Albuquerque and Rio Rancho sit in one of the most hail-prone corridors in New Mexico. The metro area averages more than 24 confirmed hail events per year, with most occurring during the monsoon season from June 15 through September 30. Hail damage to your roof is not always obvious from the ground, but failing to identify and address it can lead to leaks, structural damage, and denied insurance claims down the road. Here is how to tell if your roof has been hit.
Start From the Ground
Before you climb any ladder, walk the perimeter of your property and look for these ground-level indicators. Check your gutters and downspouts for dents. Look at window screens for small tears or pockmarks. Examine your air conditioning unit, mailbox, and any other exposed metal surfaces for dings. Inspect outdoor furniture, fence posts, and car surfaces. Check your stucco for small circular impact marks or fresh chips.
If you see hail damage on these items, your roof almost certainly took hits as well. The ground evidence helps establish that a hail event occurred at your property, which strengthens your insurance claim.
Inspect Shingle Roofs
On an asphalt shingle roof, hail damage creates specific patterns that a trained eye can identify. The most common signs include random dents or bruises that are soft to the touch, circular areas where the granule surface has been knocked away, exposing the black asphalt mat underneath, cracked or split shingles, and damaged ridge cap shingles at the peak of the roof.
Hail damage to shingles looks different from normal wear. UV degradation causes uniform granule loss over large areas, while hail creates concentrated circular impact marks of varying sizes. If you see random dark spots scattered across the roof surface, that is a strong indicator of hail.
Run your hand over a suspect area. Hail-damaged shingles feel soft or spongy at the impact point because the mat underneath has been fractured. This is different from a simple granule loss where the surface feels rough but firm.
Inspect Flat Roofs
Flat roofs, which are extremely common across Albuquerque's neighborhoods, show hail damage differently than pitched shingle roofs. On a TPO or EPDM membrane, look for circular punctures or tears, indentations or dimples in the membrane surface, cracking or splitting at impact points, and exposed or damaged seam tape.
On a modified bitumen or built-up flat roof, hail damage often appears as circular impact marks in the surface coating, exposed or cracked felt layers, and punctures that penetrate through to the insulation layer.
Flat roofs are particularly vulnerable to hail damage because the stones strike at a near-perpendicular angle, delivering maximum impact force. Even stones as small as one inch in diameter can damage a flat roof membrane.
Check Your Stucco
Since you are already inspecting for roof damage, check your stucco walls too. Hail can chip and crack stucco, creating entry points for water. Stucco hail damage appears as small circular chips or craters in the surface, fresh cracks radiating from impact points, and areas where the finish coat has been knocked off exposing the brown coat underneath.
Stucco damage from hail is often covered under the same insurance claim as roof damage, so documenting it during your inspection is important.
What Size Hail Causes Damage?
Not all hail causes roof damage, but New Mexico hail can be surprisingly destructive. Here is a general guide:
Quarter-sized hail (1 inch): Can damage aging shingles and thin-membrane flat roofs. Golf-ball-sized hail (1.75 inches): Damages most standard asphalt shingles and all flat roof membranes. Tennis-ball-sized hail (2.5 inches): Causes severe damage to virtually all roofing materials and can crack tile. Baseball-sized hail (2.75 inches): Catastrophic damage to all roof types.
During Albuquerque's monsoon season, golf-ball-sized hail is not uncommon, and quarter-sized hail occurs frequently.
Timing Matters for Insurance Claims
In New Mexico, the window to file a roof insurance claim for hail damage is typically one to two years from the date of the storm, depending on your policy. However, the sooner you file, the stronger your claim. Insurance adjusters look for evidence that the damage is recent and that you took prompt action.
This is why getting a professional inspection after any significant hail event is so important. A roofing contractor can document the damage with photos, measurements, and a detailed report that supports your claim.
What to Do If You Find Damage
If you spot signs of hail damage, here is the process we recommend:
First, do not attempt permanent repairs yourself. Insurance companies may deny claims if repairs have already been made because they cannot verify the original damage.
Second, call a local roofing contractor for a free inspection. At Alliance Construction Services, we provide detailed inspections with photos that you can use when filing your claim.
Third, contact your insurance company to open a claim. Provide them with the inspection report and any photos of the damage.
Fourth, be present when the insurance adjuster inspects your roof, and have your contractor there as well if possible.
If your Albuquerque or Rio Rancho home was hit by a recent hail storm, do not wait. Call Alliance Construction Services at (505) 206-3705 for a free, no-obligation roof inspection. We will document everything and help you understand your options.