Hail Damage in Colorado? Here's What To Do In The First 48 Hours

What should you do first after a hailstorm hits your home in Colorado? In this video, Patrick Knackendoffel, founder of WestPro Home Exteriors and a roofing contractor since 2011, walks through exactly what to do in the first few days after a hailstorm, what to check from the ground, the two mistakes that cost Colorado homeowners money, and how to tell whether your roof actually has claimable hail damage. The first few days after a storm matter more than most people realize. The right moves protect both your insurance claim and the service life of your roof. The wrong ones can cost you. The biggest reason this matters: hail damage is deceptive. A roof can look completely fine from the street, or even from a quick glance on a ladder, and still have dozens or hundreds of hail impact bruises that quietly cut years off its lifespan. What Patrick covers in this video: Why you should stay off your roof after a hailstorm (safety, plus how walking on a freshly impacted roof can create damage that compromises your claim) How to check for hail damage from the ground: soft metals as an honesty meter (gutters, downspouts, metal mailbox, metal fence, and your car), plus granule loss piling up at downspouts, in gutter trays, and across your driveway The two most common mistakes after a storm: waiting too long to inspect or file, and making DIY repairs like sealant over hail impacts before the damage is documented What hail damage actually looks like to a professional: bruising, where impact knocks granules loose and exposes the asphalt and fiberglass mat The professional total-loss standard: ten damaging impacts within a ten foot by ten foot (100 square foot) test square, across three of four roof elevations How long you have to file a claim after the date of loss (often around one year, though it varies by carrier and policy) and why waiting works against you The bottom line: stay off the roof, check for signs from the ground, get a professional inspection, and get the damage documented with photos while it is fresh. Do that and you keep every option open. You can file a claim or not, repair or replace, depending on what is actually necessary. If a storm has hit your home anywhere on the Front Range of Colorado, WestPro's roof inspection is always free, and we will tell you the truth about what we find, whether or not you end up hiring us. VIDEO CHAPTERS 0:00 What To Do First After a Hailstorm in Colorado 0:53 How To Check for Hail Damage Safely From the Ground 2:27 Two Mistakes That Cost Homeowners After a Hailstorm 3:59 What Hail Damage Actually Looks Like (Bruising & the 10x10 Test) 5:19 How Long Do You Have To File a Hail Claim in Colorado? 6:40 The Bottom Line: Keep Every Option Open After a Storm WestPro Home Exteriors is a GAF Master Elite Roofing Contractor and James Hardie Elite Preferred Contractor serving Longmont, Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, Loveland, Estes Park, and the Northern Colorado Front Range: roofing, siding, windows, gutters, and doors. Free roof inspection: www.westproroofing.com Request an estimate: (720) 802-3077 Subscribe for more honest, real-experience Colorado exterior advice and storm damage guidance.