What Should Colorado Homeowners Do Right After a Hailstorm?

If you live along the Front Range, this June was a loud reminder of what Colorado summers bring. Storms dropped hail across Denver neighborhoods like City Park and Capitol Hill in early June, and golf-ball-size hail hammered the foothills near Evergreen days later. If a storm rolled over your home, the smart move is to act fast and stay safe. This guide walks you through exactly what to do in the hours and days after a storm to protect your home and any future insurance claim. If you already see signs of trouble, you can jump straight to hail damage roof repair or get help with your roof insurance claim.

First, Stay Off the Roof

The instinct after a storm is to grab a ladder and look. Resist it. A wet or hail-battered roof is slippery and unstable, and most hail damage is impossible to assess safely from up top anyway. You can spot the warning signs from the ground, and a trained roofer can handle the rest. Climbing up risks a serious fall and can even make damage worse. Leave the roof inspection to a professional.

Check for Damage You Can See From the Ground

You can learn a lot without leaving the yard. Walk the perimeter of your home and look for these common hail clues:

• Gutters and downspouts: dents, dings, and pockmarks on aluminum are one of the clearest signs hail hit hard.
• Siding and trim: cracks, chips, or holes, especially on the storm-facing walls, usually the south and west sides.
• Windows and screens: torn screens, cracked panes, or broken seals.
• Air conditioner: flattened or dented fins on the AC condenser are an easy, ground-level hail indicator.
• Other soft metal: mailboxes, vents, and flashing that show fresh dents.

If any of these took a beating, your roof very likely did too, even if it looks fine from the driveway.

Look Inside for Leaks and Stains

Hail damage does not always show up outside first. In the days and weeks after a storm, check your attic and ceilings for new water stains, damp spots, or drips. Bring a flashlight into the attic and look at the underside of the roof deck for moisture or daylight coming through. Catching an early leak can save you from wood rot, mold, and a much bigger repair bill later.

Take Photos and Document Everything

Good documentation is what turns a storm into an approved insurance claim. Before you do anything else, build a simple record:

• Photograph everything you can safely see, including gutters, siding, screens, the AC unit, and any interior stains
• Save any local news, weather alerts, or hail reports from the storm
• Keep receipts for any emergency steps, like tarping a leak
• Write down the exact storm date, since claims are tied to a specific event

That last point matters more than people expect. Knowing whether the damage came from the early-June Denver storms or the mid-June foothills hail near Evergreen helps your claim line up with the right event from day one.

Write Down the Storm Date

This deserves its own step. Colorado insurance claims are tied to a specific storm date, and your policy almost always has a deadline to file, often around 12 months from the date of loss. Note when the storm hit, even if your roof looks okay. If a professional later finds damage, you already have the single most important detail your insurer will ask for.

Schedule a Professional Inspection

Once you are safe and have your notes, book a professional roof inspection. A trained roofer can get on the roof, find the bruised shingles and granule loss you cannot see from the ground, and document it all in a report built for your insurer. A free roof inspection right after a storm is the safest, smartest first step, and it costs you nothing to know where you stand.

Why Acting Quickly Matters in Colorado

Colorado is not an average hail state. According to the State of Colorado, the Front Range sits in the heart of Hail Alley, which sees the highest frequency of large hail in North America, and the state can count on three to four catastrophic hailstorms in a typical year. June 2026 fit the pattern, with multiple rounds of damaging hail across the metro and foothills. The roofs that fare best are the ones that get looked at quickly, before hidden damage turns into leaks and before filing deadlines pass.

Watch Out for Storm Chasers

After every big Colorado hailstorm, out-of-town crews flood the neighborhoods, knock on doors, and push homeowners to sign on the spot or pay up front. Be careful. A reputable roofer does not need your money before the work is done and will not pressure you into a same-day signature. When the storm chasers move on, they can take your money and your warranty with them. Work with a local, established company that will still be here next year to stand behind the job.

What to Do Right Now

If a June storm hit your area, here is the short version:

• Stay off the roof
• Check gutters, siding, windows, and your AC from the ground
• Look inside for attic and ceiling leaks
• Take photos and write down the storm date
• Schedule a professional inspection before your claim window closes

Reliable Roofing & Restoration has helped Front Range homeowners through storms like these for over 25 years, with honest documentation and no high-pressure sales. If hail may have hit your home this June, schedule your free roof inspection and we will tell you exactly where you stand.