Hail and Storm Damage to Minneapolis Roofs
Hail damage rarely leaks the next day. It shows up a winter or two later, which is why the inspection after a storm matters more than the storm itself.
What hail does to shingles
Hail knocks granules off the shingle surface and bruises the mat underneath. A bruise is a soft spot you can feel more easily than see, often with a dark circle where the granules are gone. Exposed asphalt breaks down faster in sun, and the cracked mat lets water in once ice works into it.
From the ground, the signs are dented gutters, downspouts and window screens, spatter marks on the deck or fence, and granules collecting at the bottom of the downspouts. Those do not prove the roof is damaged, but they are why someone should look.
Minnesota storms, and the claims that follow
Minnesota was the top state for State Farm hail claims in 2022, with close to $800 million in damage, and a 2023 storm caused more than $1 billion in property damage across the Twin Cities and central Minnesota. The Insurance Federation of Minnesota says the average hail claim has nearly doubled in a decade, to almost $30,000. Insurers have responded: some now pay the depreciated value of a roof that is 10 or 15 years old rather than full replacement, and wind and hail deductibles have gone up. Read the declarations page of your policy before a storm, not after.
What the law says a roofer can and cannot do
Minn. Stat. 325E.66 bars a residential roofer working on an insurance-paid job from offering to pay or rebate your deductible, from paying you for referrals or a yard sign, and from interpreting your policy or negotiating the claim unless the company is also a licensed public adjuster. The roofer has to give you a good-faith itemised estimate and a written notice of these rules with it.
Minn. Stat. 326B.811 gives you 72 hours to cancel a roofing contract that depends on insurance, counted from when the insurer tells you the claim is denied. The cancellation notice has to be in the contract, in bold, with a form you can tear off and mail.
After a storm, in order
- Photograph dents on gutters, vents, siding and screens, with the date.
- Check the policy: deductible, and whether the roof is covered at replacement cost or depreciated value.
- Have a licensed local company look before you file, so you know whether there is damage worth a claim.
- File with your insurer, and be home for the adjuster visit if you can.
- Compare the adjuster estimate with the roofer estimate line by line.
Getting the roof looked at before you file is the step that saves people from a denied claim on their record for damage that was not there.
Hail in your neighbourhood? Call for a free look before you file. You will know whether there is real damage before the adjuster arrives.
Common questions
How long do I have to file a hail claim?
It depends on the policy. Many have a deadline counted from the storm date. Check yours, and do not leave it until the next season.
Can a roofer handle my insurance claim for me?
Not in Minnesota, unless the company is also a licensed public adjuster. A roofer can document damage and give an estimate; the claim is between you and your insurer.
Do impact-rated shingles help with insurance?
Some insurers give a discount for impact-rated shingles. Ask your insurer what they require and how they verify it before you choose the shingle.
Other roof work in Minneapolis
- Roofing Company in Minneapolis, MN
- Roof Repair in Minneapolis
- Roof Replacement in Minneapolis
- Roof Leak Repair in Minneapolis
- Ice Dam Roof Damage in Minneapolis
Also serving
Hail & Storm Damage is available beyond Minneapolis, across Southwest Minneapolis , Northeast Minneapolis , Edina , St. Louis Park and Richfield .
Ask about hail & storm damage
Say what you are seeing: a stain, ice at the eaves, shingles in the yard. A local roofing company will reply and arrange a look, usually within a few days, sooner for an active leak. Answered Mon–Sat · leave a message after hours and you get a call back Or call (651) 381-5283 if it is leaking now; a person picks up faster than a form gets read.