Hail and wind damage often cannot be confirmed from the ground. American Prime General Construction is a veteran-led roofing contractor in Richardson, and our storm-damage roof inspection is a documented condition assessment, not a sales visit. We check shingles, flashing, vents, gutters and collateral areas, photograph conditions, take measurements, and give you a written scope with no obligation.
Our inspectors answer a narrow question: is there functional storm damage, on which slopes, from which event. The answer may be a targeted roof repair, a full roof replacement, or that the roof is sound.
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Three Different Things Are Called a Roof Inspection
- A sales inspection. Fifteen minutes, a few phone photos, and a conclusion reached in the driveway.
- A homeowner-facing condition inspection. What we perform. Every slope is walked where safe, damage is quantified rather than described, look-alikes are ruled out, and the documentation is yours either way.
- A forensic or engineering-grade inspection. A deeper evidentiary review used when cause, date of loss or scope is disputed: our certified forensic roof inspection.
We are not a public insurance adjuster and we do not negotiate claims on your behalf. We document conditions accurately so you can talk to your carrier from an informed position.
What the Inspector Looks For in Hail Damage
Hail damage on an asphalt roof is a fracture, not a dent. InterNACHI describes a fracture through the mat that does not reach the upper surface as a bruise, because it creates a soft spot you can feel with your finger, and bruises are functional damage; the crack must extend through the mat to count. Granule loss must be visible to the casual observer to qualify as functional damage, and older shingles shed granules more readily as their asphalt ages. Equally important, hail does not leave scratches, so scratched indentations are not hail, and hailstones do not produce creased damage.
Collateral and elevation damage
Much of the evidence is off the roof. InterNACHI calls damage to items other than the roof collateral damage, notes it indicates hail size and density, and calls elevation damage to siding, trim, windows and doors the most important type. We check screens, gutters, downspouts, condenser fins and fences on every elevation. Because indentations have many causes, the metal matters, and hail does not scratch or crease metal, we note downspout material and impact direction. Spatter helps: it removes oxidation and dirt from what it strikes, and its long axis aligns with the direction the hail came from, so fresh spatter on an oxidized vent cap indicates a recent impact.
Test Squares: Hail Gets Counted, Not Described
InterNACHI describes the method: test squares are 10 feet by 10 feet, the area should always be 100 square feet, squares go on each slope where damage is heaviest and not under tree cover, and the inspector counts the hailstrikes that meet the definition of functional damage. It adds that the hits needed to replace a slope vary by insurance company, with eight a common number. We chalk and photograph a square on every slope, since a documented zero is as useful as a ten.
Wind Damage Reads Differently Than Hail
Wind failures start at the seal. InterNACHI explains the failure is often caused by poor bonding of the adhesive strips, that wind lifts a tab and gets beneath the shingle, that creased shingles indicate inadequate bonding, and that high-nailing drastically reduces wind resistance. We lift tabs to test the seal, look for creases, count missing tabs, and check nail placement where courses are displaced. A crease is a wind indicator, never a hail one, and a good report separates the two rather than blending them. See hail and wind damage restoration.
Ruling Out the Look-Alikes
Half of an honest inspection is disqualifying look-alikes. InterNACHI notes blisters leave steep-sided pits missing asphalt, while hailstrikes leave shallow indentations with lightly sloped sides, and that scuffing is granule loss from foot traffic and marring is not functional damage.
| Condition | Visual indicator | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Hail | Shallow indentation, granule loss, a soft bruise; no scratches or creases | Functional when the mat is fractured; counted by test square |
| Wind | Creased, lifted, unsealed or missing tabs | Seal or fastening failure; likely to continue |
| Mechanical or foot traffic | Knife cuts, dropped-tool impacts, scuffing, marring | A past incident; marring is not functional damage |
| Thermal blistering | Steep-sided pits missing asphalt, widespread | An aging condition, not impact |
| Manufacturing or installation defect | Uniform pattern across courses, high nailing | A warranty or workmanship question |
Attic, Flashings, Penetrations and Valleys
An inspection that never enters the attic is half an inspection. Where access is safe we check decking and sagging from below, daylight at penetrations, moisture staining and rust rings at nails, insulation condition, and soffit intake vents blocked by insulation or paint. Interior stains are traced to a probable entry point, not assumed.
Outside, most leaks are not field leaks. We inspect step and counter flashing at wall terminations, chimney flashing, valleys, pipe boots, vent bases, skylight curbs and drip edge. Boots in North Texas often fail before the shingles do. If replacement is coming, our shingle guide covers what goes back on.
