A practical guide for Denver homeowners on protecting their property, working with insurance, and finding a roofer they can trust.
Colorado hail storms do not give you much warning. One afternoon your neighborhood looks fine, and by the time the storm passes, your roof has taken a beating you may not even be able to see from the ground. This happens every year across the Denver metro, Aurora, Lakewood, Bennett, and the surrounding communities.
If your home was in the path of a recent storm, including the June 1 hail storm in Denver, the steps you take in the first few days matter more than most homeowners realize. Filing too early, waiting too long, or letting the wrong contractor on your roof can all create problems that are hard to undo. This guide walks through exactly what to do, in the right order.
Step 1: Stay Off the Roof and Start on the Ground
The first instinct for a lot of homeowners after a storm is to get up on the roof and take a look. That is understandable, but it is also one of the more dangerous things you can do right after a hail event. Wet shingles are slippery. Hail damage can make surfaces unpredictable. And in some cases, getting up there yourself can actually void part of your insurance claim if additional damage occurs.
Start by doing a ground-level inspection instead. Walk around the full perimeter of your home and look for these specific things:
- Dents or dings on gutters, downspouts, and metal flashing
- Damage to window screens, AC units, or outdoor HVAC components
- Cracked or broken skylights
- Dented or split wood on fences, decks, or trim
- Divots or bruising on shingles visible from the ground
- Granule loss visible in gutters or on the ground near downspouts
Photograph everything you find before anything is cleaned up or repaired. Those photos create a timestamped record that matters when you talk to your insurance carrier.
What You May Not Be Able to See
Most real hail damage is not visible without getting onto the roof with a trained eye. Hail impact on asphalt shingles often shows up as bruising or cracking that blends into the surface. A professional inspection is the only reliable way to know the actual scope of the damage.
This is especially true for Denver homeowners who experienced storms where hailstones reached 1.5 inches or larger. At that size, impacts are significant enough to fracture the mat beneath the granule layer even when the surface looks intact.
Step 2: Document Before You Clean Up
Before you move any debris, pull anything off the roof, or let anyone else touch the property, take photographs. This documentation step is something many homeowners skip, and it creates problems when the insurance adjuster shows up later.
What to Photograph
- The full exterior of your home from each corner
- Close-up shots of gutters, vents, and roof edges
- Any visible surface damage on the roof from the ground
- Damage to exterior items like grills, patio furniture, or vehicles
- Dented or damaged siding
- Any hailstones on the ground with a size reference like a coin or ruler
Date and time stamps on your photos are helpful. Most smartphone cameras embed this data automatically. If you are not sure, take a photo of today’s newspaper or a note with the date written on it alongside the damage.
Why This Matters for Your Claim
Insurance carriers rely on physical evidence to determine whether damage is storm-related. The stronger your documentation, the easier it is for a reputable local roofer to support your claim during the adjuster inspection. Carriers can and do dispute claims where documentation is incomplete.
Step 3: Find a Local, Licensed Roofer Before You File
This is the step most homeowners get backwards. The natural instinct is to call the insurance company first and then find a roofer. In most situations, that order creates problems.
When you file a claim before having a professional inspection, you are asking the carrier to schedule their own adjuster without your own documentation and without a roofer present. That puts you at a disadvantage before the process even starts. A trusted local roofing company in Denver can change that outcome significantly.
What a Trusted Local Roofer Does for You
- Inspects the full property including roof, gutters, flashing, vents, and siding
- Documents the damage with photos and written notes before the adjuster arrives
- Meets the insurance adjuster on-site to walk through the findings
- Helps ensure the adjuster sees everything that is covered under your policy
- Gives you a clear picture of what the repairs will actually involve.
How to Spot a Storm Chaser
After any significant hail event in the Denver area, out-of-state contractors show up fast. They often go door to door offering free inspections and quick approvals. A real local roofing company has a physical office in the area, a verifiable business history, and reviews from homeowners in your neighborhood. Before you let anyone get on your roof, check their Google reviews, verify their contractor license, and confirm they carry proper liability and workers compensation insurance.
