After a storm, a calm storm damage roof inspection in Raleigh, NC is the most useful thing you can do before anyone gets on a ladder. Most of what you need to know, you can see from your yard, your attic, or your gutters. This guide walks you through exactly that, step by step, so you know what you are looking at and what it means.

What a Storm Damage Roof Inspection in Raleigh, NC Actually Covers

A storm damage roof inspection covers three main areas: the shingles (the overlapping layers of material on the surface), the flashing (the metal strips that seal edges, valleys, and any spot where something pokes through the roof, like a chimney or vent), and the decking (the plywood or OSB board that everything else is attached to). You also want to check your gutters, siding, and attic ceiling. Together, those areas tell you whether you need a small repair, a few replaced shingles, or a conversation about something more serious.

Not every storm leaves obvious damage. Wind-driven rain can work its way under shingles without blowing any off. Hail can bruise a shingle’s surface without cracking it, and that bruising is easy to miss from the ground. That is why the steps below are organized by where you are standing, not just what you are looking for.

How to Check Your Roof After a Storm: Start from the Ground

Stay on the ground or inside your attic. Do not climb onto a wet, wind-damaged, or debris-covered roof. The surface can be slippery even when it looks dry, and damaged areas can give way without warning. The National Roofing Contractors Association recommends that homeowners leave roof surface inspections to trained professionals for exactly this reason.

Step 1: Walk the Perimeter of Your Home

Put on shoes with good grip and walk slowly around the outside of your house. You are looking for:

• Missing or displaced shingles: gaps in the surface pattern, or shingles lying in your yard or against your foundation
• Shingle granules in gutters or on the ground: granules are the small, sand-like particles on the surface of asphalt shingles; they shield the asphalt from UV rays, so a large volume washing off after a single storm signals real wear or impact damage
• Dented or cracked shingles visible from below: look at the lower edges of the roof at a low angle; damage often catches the light differently than undamaged areas
• Bent or detached gutters: gutters pulled away from the fascia (the board along the roof’s edge) can mean the fascia itself was damaged
• Damaged flashing: look at the metal around your chimney, skylights, and roof vents; if it is pulled up or bent, water can enter at those points

Step 2: Check Your Gutters Closely

Gutters collect a lot of evidence after a storm. Pull out any leaves or debris and look at what is underneath. A small amount of granules is normal, especially on an older roof. A dense, dark, gritty layer after a single storm is not normal, and it usually means the shingles took a significant hit.

Also look for small dents in the metal of the gutter itself. If hail was large enough to dent aluminum gutters, it almost certainly left marks on your shingles too. The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety notes that dented metal surfaces around the home, including gutters and downspouts, are one of the most reliable field indicators of hail impact on a roof.

For more on keeping gutters clear and functional after a storm, see Wilson & Sons Roofing’s gutters page.

Step 3: Check the Attic

Go into your attic during daylight, if you can do so safely. Bring a flashlight. Look for:

• Daylight coming through the roof boards: any pinhole of light is a gap
• Dark stains or wet spots on the decking: stains mean water has already come through
• Sagging areas: decking that has gone soft or bowed has been holding water for a while
• Fresh water trails on rafters: these show where water is traveling, even if the entry point is somewhere else

If you see any of these, put a bucket under the wet area and move anything valuable out from under it. Then read our guide on what to do if you have a leaky roof for the next steps.

How to Spot Hail Damage on a Roof

Hail damage is the thing most homeowners miss because it does not always look like what you expect. A hailstone does not need to be large to hurt a shingle. According to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, hail as small as one inch in diameter can damage standard asphalt shingles, depending on shingle age and condition.

From the ground, signs of hail damage include:

• Circular dents or dark spots on shingles visible from a low angle
• Heavy granule loss in a pattern across the whole surface, rather than just at the edges
• Dented metal: round dents on downspouts, gutters, AC unit housings, or metal vents are a strong indicator that shingles above them were hit
• Cracked or bruised shingles: hail can fracture a shingle’s surface without knocking any pieces loose, and those cracks let moisture in slowly

Because hail damage is subtle, a professional inspection is often the only reliable way to confirm it. A roofer will go up and press the shingle surface to feel for soft spots, which indicate the asphalt mat beneath the granules has been compromised.

If your neighbor is having their roof inspected after a storm, it is worth having yours checked too. Hail tends to fall in a path rather than hitting one house and skipping the next. The National Weather Service tracks hail swaths by date and location, which can help you establish whether a storm in your area produced hail of a damaging size.

For a deeper look at how granule loss affects shingles over time, see our post on the importance of shingle granules.

What Wind Does to a Roof

Wind damage is often more obvious than hail damage, but it can still fool you. The Federal Emergency Management Agency notes that wind speeds as low as 50 mph can lift or partially detach shingles, especially at the corners and edges of the roof where uplift pressure is highest.

