Hail record for a claim
Hits counted in test squares on each slope, with the metal parts checked and photographed. This is the record most often needed after a spring storm in Austin.
Serving Travis County
Storm Damage Assessment for an Insurance Claim in Austin
A dated, photographed record of storm damage for you to send to your insurer, with no promise about what the claim will pay.
- Hail and wind damage
- Travis County and suburbs
- Roof repair and replacement
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (833) 751-2102. Or send this and we call you back.
Insurance Assessment
Storm Damage Assessment for an Insurance Claim: what it covers
Quick answer
A storm damage assessment is a written record of what a storm did to a roof, with photographs, slope notes and measurements. It is the document a homeowner gives an insurer after hail or wind. In Austin the record is the homeowner's to keep and send. Texas storm claims go to the insurer under the policy, and complaints about how a claim is handled go to the Texas Department of Insurance.
After a storm, many homeowners in Austin want two things at once: a roof that does not leak, and a record that shows what the storm did. The first is a repair job. The second is an assessment, and it is a different piece of work. A good assessment is written so that someone who was not on the roof can understand what was found and how it was measured.
Austin Roofing connects Austin callers with a local technician who records the damage and explains it. The technician does not decide the claim, does not set a value for the damage and does not tell you what your policy covers. Those decisions belong to the insurer, under the policy you hold.
A record is most useful when it is made early, kept safe, and written in plain terms. The sections below describe what the assessment includes, how it is organized and what to do with it once you have it.
- Service area
- Austin & Travis County
- Availability
- Phones answered 24/7
- Phone
- (833) 751-2102
Warning signs
Signs you need storm damage assessment for an insurance claim
The assessment is a record, and it is not a legal opinion. Do not sign a release, an acknowledgement of settlement or a document you have not read, and do not accept a payment that you feel is wrong without asking questions first. If an insurer or an adjuster asks you to accept a figure quickly, take time to read the policy and the record, and ask for the basis of the figure in writing.
- A storm warning for your area in the days before you noticed damage
- Roof damage found by a neighbor or a contractor who came to your door
- A ceiling stain after a storm that did not leak before
- Insurer letter asking for a roof inspection or a repair estimate
- Adjuster scheduled to visit the house within days of the storm
- Dented vents, gutters or fences in the yard after a storm
- Granules or shingle pieces in the yard after a storm
Options
Types and options for storm damage assessment for an insurance claim
Wind record for a claim
Lifted, creased or missing shingles, the edge and ridge condition, and the flashing, with the direction of the damage noted where it is clear. Wind records are compared against the storm's reported gusts.
Interior and attic record
Ceiling and attic damage photographed and described, so a roof leak can be tied to the storm rather than to ordinary wear. The record is kept with the exterior findings.
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What does a storm damage assessment include?
A storm damage assessment includes the date and the storm record, photographs of each slope and the interior, counts and measurements, and a plain summary. It is a record of what is there, not a claim decision.
The assessment starts from the storm itself. The technician checks the local weather record for the period, and notes the warnings that covered the area. A warning is not proof of damage on a particular roof, so the record treats it as the reason to look, and then looks at the roof.
The rest is the roof. Each slope, the metal, the flashing and the interior are recorded with photographs and notes. The summary states what was found and what is uncertain, and it is written so a reader can follow the reasoning without climbing the roof.
Who decides what an insurance claim pays?
The insurer decides what is covered and what it pays, under the terms of your homeowners policy. The assessment supports the claim, but it does not decide it, and the technician does not set a claim value.
A homeowners policy sets out which causes of loss it covers, which it excludes and how the payment is calculated. Some policies pay the cost to replace with new material, and others pay a value that allows for age and wear. The difference can change the payment a great deal, and only the policy and the insurer can say which applies.
An insurer usually sends its own adjuster to inspect the damage. The assessment does not replace that visit. It gives the homeowner a record to show the adjuster and a record to keep if the adjuster's findings are different.
Where do Texas storm claim complaints go?
Complaints about how a storm claim is handled in Texas can be taken to the Texas Department of Insurance, at tdi.texas.gov. The department handles complaints against insurers, and the homeowner should keep the claim letters and the record to support the complaint.
The Texas Department of Insurance regulates insurers and takes consumer complaints about them. Its website explains how to file a complaint and what it can and cannot do. Check the current contact details there, because phone numbers and forms change, and this page does not print a number it has not confirmed.
A complaint works best with a clear file: the policy, the claim letters, the dates, and the assessment. Keep copies of everything you send and receive, and write down the names of people you speak to and when.
How should a homeowner keep the record safe?
Keep the assessment in more than one place, with the original photographs in their full size. Store the policy and the claim letters with it, and note the dates when each was sent or received.
Photographs taken on a phone lose their date if they are edited or re-sent through some apps, so the original files should be kept. A copy in a cloud folder or on a drive is a sensible second place, as is a printed copy in the house file. The record is only useful if it can be found when the claim is being settled.
When a repair is done, the repair records should go with the assessment. A repair receipt that shows what was replaced and when helps the insurer and any later buyer understand the roof's history.
Can an assessment be done before the insurer's adjuster arrives?
Yes, and it is usually helpful to have the record before the adjuster visits. The record shows what the homeowner saw at the time, and it gives the adjuster the same starting point.
Some homeowners want a roof record before the adjuster comes, so they know what the adjuster will be looking at. The technician documents the roof without attaching a repair estimate, and the homeowner decides whether to share the record and when.
