hail damage is invisible from the ground. These are the signs you can check yourself before calling anyone.
A coffee can of grit at the downspout after a storm means the shingle surface took a beating.
Check gutters, downspouts, vents, and the AC condenser fins. Soft metal dents before shingles show damage.
A hail strike leaves a soft dark spot that gives slightly under a thumb. You need to be on the roof to find these.
Ridge and hip caps take the hardest hits and fail first.
If the west or south faces of your siding are pitted, the roof took the same storm.
Bruised shingles fail slowly. That is why unclaimed hail damage turns into a much bigger bill.
Six steps. We handle the roof side and stay out of the parts that are legally yours.
Photos of every slope, chalked hit counts, and a written summary in the format adjusters expect.
You call your carrier — we cannot file it for you, and any roofer who offers to is a warning sign.
Usually one to three weeks out in a busy storm season.
We walk the roof with them so nothing gets missed, at no cost to you.
Your carrier issues an estimate. We review it against what the job actually takes.
Materials dropped, tear-off, install, cleanup, and final photos for your file.
Idaho policies generally give you a limited window from the date of the storm to file — commonly one year, though it varies by carrier and policy. Waiting past it usually means the damage becomes yours to pay for.
If you think a specific storm hit your house, check the date before you do anything else. We can help you pin down which storm it was.
Out-of-state crews follow hailstorms, take deposits, and leave. Here is what they do that we do not.
Legitimate local roofers are busy with existing customers, not canvassing neighborhoods at dinnertime.
That is insurance fraud, and it makes you a party to it.
Materials get ordered against the job, not against your cash.
Check the license number against the Idaho contractor registry before you sign anything.
A contingency agreement signed at the door is how you get locked in before you have compared anyone.
If there is no physical shop in the valley, there is nobody to call about a warranty in four years.
A hail claim is generally treated as a weather event rather than something you caused, which is different from an at-fault claim. Rate decisions still vary by carrier and by your claim history, so ask your agent directly before you file.
That happens, and sometimes they are right. If we documented hits that were not in their scope, you can request a re-inspection. We will send our photos and meet them again.
Yes. Your deductible is your share of the job, and any contractor offering to eat it is asking you to participate in fraud.
Most valley homes are a one-day tear-off and install, weather permitting. Bigger or steeper roofs run two.
Then we tell you that and leave. We would rather you call us in six years than replace a roof that had life left in it.
We'll come out, get on the roof, photograph what we find, and hand you a written assessment. No charge, and no pressure if the roof is fine.
Storm damage is time-sensitive — most Idaho carriers want the claim filed within a year of the event.