After a high-wind storm, check for:

• Lifted shingle tabs: the bottom edge of a shingle that has curled up, even slightly, has broken its factory seal; once that seal is gone, the next rain can push water underneath
• Shingles missing in rows or sections: wind tends to take shingles in groups, often starting at a ridge or a corner
• Debris impact points: tree limbs and other debris can crack or puncture shingles on contact; even a small branch dropped from height carries enough force to damage the surface
• Flashing pulled loose: wind pressure works at every gap and edge; flashing around chimneys and vents is particularly vulnerable

Our post on signs of storm damage on your roof and what to do next goes into more detail on wind-specific patterns.

What to Do in the First 48 Hours After a Storm

The most useful thing you can do right after a storm is document what you find, then get a professional inspection scheduled. Here is a straightforward order of operations:

1. Do your ground-level walkthrough while the damage is fresh. Take photos and video from multiple angles.
2. Check the attic for leaks, stains, or daylight. Place buckets under any wet spots.
3. Clear gutters and downspouts of leaves and debris so water can drain freely. Standing water in gutters adds weight and can back up under the shingles at the roof’s edge.
4. Document everything with photos, including granules in the gutters, displaced shingles on the ground, and any interior water marks. Date-stamped phone photos work well.
5. Avoid temporary fixes you are not comfortable with. If you want to place a tarp over a damaged area and you can do it safely from a ladder placed on solid ground, that is reasonable. Do not walk on the roof itself.
6. Call your insurance company to find out what documentation they need and whether your policy covers the damage you found. Coverage depends entirely on your specific policy and your insurer’s adjuster. A roofing contractor can document the damage and provide a written estimate, and can meet the adjuster on site, but the claim is yours to manage. The NC Department of Insurance has guidance for North Carolina homeowners on navigating the claims process.
7. Schedule a professional inspection. Small leaks tend to grow, so having a roofer out soon is worthwhile. You can learn more about what a professional inspection covers on our roof inspections page.

When Is It a Repair vs. a Full Replacement?

Most storm damage, if caught reasonably quickly, calls for a repair rather than a full replacement. A handful of missing or cracked shingles, a bent piece of flashing, or a small area of granule loss does not mean the whole roof needs to go. Repair is the right answer when the damage is localized and the rest of the roof is in decent shape.

Replacement becomes a real conversation when:

• The damage is spread across most or all of the roof surface
• The shingles are already near the end of their lifespan (typically 20 to 30 years for architectural asphalt shingles, though the actual figure depends on brand and installation quality)
• The decking is soft, rotted, or extensively water-stained
• Multiple repairs have been done in recent years and water keeps finding a way in

Wilson & Sons Roofing will not recommend a full replacement unless the inspection genuinely shows one is needed. If a repair will do the job, that is what we will tell you. For a realistic sense of what either option costs in North Carolina, our post on what a new roof costs in North Carolina gives a solid overview with linked sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does hail damage look like on a roof?

Hail damage on asphalt shingles usually appears as circular dark spots where granules have been knocked off, leaving the asphalt layer exposed. From the ground you may notice an overall dullness or patchy appearance across the surface. Metal components like gutters and vents often show round dents, which is a reliable indicator that the shingles above them were hit as well.

How do I know if my roof has storm damage if I can’t see anything from the ground?

Ground-level checks do not catch everything. Hail bruising and small punctures can be invisible from below. If you know a significant storm passed through, if your neighbors are having their roofs inspected, or if you find granules filling your gutters, those are all good reasons to schedule a professional inspection even if nothing looks obviously wrong from the yard.

How soon after a storm should I have my roof inspected in Raleigh, NC?

Scheduling within a few days of the storm is a reasonable window. What matters is not letting a small leak sit for weeks. The longer water sits in the decking or travels down into wall cavities, the more secondary damage builds up inside the home.

Does storm damage always mean I need a new roof?

No, and this is a common misconception. Many storm damage situations are resolved with a few replacement shingles, a new piece of flashing, or re-sealing around a vent. A full replacement is only warranted when the damage is widespread or the existing roof was already near the end of its useful life. An honest inspection will tell you which situation you are in.

What is flashing, and why does it matter after a storm?

Flashing is the metal material, usually galvanized steel or aluminum, that seals the joints where the roof meets a vertical surface, such as a chimney, a dormer wall, or a skylight. Wind can lift or bend flashing and break the seal, creating an entry point for water that has nothing to do with shingle condition. Checking the flashing around every roof penetration is an important part of any post-storm inspection.

Can I file an insurance claim for storm damage to my Raleigh roof?

You can file a claim for any damage you believe your homeowner’s policy covers. Whether the claim is approved, and how much it covers, depends on your specific policy terms and the insurer’s adjuster assessment. The NC Department of Insurance has guidance for homeowners on the claims process. A roofing contractor can document the damage and provide a written estimate to support your claim, but the insurer makes the coverage decision.

Ready to get a clear picture of what the storm left behind?

Wilson & Sons Roofing has been inspecting storm-damaged roofs across Raleigh since 1996, and we’ll give you a straight answer about what we find.

Get your quote, no cost, no hassle at wilsonandsonsroofing.com/contact-us/ or call (919) 787-3253.