In this guide7 sections
When hail stops falling on your Front Range home, the next 48 hours matter more than most homeowners realize. Stay off the roof and away from downed power lines until the storm fully passes, then photograph every affected surface before any cleanup begins, put a tarp over active leaks, call your homeowners insurance company to open a claim, and be wary of any roofing contractor who shows up uninvited offering to “handle everything.” Each step below explains why the order matters and what Colorado law protects you from along the way.
First, Make Sure the Danger Has Actually Passed
Hailstorms in Colorado often arrive with high wind, lightning, and sometimes tornadic activity, and the damage isn’t always limited to your roof. Before you walk outside, look out a window for downed tree limbs, sagging power lines, or debris in the yard. If you see a line down anywhere near your property, treat it as live and stay clear — call your utility provider rather than approaching it yourself. Give the storm cell time to fully clear the area, since a second wave of hail or wind is common along the Front Range in the same afternoon.
Once it’s safe to go outside, resist the urge to climb up and inspect the roof yourself. A hail-damaged roof surface can be slick, weakened, or hiding punctures you can’t see from a ladder, and a fall is a far more serious problem than the hail itself. Everything you need to document in the first hours can be done from the ground or from inside the house.
Document Damage Before You Touch Anything
Insurance adjusters and any roofing contractor you eventually hire will both rely heavily on what you capture in the first day or two, before wind, rain, or cleanup crews alter the scene. Work through your property systematically rather than snapping a few random photos:
Start with the roof, photographed from the ground at each side of the house and, if you have one, from an upstairs window. Bruised or missing shingle granules, dented metal flashing, and cracked vents are all signs worth capturing even if they’re subtle. Move to the siding next, looking for dings, cracked panels, or paint chipping on the side of the house that faced the storm. Check gutters and downspouts for dents and detached sections, then inspect every window and skylight for cracked glass or damaged screens. Don’t forget the AC condenser unit outside — hail commonly bends the thin aluminum fins on top, which reduces efficiency even when the damage isn’t obvious at a glance. Finally, walk around any vehicles that were parked outside during the storm and photograph dents panel by panel.
Keep a simple written log alongside the photos: the date and approximate time of the storm, which sides of the house took the worst hit, and any damage you notice indoors, such as water stains on a ceiling. That log becomes useful later if there’s any question about when the damage occurred.
The First 48 Hours, Step by Step
Because so much has to happen quickly after a hailstorm, it helps to see the sequence laid out. The table below is a general guide — adjust the timing if a second storm is still moving through your area.
| Timeframe | Action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| During the storm | Stay inside, away from windows and skylights | Hail and high wind can shatter glass without warning |
| Immediately after | Scan for downed power lines and broken tree limbs before going outside | Storm hazards are often more dangerous than the hail itself |
| First few hours | Photograph roof, siding, gutters, windows, the AC condenser, and vehicles | Fresh, systematic documentation supports your insurance claim |
| Same day, if leaking | Place buckets indoors and tarp any active roof leaks from a safe access point | Prevents secondary water damage to insulation, drywall, and framing |
| Within 24–48 hours | Call your homeowners insurance company to open a claim | Starts the adjuster process and creates an official claim number |
| Within 48 hours | Decline on-the-spot contracts from uninvited door-knockers | Colorado law gives you time and protections that a rushed signature can waive |
Temporary Measures to Stop Water Intrusion
If hail or wind opened a gap in your roof, siding, or a window, the priority is keeping water out of the structure until a permanent repair can happen. Inside the house, move furniture and belongings away from any active drip and set out buckets or towels. Outside, a tarp secured over a damaged section of roof — weighted and fastened so wind can’t rip it loose — can buy real time, but this is a job best left to someone comfortable working at height on a wet, possibly unstable surface. A cracked window can often be covered temporarily with plastic sheeting and tape from the interior.
Most homeowners insurance policies expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage after a covered loss, so temporary protection like tarping isn’t just practical — it’s usually part of what your policy requires. Keep receipts for any tarp, plastic sheeting, or emergency labor, since those costs are typically reimbursable as part of your claim.
Contacting Your Insurance Company
Call your homeowners insurance carrier as soon as it’s practical, ideally within the first day or two. Most companies have a claims line that operates around the clock during major weather events, and calling early gets you in the queue before the post-storm surge of claims from across the metro area slows things down. Have your policy number, the date of the storm, and your photo documentation ready when you call.
Once the claim is open, the insurer will typically schedule an adjuster to inspect your property in person. The adjuster’s job is to assess the extent of covered damage and estimate the cost of repair or replacement under your policy’s terms. It’s reasonable to walk the property with the adjuster and point out what you documented, and it’s worth requesting a copy of their written estimate for your own records. If you’re not confident the estimate reflects the actual damage, you’re allowed to get an independent opinion from a licensed contractor before agreeing to a settlement.
Colorado’s Legal Protections Against Storm Chasers
Every hailstorm along the Front Range draws a wave of out-of-town roofing crews who go door to door in the days afterward. Some are legitimate, but the pattern that should make you cautious is familiar: an unsolicited knock within a day or two of the storm, a vehicle with out-of-state plates, pressure to sign a contract on the spot, and an offer to cover your insurance deductible so the repair “won’t cost you anything.”
That last offer is not a favor — it’s illegal in Colorado. Under C.R.S. § 6-22-105, a roofing contractor may not advertise, promise, pay, waive, or rebate any part of a homeowner’s insurance deductible on a claim-funded roofing job. A contractor willing to break that law to get your signature is telling you something about how the rest of the relationship will go. Colorado’s residential roofing statute also gives homeowners a specific way out of a bad decision: under C.R.S. § 6-22-104, if your insurer denies your claim in whole or in part, you have the right to rescind a roofing contract within 72 hours of receiving that denial notice, and the contractor must return your payments and deposits within ten days. The same article requires roofing contracts tied to an insurance claim to spell out the scope of work, approximate cost, and the contractor’s physical business address in writing — details a storm chaser working out of a rental car usually can’t provide.
None of this means you should avoid hiring help quickly. It means reading what you sign, confirming a contractor has a real local address and a track record, and treating any deductible-waiver offer as a red flag rather than a deal.
Once the Emergency Stage Is Over
Once your roof is safely tarped, your claim is open, and you’re no longer in triage mode, the next decision is whether your roof needs a full replacement or can be repaired — and that’s a separate question from what’s covered in this guide; for that decision, see our breakdown of repairing versus replacing a hail-damaged roof. Apollo Construction’s roofing team also offers a free walk-through if you’d rather have a second set of eyes on the damage before the adjuster arrives or before you sign anything with another company.
Apollo Construction works with homeowners across the Front Range communities we serve, and pricing questions come up often enough after a storm that it helps to see real ranges — our guide to Denver roof replacement costs is a useful starting point once you know whether repair or replacement is on the table.
Not sure where your roof stands after the storm? Request a free walk-through and estimate from Apollo Construction, and we’ll document the damage, review your options, and help you move forward with confidence — no pressure, no deductible games.
