How to Check Your Roof for Damage After a Storm

After a storm, you can assess most roof damage safely from the ground in about twenty minutes. Do not climb a ladder onto a wet or storm-damaged roof — that is how homeowners get hurt, and it is not necessary to know whether you need an inspection.

Step 1: Walk the Perimeter

• Look for shingles, shingle pieces, or granules in the yard, driveway, and landscaping.
• Check gutters and downspouts for dents, separations, or sections pulled loose.
• Inspect siding, window screens, garage doors, and the AC condenser for dents — soft metal records hail impacts your shingles hide.
• Look at fences and decks for wind damage that hints at the storm's direction.

Step 2: Look Up at Each Slope

Stand back far enough to see each roof face. From the ground, watch for:

• Missing, lifted, curled, or crooked shingles
• Dark patches where granules were stripped away
• Bent or displaced ridge caps
• Damaged or missing flashing around chimneys, valleys, and vents
• Sagging along the roof line

Binoculars or a zoomed-in phone photo help. So does a photo taken from an upstairs window of a neighboring slope.

Step 3: Check Inside

• Ceilings and upper-floor walls: any new stain, discoloration, or bubbling paint
• Attic: daylight through the decking, damp insulation, wet rafters, or a musty smell
• Around chimneys and bathroom vents, the most common leak entry points

Step 4: Document Everything

Before anything gets cleaned up or repaired:

1. Photograph every damaged area, wide and close up, with timestamps intact.
2. Write down the storm date and time.
3. Save receipts for any emergency work such as emergency roof tarping.
4. Do not authorize permanent repairs before your insurer has seen the damage.

Step 5: Get a Professional Inspection

Ground-level checks catch obvious damage. They do not catch bruised shingles, compromised underlayment, or failed seals — the issues that turn into leaks a year later. A documented roof inspection gives you photo evidence for a claim and a clear answer on whether you need repair or replacement.

Be Careful Who Knocks

After major Cincinnati storms, out-of-town crews canvass neighborhoods offering free inspections. Some are legitimate; many are not. Verify the contractor is local, licensed, insured, and will still be here when a warranty question comes up. Rooftop Relief is an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor based in Loveland, Ohio.

Storm damage in the last year? Call (513) 848-5343 or contact us for a FREE inspection. Related: storm damage roofing, what hail damage looks like, and what size hail damages a roof.