Step 4: Understand the Insurance Claim Process
Once you have a roofer you trust and a proper inspection completed, you are in a much stronger position to file your claim. Here is how the process typically works for Colorado homeowners.
The Basic Steps of a Hail Damage Claim
- Contact your insurance carrier and report the storm event
- Your carrier schedules a claims adjuster to inspect the property
- Have your roofer present during the adjuster inspection
- The carrier issues a scope of loss and an Actual Cash Value payment
- Your roofer reviews the scope and supplements if anything was missed
- Work begins after materials are confirmed and permits are pulled
- Final payment (recoverable depreciation) is released after the job is complete
Watch Your Filing Deadline
Colorado policies vary by carrier, but most include a deadline to file a storm damage claim ranging from one to two years from the date of loss. Missing that window can result in the carrier declining the claim entirely. Do not let the process drag on.
Actual Cash Value vs. Replacement Cost Value
Many policies pay out in two parts. The first payment reflects the Actual Cash Value, which accounts for depreciation on your existing roof. The second payment is released after work is completed. Our insurance claim assistance in Denver team walks you through every step of this process so nothing is missed.
Step 5: Protect Yourself from Roofing Scams
Hail storms in Colorado are unfortunately a productive environment for roofing fraud. If you were affected by the hail damage in Denver 2026, be especially alert in the days following the storm. Colorado has some of the highest rates of storm-related roofing scams in the country.
Red Flags to Watch For
- Contractors who pressure you to sign immediately or today only
- Anyone who offers to waive your deductible
- Requests for large upfront payments before materials arrive
- Contractors without a local address or verifiable business history
- Anyone who asks you to sign an Assignment of Benefits without explaining what it means
Do Not Hand Over the Insurance Check Before Work Is Complete
This is one of the oldest tricks in the book. Some contractors take the first insurance check and disappear. A reputable roofing company does not require full payment before the job is finished. A reasonable materials deposit is normal. Full payment upfront is not.
Denver Weather and Why Colorado Hail Damage Is Unique
Colorado sits in one of the most active hail corridors in the United States. The combination of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and cold air from the Rocky Mountains creates the updraft conditions that produce large hailstones. Denver, Aurora, the eastern plains, and communities like Bennett and Strasburg see multiple significant hail events every year between April and September.
Hail Size and Roof Damage Thresholds
- 75 inch (dime size): Can damage soft metals like gutters and downspouts
- 1 inch (quarter size): Risk of shingle granule loss and bruising on standard asphalt shingles
- 5 inch (golf ball size): High probability of functional roof damage on most residential roofing materials
- 2 inch and larger: Significant damage to roofing, siding, skylights, and HVAC equipment is very likely
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon do I need to act after a hail storm?
Sooner is better. Most insurance carriers have filing deadlines that range from one to two years, but waiting makes documentation harder and increases scam risk. Getting a trusted local roofer on the property within the first week or two is the right move.
What if I cannot see any damage from the ground?
That is common. Hail damage frequently does not show up as something visible from the yard. Impact bruising on shingles, cracked flashing, and dented vents are things you need to be on the roof to identify. A professional inspection is always worth doing after a storm in your area.
Can I file a claim and then get an inspection?
You can, but it is not the order we recommend. When you file before having a local roofer inspect and document the damage, you go into the adjuster meeting without your own documentation and without someone there to advocate for your claim.
Does HRI Roofing charge for inspections?
No. HRI Roofing and Construction offers free roof inspection in Denver for homeowners and the surrounding communities after storm events. We do not require payment until work is complete and the final inspection has passed.
What areas does HRI Roofing serve?
HRI Roofing serves Denver and the surrounding communities including Aurora, Lakewood, Arvada, Broomfield, Centennial, Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Brighton, Golden, Castle Rock, Commerce City, Bennett, and Strasburg.