Within 48 hours of a Winnipeg hail storm, walk your property with a checklist, a camera, and a ladder, because the damage report you hand your insurance adjuster determines what your claim pays out, and most hail damage is invisible from the ground. Hail in Winnipeg typically hits between May and September, and the same storm that dents your car's hood also bruises asphalt shingles, cracks flashing, dents vent boots, and knocks granules loose by the handful. The adjuster isn't there to find damage for you; they're there to assess what you've documented. So before they call, here's exactly what to check.
Why the adjuster's first visit decides your claim
Your insurance adjuster isn't a roofer. They're a claims assessor trained to look for evidence of hail impact, but they're also working from a checklist designed to close claims efficiently. In Winnipeg, where hail storms are frequent enough that the city consistently ranks among the most hail-affected in Canada, adjusters have seen thousands of roofs. That cuts both ways: they know what hail damage looks like, but they also know that most homeowners don't, and they'll base their assessment on what you can show them.
The key fact: the adjuster's report goes to your insurer, and that report determines what's covered. If the adjuster finds "no hail damage" or "insufficient evidence," your claim gets denied, and you're left paying for a roof the storm damaged. If the adjuster documents hail impact properly, your claim covers the repair or replacement, minus your deductible.
That's why the pre-adjuster walk-through matters. You're not doing the adjuster's job, you're giving them the evidence they need to do it properly.
What hail actually does to a Winnipeg roof
Hail damage isn't always obvious. In fact, most of it is invisible from the ground, and some of it is invisible from the roof itself unless you know what to look for. what a Winnipeg hail storm does to a typical asphalt shingle roof:
- Bruising. Hail impacts crush the asphalt and fiberglass mat beneath the granule surface. The shingle feels soft and spongy when pressed, like a bruised apple. This is the classic hail signature, and it's not visible from the street.
- Granule loss. Hail knocks granules loose. You'll find them in gutters, downspouts, and at the base of downspouts after a storm. Losing granules exposes the asphalt layer to UV, which accelerates aging and shortens the shingle's life.
- Cracking. Larger hail, golf ball size or bigger, can crack shingles outright, especially in cold weather or on older shingles that have lost flexibility.
- Flashing damage. Hail can dent or crack metal flashing around chimneys, skylights, and vent pipes. Damaged flashing is a leak point even if the shingles look fine.
- Vent and boot damage. Plastic or metal vent caps and pipe boots crack or dent on impact. These are common leak sources after a storm.
- Soft spots on flat and low-slope roofs. If you have a flat or low-slope section, hail can puncture the membrane or leave soft spots that lead to leaks.
In Winnipeg, the freeze-thaw cycle compounds all of this. A hail-damaged shingle that's lost granules will absorb moisture, and when that moisture freezes and expands, it makes the damage worse. Ice dams on top of hail damage is a double hit that can push a repairable roof into replacement territory.
The first 24 hours after the storm
Before you even start the checklist, do these three things:
Take photos of the storm itself if you can
Hail on the ground, hail on your car, the sky during the storm. This establishes the date and the severity
Check for immediate leaks
If water is coming through your ceiling, put a bucket under it and call an emergency roofer. A small leak becomes a big one fast when water spreads through insulation and drywall
Don't sign anything yet
Roofing contractors will knock on your door after a storm. Some are legitimate; some are storm chasers who'll do a quick patch job and disappear. Get their business card, but don't sign a contract until you've had your own inspection and talked to your insurer
The pre-adjuster checklist: 10 things to check before they call
Here's the exact checklist to work through before your adjuster arrives. You don't need to be a roofer, you need to be thorough, and you need to document everything.
1. Check your gutters and downspouts
Start at the ground. Look in your gutters for granule buildup, the sand-like black grit that comes off asphalt shingles. A handful of granules in the gutter after a hail storm is normal-ish; gutters full of granules means your shingles took a beating. Also check the ground around your downspout outlets for the same granules. Take photos of what you find, and if you can safely reach a downspout, scoop out a sample and photograph it next to a coin for scale.
