What a Hail Claim Adjuster Misses on a Metal Roof

Hail moves fast. The storm is gone, the parking lot is littered with ice, and adjusters are booked solid for weeks. You have maybe one site visit to make your case for a damaged commercial roof. What you document in that window decides the claim.

This is a field-level look at how hail damage shows up on metal and single-ply roofs. It is written for Michigan facility managers who just took a hit and need a practical checklist before the adjuster walks the roof.

How Hail Damages a Metal Roof

Hail damage on metal is not always obvious. A dent is not automatically damage. The question is whether the impact broke the protective coating or the substrate.

Look for three things. First, bare metal. Hail that knocks the finish off leaves bare steel exposed to Michigan winters. Second, creased seams. A hard strike can deform standing seams and create points where water pools instead of draining. Third, loose fasteners. A heavy impact can pop or loosen the screws holding the panel down, which turns a seam into a leak path.

ASTM International publishes standards for impact resistance of roof materials. The ratings matter because a panel rated for a certain hail size may show dents but no functional loss. An adjuster knows this. You need to show functional damage, not just cosmetic dents.

Single-Ply Roofs: Missed Damage Points

Single-ply membranes like EPDM, TPO, and PVC handle hail differently than metal. They flex, so they rarely dent. Instead, the damage shows up as cracks at folds, punctures at fastening plates, and splits along seams where the membrane stretched on impact.

The tricky part is that small punctures can seal themselves temporarily. The hole closes up, but the membrane's reinforcing scrim is broken. A few freeze-thaw cycles later, the hole reopens and the leak shows up inside the building. By then the adjuster is long gone.

The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) publishes guidance on inspecting membrane roofs after hail events. Their field reports tell you to look for radial cracking around impact points and to check the membrane at every penetration, not just the open field. A photocell, a vent pipe, a roof drain, each one is a place where hail can cause damage that gets missed.

What To Document Before The Adjuster Leaves

You get one good chance to document the condition. Use it. A few hours on the roof now beats a drawn-out dispute six months later.

Walk the grid. Do not walk one area and assume the rest is the same. Hail falls unevenly, and the damage will vary by exposure. The north side may be fine while the south side is peppered.

Take labeled photos. Shoot the hail impact, then zoom out to show where on the roof that impact sits. Photo number one is a close-up of the damage. Photo number two shows its relation to a parapet or skylight. That gives the adjuster a map, not just pictures of dents.

Mark the soft spots. On a metal roof, press down on the panel between the supports. A panel that flexes more than its neighbor has lost some of its structural connection. On a single-ply roof, push gently on suspect areas. If you feel a hollow give under a fastener row, that membrane is no longer fully adhered, and water can migrate under it.

Check the seams and the flashing. These are the places where damage turns into leaks. Run your hand along the seam of a standing seam metal roof. A seam that has opened up will catch your glove. On single-ply, look at the splice seams for any point where the two sheets are no longer fused fully.

Document the date of the storm. If a severe weather event crossed your county, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) keeps a record of it and lists it in their billion-dollar disaster database. Having the date, time, and approximate hail size from NOAA on your write-up gives the claim a timestamp the adjuster cannot ignore.

Common Adjuster Blind Spots

Adjusters see a lot of roofs in a week. They do good work, but they miss things, especially on a metal roof where the back side of a damaged panel is impossible to see from above.

The underside. If the roof has a ceiling below, get into the space and look up. A crease on the top of a metal panel often shows a corresponding stress line on the underside. An adjuster who only walks the top misses that second data point.

The gutter line. Hail that rolls off the roof collects in the gutters. If a gutter took repeated strikes, the seam may have opened or the gauge may have been stretched. That is part of the claim.

The previous repairs. If a prior roof coating was applied, hail damage to the coating can look different from damage to bare metal. A coating that is cracked but intact may not be visible as a roof leak for months. A coating contractor who knows the product history can help you identify whether the damage is new or pre-existing.

The building owner often knows more than the consultant. You know where the roof has leaked before, where the ponding is after a rain, and where the maintenance crews have patched. Share that. It directs the adjuster to the parts of the roof that actually have a history of problems.

What Happens After The Adjuster Leaves

The adjuster writes the report based on what they saw. Your documentation goes in the file. If the claim is denied or underpaid, that same documentation is the evidence in an appeal.

If the roof is repairable, get a repair spec before the next storm comes. If the damage is beyond repair, a restoration coating might be the right call, especially on a metal roof where the substrate is sound. Our storm damage page covers the difference between repair and restoration, and this post on restoration versus replacement walks through how to make that call.

A hail claim is a one-time event on a roof's long life. The roof itself, whether metal or single-ply, will keep taking weather for years. Getting the claim right means getting the roof documented right, before the adjuster heads to the next job.

If you are in Michigan and need a second set of eyes on a hail-damaged metal or single-ply roof, we do roof inspections and we know what to look for. Our Michigan page covers what we do locally. Contact us to schedule a walk-through. We document the damage, note the repair or restoration path, and get you ready for the conversation with your adjuster.

Common questions

How does hail damage appear on a metal roof?

Hail damage on metal shows as bare steel where the finish is knocked off, creased standing seams, and popped or loosened fasteners. Cosmetic dents may not count as functional damage, so document any exposed substrate or compromised seams.

What should I document before a hail claim adjuster visits my commercial roof?

Walk the roof in a grid, take labeled photos of each impact and its location, mark soft or flexing panels, check seams and flashing, and record the storm date from NOAA. This documentation supports your claim after the adjuster leaves.

What parts of a roof do adjusters commonly miss after hail?

Adjusters often miss damage on the underside of metal panels, hail marks concentrated in gutters, cracks in prior roof coatings, and small punctures in single-ply membranes that are not yet leaking.

Does AZ Coatings LLC offer hail damage roof inspections in Michigan?

Yes, AZ Coatings LLC performs roof inspections and documents hail damage on commercial metal and single-ply roofs in Michigan. The company is based in Almont, in Lapeer County, Michigan, with service across the state.