Being present for the adjuster's visit is worth doing if it can be arranged. Walk the house with the adjuster, point out the damage that is in your record, and ask about anything that is not. Note what the adjuster says so the claim file matches the conversation.
Our process
How our storm damage assessment for an insurance claim visit works
Record the storm and the date
The technician notes the date of the storm, the warning or report that covered the area and any dates the homeowner recalls. Dates matter to the insurer, so the record starts with them.
Photograph the roof slope by slope
Each slope is photographed from the ground and from the roof, with the test squares and the damaged areas in frame. Labels identify each slope and each hit, so the photographs can be matched to the notes.
Measure and count the damage
Hits and damaged shingles are counted in test squares, and the metal parts are checked for dents. Measurements are written next to the photographs, not in a separate document that might be lost.
Record the interior and the attic
Ceilings, walls and the attic are checked for staining, wet insulation or daylight through the decking. Photographs of the interior go into the same record, because the interior is often how a roof leak is first noticed.
Write the plain summary
A short summary says what was found, where and how, and what it was compared with. It states what is uncertain and does not describe any damage as proven when it is only likely.
Travis County
Why storm damage assessment for an insurance claim is different in Central Texas
The National Weather Service's 28 May 2025 warning for southwestern Williamson and central Travis counties named Anderson Mill and Jollyville in the path, and it described 3-inch hail and 60 mph gusts. That warning was a radar-indicated maximum and not a confirmed damage survey. An assessment in Austin should say which warning covered the roof and that the warning and the roof are two different records.
The May 2025 storms reached across Travis and Williamson counties, so a roof in Cedar Park or Round Rock and a roof in the city center can each have a storm record for the same afternoon. The technician checks the record for the address rather than assuming the county-wide warning applies to every house.
Texas storm claims are handled through the homeowner's insurer and policy. Coastal windstorm plans are a separate matter, and they do not cover inland Austin counties, so the record here is prepared for an ordinary homeowners policy with the insurer named on it.
Where we work
Storm Damage Assessment for an Insurance Claim across Travis County
- Insurance Assessment in East Austin
- Insurance Assessment in Austin
- Insurance Assessment in Tarrytown
- Insurance Assessment in South Austin
- Insurance Assessment in Hyde Park
- Insurance Assessment in Mueller
- Insurance Assessment in West Lake Hills
- Insurance Assessment in Sunset Valley
- Insurance Assessment in Crestview
- Insurance Assessment in Dove Springs
- Insurance Assessment in Oak Hill
- Insurance Assessment in North Austin
- Insurance Assessment in Anderson Mill
- Insurance Assessment in Del Valle
- Insurance Assessment in Manchaca
- Insurance Assessment in Wells Branch
- Insurance Assessment in Manor
- Insurance Assessment in Buda
- Insurance Assessment in Lakeway
- Insurance Assessment in Pflugerville
- Insurance Assessment in Bee Cave
- Insurance Assessment in Cedar Park
- Insurance Assessment in Round Rock
- Insurance Assessment in Leander
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
Hail Damage Roof Inspection
A close look at shingles, metal vents and gutters after hail, with photos and a written record for you and your insurer.
Wind Damage Roof Repair
Re-seating lifted shingles, replacing missing ones and securing the edges and flashing that gusts pull loose.
Pre-Sale Roof Inspection
A written roof condition report before a sale, so the seller knows the roof's state and the buyer has a clear record to read.
Roof Leak Repair
Finding where the water enters, stopping it, and checking the path it took through the attic and ceiling.
Guides
Read before you book
What should you do after hail hits an Austin roof?
After hail hits an Austin roof, keep people off the roof, photograph what you can see from the ground, protect the interior if water is getting in, and book a written inspection that records the storm and the damage.
How do you tell wind has lifted shingles on your Austin roof?
Wind lifts shingles at the edges, the eaves, the rakes and the ridge, where it moves fastest over the roof.
Does homeowners insurance cover hail and wind roof damage in Texas?
A Texas homeowners policy generally responds to sudden hail and wind damage to a roof, and it generally excludes wear, neglect and damage that builds up over time.
Who handles permits and paperwork for a roof job in Austin?
The independent local company that does the roof work answers for the permits, registrations and insurance its job requires.
FAQ
Storm Damage Assessment for an Insurance Claim FAQs
Does the assessment guarantee my claim will be paid?
No. The assessment records the damage. The insurer decides what the policy covers and what it pays. The record is there to support the claim, not to decide it.
Who writes the assessment?
A local technician who visits the roof and writes the record. The technician is the company on site, and that company holds its own insurance and answers to the authorities that regulate its work.
Can I file a complaint about my insurer?
Yes. The Texas Department of Insurance handles consumer complaints about insurers. Its website at tdi.texas.gov explains how to file. Keep your claim letters, the policy and the assessment ready.
How soon should I get the assessment?
As soon as the storm has passed and the roof can be checked safely. Early records are easier to rely on, and they show the damage before weathering changes it. Call (833) 751-2102 to book.
Will the record include the interior damage too?
It can. A ceiling stain, wet insulation or daylight in the attic is photographed and described. The interior is recorded alongside the roof, because the two are often linked.
What if my roof had damage before the storm?
The record notes older wear, repairs and patches it finds, so the storm damage can be told apart from what was already there. It does not claim older damage was caused by the storm.