Hail damage is not always visible from the ground. A roof can look completely normal and still have damaged shingles, vents, flashing, gutters, siding, or window trim. Foremost Exteriors provides detailed hail damage inspections for Minnesota homeowners with clear photos, documentation, and an explanation of what we find so you can decide what makes sense next.
If meaningful hail passed through your area, an inspection can help determine whether your roof, siding, gutters, or other exterior components were damaged. Hail damage is not always visible from the ground, and an inspection does not mean you have to file an insurance claim.
An inspection does not mean you have to file an insurance claim or replace your roof. The first goal is simply to understand the condition of your home.
A hail inspection is more than looking for a few marks on the shingles. In this video, we show how we inspect the roof and exterior, document possible storm damage, and organize the photos and measurements so you have a clear record of what was found.
Hail damage does not always look like a hole through the roof. What matters is the material, size and direction of the hail, age of the exterior, and where the impacts occurred.
Hail damage to asphalt shingles can show up as bruising, displaced granules, fractured areas, or dark impact marks. Some hits are obvious. Others blend into the surrounding shingles and are difficult to see from the ground.
Gutters, flashing, vents, and other softer metal components often show hail impacts clearly. These dents help us understand what different parts of the home were exposed to, but they are only one part of the inspection.
Vinyl siding may crack, chip, or break, while steel and aluminum products may dent. We also look at soffit, fascia, exterior trim, and other areas that may have taken direct impacts.
Hail can also affect window screens, aluminum window cladding, door trim, wraps, and other exterior finishes. These areas are easy to overlook when the inspection focuses only on the roof.
Hail bruising is random, round, and directional. Normal aging is uniform granule loss across the whole slope.
Carriers deny claims where the damage reads as wear rather than a single storm event.
Documentation is what separates the two: photos, chalked test squares, and impact counts per square.
Can the damaged area be repaired without wrecking the shingles around it?
Shingle age, brittleness, whether the product is still made, and whether tabs lift without creasing.
We document repairability instead of guessing. Forcing a repair is often the expensive way to do it twice.
What to do after hail hits, in order. None of this requires a contractor.
1. Start with safety. Stay off the roof and off ladders until conditions are clear.
2. Photograph everything from the ground, plus any interior leaks or stains, with timestamps.
3. Mitigate if it is safe to do so. Cover openings, set buckets, and keep every receipt.
4. Get the roof inspected before you file, so you know whether you actually have a claim.
5. File with your carrier and keep the entire conversation in writing.
6. Be present when the adjuster inspects, and have your contractor there as well.
7. Check the approved scope against code: ice and water shield, drip edge, flashing, ventilation.
8. Vet the contractor. Minnesota license, current insurance certificates, a local office, real reviews.
9. Approve the scope and get the project scheduled in writing.
10. Walk the finished roof and collect your close-out documents and warranty paperwork.
One call, one free inspection, and a documented answer either way. Call (952) 495-5545 or book online.
Tell us your address and roughly when the storm came through. We will confirm your appointment within one business day, and faster during active storm season.