Central Texas sits in the southern end of the hail belt, and the Austin log for this decade reads like a roofing calendar: 1.5-inch stones in the city on June 16, 2023; 3.0-inch hail over West Lake Hills on September 24, 2023; 2.5-inch baseballs near MoPac and Far West Boulevard on April 9, 2024, with 17 separate reports that afternoon; inch stones on May 28, 2025 and again over Sunset Valley on April 30, 2026. A storm core is narrow, often a mile or two wide, so one side of a neighborhood can be roofed by the hundred while the other is untouched. The only way to know which side your house was on is to look.
What hail does to a shingle is knock the granules off and bruise the mat underneath; the bruise feels soft, like a thumb pressed into an apple, and the bare asphalt beneath it then burns off in the sun over the following months. On a metal roof, hail dents panels and can split a seam or crush a ridge cap; on a flat roof it can fracture a membrane at the seams. The inspection records all of it: strikes per 10-by-10-foot test square on each slope, photographed with a scale card and chalk, plus the collateral evidence an adjuster looks for first, meaning dents in gutters, downspouts, vent caps, the air-conditioner fins and the mailbox, and splatter marks on the fences.
Then you get a plain opinion. Enough strikes per square, consistently across slopes, and the roof is a replacement; a few on one slope and it is a repair, or nothing at all. If a claim makes sense, the roofer explains what Texas allows: the photo package is yours, the roofer can meet the adjuster at the house and point out what was found, and the roofer cannot file or negotiate the claim for you, under Insurance Code section 4102.163, and cannot pay or waive your deductible, under Business and Commerce Code section 27.02. The claims page and the hail claim guide cover the rest.
How the job is done
Test squares on every slope
A 10-by-10-foot square is marked on each slope and the strikes inside it are chalked, counted and photographed, which is how adjusters assess a roof.
Soft-metal evidence
Gutters, downspouts, vents, AC fins, the mailbox and fence splatter are photographed, because that collateral is what proves the hail size and direction.
Scale in every photo
A scale card or chalk circle in each shot so the strike size reads clearly on a screen in an adjuster's office.
Candid opinion on the claim
Replacement, repair or leave it alone, said plainly, with the deductible in view. A claim for damage under the deductible helps no one.
Adjuster meeting
The roofer can be at the house when the adjuster comes and walk the roof with them; the claim itself stays in your hands, as Texas law requires.
Repair or replacement that follows
Whether the carrier pays or you do, the work is priced on the same written sheet, Class 4 shingles offered, and the WUI rule checked for the address.
What hail and storm damage costs around Austin in 2026
| Item | Planning range | Depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection with test squares and photo package | Free | Any storm, any roof |
| Spot repair of a hail-damaged slope | $400 – $1,200 | Strike count; shingle match |
| Replacement after hail, architectural shingles, per square | $450 – $650 | Pitch and stories |
| Upgrade to Class 4 impact-resistant, per square | +$50 – $90 | Often offsets a premium discount |
| Dented gutters and downspouts replaced | $9 – $17 per foot | Profile; guards |
| Vent caps, pipe boots and flashing dented by hail | $225 – $600 | Count |
| Metal roof panel replacement after hail | $400 – $1,500 | Panels affected; matching finish |
| Meeting the adjuster at the property | No charge | Scheduled around the carrier |
These are 2026 planning ranges for Travis, Williamson and Hays counties, not quotes. The figure that binds anyone is the itemized sheet written after the inspection, good for 30 days, with materials, labor, decking, flashing, permit and disposal on their own lines. The inspection itself is free.
On the roof
Questions about hail and storm damage
How soon after a storm should I have the roof looked at?
Within a few weeks. Bruised shingles do not leak on day one; they lose their protective layer and fail over the following year. Most Texas policies also have a filing deadline, commonly one year from the date of loss, so the inspection and the decision should not wait.
Can you tell me whether to file a claim?
The roofer gives you the facts: strikes per square, which slopes, whether it meets the threshold carriers generally apply, and what the repair would cost against your deductible. The decision to file is yours. A claim for damage below the deductible costs you the claim history and gains nothing.
Will you handle the claim with my insurer?
No, because Texas law does not allow a roofer to. Under Insurance Code section 4102.163 a roofing contractor may not act as a public adjuster on a property it may roof. The roofer documents, meets the adjuster and answers their questions; you file and you talk to your carrier.
Someone knocked on my door offering a free roof. Is that real?
It is a crime. Business and Commerce Code section 27.02 forbids any contractor from paying, waiving, rebating or offsetting your deductible, and carriers can require proof you paid it before releasing the final payment. Door-knockers after a storm are the reason the law exists.
Does hail damage a metal roof?
Large hail dents it, and very large hail can split seams or crush ridge caps; most carriers write cosmetic-damage exclusions on metal for exactly this reason. Functionally a dented standing-seam panel usually keeps shedding water. The inspection says which your roof has.