Nobody teaches you how to handle your first hailstorm. Here's the whole playbook.
The April 25–26, 2026 storm line dropped large hail across the I-30 corridor — Royse City and Fate included. For thousands of families here, that was their first hail event as homeowners. If that's you, here's the honest version of how this works, with no sales pitch attached.
First, the Bad News About "New"
A roof installed two or three years ago takes hail damage the same way a fifteen-year-old roof does. Hail bruises the shingle mat under the granules — invisible from the ground, often invisible even up close to an untrained eye. The roof sheds water fine for months, then starts failing early. Meanwhile, most Texas policies allow one to two years from the storm date to file, and late claims get scrutinized harder. The clock and the damage move on different schedules; documentation is how you protect yourself.
The Five-Minute Driveway Check
- Dents in gutters, downspouts, garage door trim, or AC fins — soft metal keeps the evidence
- Granules piling where downspouts empty after rain
- Roofing crews working your street — adjusters already approved neighbors on the same storm
- Shingles with dark bruise spots or exposed black asphalt
- Any new ceiling stain, even faint
How the Claim Actually Goes
Step 1 — free documented inspection. A licensed contractor photographs every slope and gives you written findings. If a claim isn't justified, you'll hear it plainly — filing weak claims just raises your premiums.
Step 2 — you call your insurer. You file, not the contractor. Policy number, storm date, inspection report.
Step 3 — the adjuster visit, contractor present. The single most valuable step. A trained second set of eyes on the roof keeps slopes from being missed and scopes from being shorted.
Step 4 — scope and build. With replacement-cost coverage you typically pay just your deductible. Most Royse City roofs replace in a day.
About your builder's warranty
It almost certainly does not cover storm damage — builder warranties cover installation defects, not weather. Hail is an insurance matter from day one of ownership. Don't wait on the builder; document and file within your window.
The door-knocker rule
New subdivisions get swarmed after hail. Never pay a deposit at the door, never sign an assignment-of-benefits on the porch, and verify a physical North Texas address and Texas insurance certificate first. Everyone we refer passed those checks before the first introduction.
What This Costs You
The inspection and guidance: nothing. If a claim is approved: typically your deductible. If your roof is fine: you own dated photos proving it — which makes any future claim stronger.