Ventilation Checked Against the Code, Not a Rule of Thumb
Poor ventilation shortens shingle life and creates attic moisture mistaken for leaks. Section R806.2 of the International Residential Code states the minimum net free ventilating area shall be 1/150 of the area of the vented space, reduced to 1/300 only when both exception conditions are met: in Climate Zones 6, 7 and 8 a Class I or II vapor retarder on the warm-in-winter side of the ceiling, and 40 to 50 percent of the required area provided by ventilators in the upper portion, not more than 3 feet below the ridge, with the balance in the bottom one-third.
The Department of Energy’s county guide places Dallas County and Collin County in IECC zone 3, moisture regime A, so the vapor retarder condition written for Zones 6 through 8 does not apply here. We verify distribution and true net free area, since net free means louvers cannot encroach on the opening. Blocked soffit intake behind a ridge vent is a common finding.
Confirming a Storm Hit Your Address, and What Texas Homeowners Should Check
The event itself should be verifiable. NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information runs the Storm Events Database, a public source of National Weather Service Storm Data covering weather intense enough to cause injuries or significant property damage, and the Storm Prediction Center publishes archives where tornado, hail and damaging wind reports compiled in Storm Data are available as CSV files, with hail and wind reports dating from 1955. A documented storm date matters because policies contain reporting deadlines, and we record the data we used.
Deadlines depend on your policy and the type of loss, so verify them in your policy and with the Texas Department of Insurance rather than a number quoted by a contractor. TDI advises homeowners to file a claim as soon as they can, take pictures and video, be available for the adjuster visit, get more than one bid, and avoid contractors who offer to waive the deductible, since waiving a homeowners deductible is illegal under state law. TDI adds that your insurer should pay for hail damage if you carry wind and hail coverage.
What You Receive When We Are Finished
The deliverable is the point of the visit: dated and geotagged photos by slope and elevation, test square photos with hits marked and counted, measurements and a diagram, collateral findings, attic and ventilation notes, the storm data behind the likely event date, and a written scope. You keep it and can bring it to your carrier. Our insurance restoration documentation page explains how it is assembled, and storm restoration covers the work that follows.
Drones, Satellites, and When to Schedule
Aerial imagery is useful and we use it. Satellite and aerial measurement gives accurate slope areas and pitch, and a drone can safely document steep, tile, metal or very tall roofs. What it cannot do is feel a bruise, lift a tab to test the seal, or check nail placement, so aerial-only inspections over-call cosmetic marks and miss bruises. Get an inspection after any hail event, after high wind, before buying a home, at roughly 10 and 15 years of roof age, and whenever an interior stain appears. We serve Richardson and nearby communities including Plano, Garland and McKinney; see our service areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the roof inspection include?
We check shingles, flashing, vents, gutters and collateral areas; photograph the conditions; take measurements; and provide a written scope. That includes hand-checking for bruising, testing tab seals, chalking a test square on each slope, and reviewing the attic.
Is the inspection really free?
Yes. We provide a no-obligation inspection and photo documentation, then walk you through next steps. The documentation is yours whether or not you hire us.
How fast can you come out?
During major storm events we prioritize urgent leaks and safety concerns first, then schedule inspections as quickly as possible. Outside peak periods we are usually out within a few days.
How is this different from a free inspection offered door to door?
A sales inspection is built to produce a signature. Ours produces a record: slope-by-slope test squares with counted hits, dated and geotagged photos, collateral findings, attic notes, measurements and a written scope. If there is no functional damage, it says so.
What is hail damage on a shingle, exactly?
It is a fracture, not a dent. InterNACHI describes a fracture through the mat that does not reach the upper surface as a bruise, because it creates a soft spot you can feel, and treats bruises as functional damage.
Can scratches or creased shingles be hail damage?
No. InterNACHI states that hail does not leave scratches and does not produce creased indentations. A crease is a wind indicator, and scratches point to mechanical or foot traffic damage.
How do you know a storm actually hit my address?
We cross-check the evidence against NOAA records: the Storm Events Database publishes National Weather Service Storm Data, and the Storm Prediction Center publishes historical hail and wind archives. A documented date matters because policies carry deadlines.
Do you handle the insurance claim for me?
No. We are not a public insurance adjuster and we do not negotiate claims on your behalf. We document conditions and provide construction documentation; you deal with your carrier. Check your policy and the Texas Department of Insurance for deadlines.
If we find storm damage, we explain the next steps for repair or replacement and can provide construction documentation for the insurance-related work. If we do not, we tell you so. See our roofing services and financing options.