When a hail storm rolls across the DFW metroplex, the first hours and days afterward matter more than most homeowners realize. What you document, who you call, and the order you do things in can make the difference between a smooth recovery and months of frustration. Here is the step-by-step plan we walk Richardson-area homeowners through after every major hail event.
Step 1: Check for Immediate Safety Hazards
Before you think about your roof, walk the property and look for downed power lines, broken glass, and tree limbs resting on structures. If hail broke windows or skylights, cover openings to keep rain out. Never climb onto a roof after a storm — wet shingles and hidden damage make it dangerous, and everything you need to see first can be assessed from the ground.
Step 2: Document Everything Before You Clean Up
Photograph hail on the ground next to a coin or tape measure for scale, dents in gutters and downspouts, damaged window screens, pocked fences, and dinged AC fins. Date-stamped photos taken before cleanup are some of the strongest documentation you can have if you later file an insurance claim. At American Prime General Construction, every project we take on is photo-documented from the first inspection through final walkthrough for exactly this reason.
Step 3: Know What Hail Damage Looks Like From the Ground
You often cannot see shingle bruising from the yard, but you can see the indicators that usually accompany it: granules collecting in gutters and at downspout exits, dented gutters and roof vents, splatter marks on driveways and electric meters, and damaged soft metals. If your neighborhood took hail large enough to dent metal, your roof deserves a professional inspection — our detailed checklist covers what an inspector should be marking and measuring.
Step 4: Protect the Home From Further Damage
If shingles are missing or a leak appears, temporary protection such as tarping matters right away. Most insurance policies expect homeowners to take reasonable steps to prevent additional damage after a storm. Keep receipts for any emergency work — they are typically part of the overall loss.
Step 5: Be Careful With Door-Knockers
Major hail events bring out-of-town storm chasers to DFW neighborhoods within hours. Before signing anything, verify the company has a local address, a portfolio of completed work in the area, and references you can actually check. You can see examples of our completed hail and storm projects across the metroplex in our portfolio.
Where APGC Fits In
American Prime General Construction is a Richardson-based, veteran-led general contractor serving the DFW metroplex. After a hail storm we inspect and document the damage, prepare a detailed construction scope, coordinate qualified mitigation or remediation providers when specialty services are required, and perform the reconstruction, restoration, and build-back — from hail damage restoration to full storm restoration. APGC is a general contractor and does not act as a public insurance adjuster; decisions about coverage always rest with you and your carrier.
If your neighborhood just took hail, schedule a property damage assessment — we serve Richardson, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, and communities across DFW.