North Texas hail season can turn a quiet afternoon into a roof problem in minutes. If a storm just rolled through Fort Worth, Benbrook, or anywhere in Tarrant and Parker County, here is a practical, homeowner-safe checklist for figuring out whether your roof took damage — and what to do next.
Stay off the roof
Wet or hail-scuffed shingles are slippery, and storm damage can hide soft decking. Everything below can be checked from the ground, a window, or your attic. Leave the roof surface to a roofer with proper fall protection.
Ground-level signs of hail damage
- Dented gutters, downspouts, and vents. Soft metal shows hail strikes clearly. If your gutters or the metal vents on the roof have fresh dings, the shingles likely took hits too.
- Granules collecting at downspouts. Asphalt shingles are coated in granules. A sudden pile of sand-like grit at the bottom of a downspout after a storm can mean hail knocked granules loose.
- Damaged screens, siding, and fences. Torn window screens, chipped paint, or spatter marks on fences and siding point to hail size and direction.
- Missing, lifted, or creased shingles. Wind often travels with hail. Look for shingles in the yard or tabs that look folded back.
- Dents on cars, mailboxes, or AC units. These are a good sign of how hard your street was hit.
Check inside the house
Look for new water stains on ceilings, especially near exterior walls and around light fixtures. If you can safely get into the attic, use a flashlight to look for damp insulation, dark spots on the decking, or daylight coming through. Leaks do not always show up right away, so check again after the next rain.
Document everything right away
Before anything is cleaned up or repaired, take date-stamped photos and video of the damage you can see: gutters, vents, screens, siding, ceiling stains, and any debris. Write down the date and approximate time of the storm. Good documentation makes the inspection and any insurance conversation much smoother.
Prevent further damage
If water is actively coming in, move belongings away from the leak, catch water with buckets, and call a roofer about emergency tarping. Most policies expect homeowners to take reasonable steps to limit additional damage, so keep receipts for anything you spend on temporary protection.
Get a professional roof inspection
Hail damage on shingles is often hard to see from the ground: bruised mat, cracked tabs, and granule loss show up up close. A professional roof inspection tells you whether you are looking at a few repairs or a roof that should be replaced. OTG Roofing offers free inspections across the Fort Worth area, and we will walk you through photos of anything we find.
If the inspection confirms storm damage, our hail damage roof repair and storm damage teams can handle everything from targeted repairs to a full roof replacement.
Checking your homeowner’s policy
Check your homeowner’s policy for your deductible and any deadlines for reporting storm damage — they vary by policy and carrier. Many homeowners like to have a roofer inspect first so they know what they are dealing with. Either way, we walk you through photos and a plain-language summary of what we found.
Watch out for storm chasers
After big hail events, out-of-town crews often go door to door. Be cautious with anyone who pressures you to sign on the spot, asks for large payments up front, or cannot give you a local phone number. Working with a local roofer means someone is still nearby if you ever need warranty help.
Local help in Fort Worth, Benbrook, and nearby
OTG Roofing is based in Benbrook, TX, and serves homeowners across Tarrant County, Parker County, and the surrounding service areas, including Fort Worth, Benbrook, Weatherford, and Aledo. If a storm just came through, contact us or call (682) 241-8789 to schedule a free roof inspection.