2. Check your asphalt shingles from the ground
Walk around your house and look up. You're looking for:
- Shingles that look "dimpled" or have dark spots where granules were knocked off
- Shingles that are visibly cracked or lifted
- Any shingle that looks different from the ones around it
Use binoculars if you have them. Don't climb onto the roof unless you're comfortable and it's safe, a wet Winnipeg roof after a storm is slippery, and the freeze-thaw cycle can leave a thin layer of ice on the surface even in May. If you can't get up there safely, that's what the professional inspection is for.
3. Check flashing and vent boots
Flashing is the metal that seals the joints where your roof meets a chimney, skylight, or wall. Vent boots are the rubber or plastic collars around plumbing vents. After a hail storm, check these for:
- Dents or creases in metal flashing
- Cracks in rubber or plastic boots
- Loose or lifted flashing edges
These are the spots where a small dent becomes a leak a few months later when the freeze-thaw cycle opens up the damage. A cracked vent boot is one of the most common post-hail leak sources, and it's also one of the cheapest to fix, typically $150 to $800 for flashing and vent boot repair, though the final cost varies a lot depending on job size, scope, and site conditions.
4. Check the attic
Go into your attic with a flashlight. Look for:
- Water stains on the underside of the roof deck
- Light coming through the roof deck (that's a hole)
- Wet insulation or dark spots on the insulation
- Any visible damage to the roof deck from above
If you see water stains, mark them with chalk or tape and take photos. This is direct evidence of a leak, and it's the strongest evidence you can give an adjuster. Attic access is also where you'll spot the early signs of an ice dam problem, water stains that follow the roofline pattern rather than a single point.
5. Check your ceilings and interior walls
Walk through every room on the top floor. Look at the ceilings and the top of the walls for:
- Water stains, brown or yellow discoloration
- Bubbling or peeling paint
- Sagging drywall
- Any new stains that weren't there before the storm
Take photos of every stain, from multiple angles, with a date stamp if your phone does that. If you have a water stain that's grown since the storm, photograph it twice a day apart, that shows the leak is active.
6. Check your yard for debris
Walk your property and look for:
- Shingle pieces or tabs that blew off
- Granule piles near downspouts
- Hail stones themselves (if the storm was recent). photograph them for size reference
- Any tree branches that came down and may have hit the roof
Hail size matters for your claim. Pea-sized hail rarely damages a roof; golf ball-sized hail almost always does. If you can photograph the hail next to a coin or a ruler, that's useful evidence.
7. Check your chimney and skylight
If you have a chimney, look at the flashing where it meets the roof, and check the chimney crown for cracks. If you have a skylight, check the flashing and the glass for cracks. Hail can crack skylight glass, and that's a leak that starts immediately, not months later. Chimney and skylight leak repair typically runs $250 to $1,200, but the final cost varies a lot depending on job size, scope, and site conditions.
8. Check your roof from the ladder
If you have a ladder and you're comfortable using it, get up to the eaves and look at the shingles up close. Press on suspicious spots with your thumb, if it feels soft and spongy, that's hail bruising. Look for granule loss concentrated in one area, which is a sign of a direct hail strike pattern. Also check the ridge caps, these are the most exposed part of the roof and often take the worst of the impact.
9. Take photos, lots of them
Photograph everything. Not just the damage, but the whole roof, the gutters, the downspouts, the yard, the attic, the ceilings. Photograph the date and time if your phone adds that. Photograph the street and your house from the front so the adjuster can see the property context. If you have a drone, use it, aerial photos of the roof surface are the single best evidence you can provide.
10. Write down the storm date and time
When did the storm hit? Write down the date, the approximate time, and what you remember about the storm, hail size, duration, wind. This matters because insurance claims need a specific storm event to attach the damage to. If you're not sure, check Environment Canada's weather records for Winnipeg or ask a neighbour who remembers.
How to document damage the adjuster can't argue with
Documentation is the difference between a claim that pays and a claim that gets denied. how to document properly:
- Timestamps. Make sure your photos have timestamps. If your phone doesn't add them automatically, take a photo of a clock or a newspaper with the date.
- Scale. Put something in the photo for scale, a coin, a pen, your hand. A hail bruise on a shingle looks different in a close-up than it does in a wide shot.
- Multiple angles. Photograph every damaged spot from at least two angles. The adjuster needs to see the damage in context and up close.
- Breadth. Photograph the whole roof, not just the damage. The adjuster needs to see the overall condition of the roof to judge whether the damage is consistent with a hail storm or whether it's wear and tear.
- A written summary. Write a one-page summary of what you found, with the storm date, the damage you observed, and the photos you took. Hand this to the adjuster when they arrive.
What the adjuster looks for (and what they often miss)
The adjuster will look for the same things you looked for, but they'll do it faster and with more experience. They'll walk the roof, press shingles, check flashing, and look at the attic if they can. They'll also look for signs that the damage is pre-existing, worn shingles, old granule loss, previous repairs, because that's how they justify a denial or a reduced payout.
What they often miss:
- Attic damage. Adjusters don't always go into the attic. If you found water stains on the roof deck, show them the photos. Better yet, take them up there.
- Flashing damage. Flashing damage is easy to miss from the roof surface, especially if the flashing is behind a chimney or in a valley. Point it out specifically.
- Granule loss in gutters. Adjusters rarely check gutters. Your photos of granule-filled gutters are evidence they wouldn't have found on their own.
- Damage on flat or low-slope sections. If you have a flat roof section, the adjuster might not walk it. Your photos of punctures or soft spots are critical.
What if the adjuster says "no damage"?
It happens. The adjuster walks the roof, finds nothing, and denies the claim. Before you accept that, get a second opinion from a roofing contractor who does storm damage assessments.
A roofing contractor who specializes in hail damage will do a more thorough inspection than an adjuster, because their job is to find and fix leaks, not to close claims. They'll check the attic, check the flashing, check the vent boots, and they'll document everything. If they find damage the adjuster missed, you have the evidence to appeal.
Roof Repair Winnipeg offers a free inspection and an adjuster-ready damage report with every inspection. That report is exactly what you need if the adjuster said "no damage", it's a documented, professional assessment that you can submit to your insurer as part of an appeal.
Why Roof Repair Winnipeg
Roof Repair Winnipeg is a small, local roofing crew. We don't have a call centre, a sales team, or a twelve-truck fleet. The person who answers your phone call is the person who inspects your roof, writes your quote, and does the repair. That low overhead shows up in the price.
We started with roof leak repair because that's where most Winnipeg roofers do their worst work: patch the ceiling, bill the insurance, and sell a replacement you didn't need. We find the actual source of the leak, fix it properly, and tell you honestly when a repair is smarter than a new roof, and when it isn't.
Our hail and storm damage repair services cover everything from a single cracked vent boot to a full roof replacement. Typical pricing for hail and storm damage repair runs from $400 to $5,000 or more, but the final cost varies a lot depending on job size, scope, and site conditions, that range is a starting point, not a firm quote. We also do roof leak repair ($200–$1,200), emergency roof repair ($150–$1,500), flashing and vent boot repair ($150–$800), and roof replacement ($8,000–$15,000), with the same caveat: final cost depends on the specifics of your roof and your situation.
if you call us after a hail storm, we'll be out within 24–48 hours. We'll inspect your roof, document the damage, and give you an adjuster-ready report. We'll quote you the repair, not a replacement you don't need. And if a replacement is the right call, we'll show you why.
Winnipeg's freeze-thaw cycle, May-to-September hail season, and winter ice dams keep us busy all year. We've worked every season this city has thrown at us, and we know what a hail-damaged roof looks like in June and what it looks like in January when the damage has been compounded by freezing and thawing. We serve Winnipeg and the surrounding area, with the same small-crew approach everywhere we go.
Get your free inspection before the adjuster calls
If a hail storm just hit your Winnipeg home, don't wait for the adjuster to call. Get your free roof inspection first, so you have the evidence you need before the claims process starts. We'll inspect your roof, document the damage, and give you an adjuster-ready report, free, no obligation. Call Roof Repair Winnipeg today for your free quote.