Can hail damage a metal roof?

Yes, though usually only on the surface. An engineering firm that inspects hail claims says cosmetic dents are the most common effect. Hail does functional damage when it cracks the paint coating, punches a hole or dents a seam badly enough to let water in. Punctures are rare. Seams are less likely to dent because they're two layers thick.

Will insurance pay for hail damage to a metal roof?

It depends on your policy. TDI says wind and hail coverage should pay for hail damage. Since 1998, Texas has allowed an optional endorsement that excludes cosmetic hail damage on roofs that get an impact-resistance premium credit, and Angi notes cosmetic damage is unlikely to be covered. Read the roof section of your policy before you file.

How long does an insurance company have to pay a hail claim in Texas?

TDI's deadlines: 15 business days to acknowledge your claim, then 15 business days after it has everything it needs to accept or reject it, in writing if rejected. It can take 45 more days if it says why, and TDI can add 15 days after a weather catastrophe. Once it agrees to pay, payment is due within 5 business days.

Can a roofer handle my insurance claim for me in Texas?

No. Texas Insurance Code 4102.163 bars a contractor from acting as a public adjuster, or advertising to adjust claims, on a property it is or may be working on. That holds even with a power of attorney. A roofer can inspect, photograph and estimate. The claim itself is between you, your insurer and any licensed public adjuster you hire.

Should I have my metal roof inspected after every hailstorm?

After any storm with hail big enough to notice, yes. Angi recommends an inspection after any severe storm, and SFS, a fastener maker, suggests checking a metal roof twice a year and after hail or high wind. In Midland, most hail falls between April and June, so a late-spring check covers most of the risk.

Metal Roof Hail Damage in Midland, TX

Typical repair cost: Angi puts storm-damage repair on a metal roof at $700 to $4,000
Inspection: $125 to $350 for most homes, up to about $900 on steep or complicated roofs (Angi)
Claim clock in Texas: 15 business days for the insurer to acknowledge, 15 more after it has what it needs to decide, then 5 business days to pay (TDI)
Cosmetic or functional: dents are the most common hail mark on metal, and some Texas policies exclude dents that don't affect how the roof works

Midland Metal Roofing gets your roof in front of a roofer who does hail inspections on metal roofs. The roofer can inspect the panels, seams and flashing and write up an estimate. Texas law keeps the claim itself between you and your insurer.

Metal Roof Hail Damage, Sorted by What It Does

The same storm can leave one metal roof cosmetically dented and another leaking. Inspectors and insurers sort hail marks into groups, and the group often decides what gets paid. These are the five things a hail inspection on a metal roof should separate.

Rows of small round hail dents in the flat pans of a gray metal roof under low sunlight

Cosmetic Denting

Small round dents in the flat of the panel are the most common hail mark on metal, according to an engineer who assesses hail claims. HomeGuide agrees that metal usually takes only cosmetic damage. The dents can look terrible in low sun and still shed water for decades. Whether they're covered depends on your policy. In 1998 TDI approved an optional endorsement, HO-145, that excludes cosmetic hail damage on roofs receiving an impact-resistance premium credit. It's void unless you signed it, and insurers must tell you about it when you replace with a hail-resistant roof.

Typical look: shallow, round dents in the pans and minor ribs
Coverage: check for a cosmetic hail exclusion on your declarations page or endorsements
Upgrade trade-off: a Class 4 metal roof can earn a premium credit and come with that exclusion

Magnified view of a hail dent in a painted metal panel showing hairline cracks in the paint

Functional Hail Damage (Holes, Split Seams, Cracked Paint)

Functional damage is hail that changes what the roof does. On metal there are two ways that happens. The first is coating damage. The criterion the engineer quotes calls for no chipping, peeling, blistering, cracking or crazing of the paint under 10X magnification, because cracked paint lets rust start. The second is lost water-shedding, usually at a side seam where a dent has disturbed the sealant inside. Outright holes through the steel are rare. Seams are dented less often because they're two layers thick.

Coating check: the largest dents, examined under 10X magnification
Seam check: dents at side seams, which an engineer may water-test
Holes: rare, but HomeGuide notes deep dents can puncture and leak

Dented metal roof vent cap and gutter with a cracked plastic vent beside them on a metal roof

Hail-Damaged Flashing, Vents and Trim

The panels aren't the only thing on the roof. Vent caps, pipe boots, skylights, ridge vents, gutters and trim are made from other materials, from plastic to thin aluminum. A cracked plastic vent or a split boot can leak even when every panel is fine. Ask that the inspection list these parts separately, and get them fixed before the next rain if they're open. TDI says your policy may pay for temporary repairs, so keep the receipts.

Flashing repair: $200 to $500 (Fixr); more detail on the metal roof repair page
Temporary repairs: cover holes, keep receipts (TDI)

Inspector seen from behind holding a chalk-marked test square up to a dented metal roof

Hail Damage Inspection and Photo Records

Claims go more smoothly with good records. TDI's advice is to take photos and video, list the damage inside and out, and be there when the adjuster comes so they see everything. A good hail inspection on metal adds close-ups of the largest dents, photos of any dented seams and wide shots of each slope with the date. Ask the roofer for the photos as files along with the written summary. The roofer can document and estimate; the adjuster rule further down covers where that role stops.

Inspection cost: $125 to $350, up to about $900 for steep or complex roofs (Angi)
Keep: a list of everyone you talk to at the insurance company, with dates (TDI)

New metal roof panels stacked on a driveway beside a house whose roof is half re-covered

Repair or Replace After a Claim

Once the adjuster's estimate is in, the choice is a repair, new panels on the damaged slopes, or a full replacement. If your policy pays replacement cost, TDI says the first payment is the repair estimate minus depreciation, and the second comes after the repairs are done. If you have a mortgage, the check usually goes to the lender, who must contact you within 10 days. TDI also says to get more than one estimate and show contractors the insurer's estimate. For a full tear-off, read the replacement page first.

Storm-damage repair: $700 to $4,000 (Angi)
Partial vs full: faded paint on older panels can make new sheets stand out on a partial repair

Roofer in a harness and wide-brim hat kneeling on a light grey standing seam roof, checking a seam

Why Midland homeowners call Midland Metal Roofing

Free quotes, no obligation to hire
Panel, gauge and price in writing before any work
Your request goes to one Midland roofer, not a call list
Homeowners never pay us for the referral

Midland Hail Records, Year by Year

NOAA's Storm Events database shows how uneven hail is here. Midland County had hail on 33 separate days from 2016 through 2025, and 87% of the reports came in April, May or June. Some years are quiet and some aren't:

Busiest years
2017 with 34 reports and 2019 with 28
Quietest
2025 with 5 reports, and 7 each in 2016 and 2021
Big stones
31 reports of 2-inch hail or larger, and 9 separate days with stones of 2.5 inches or more
This year
7 reports through the October 2026 file, the largest 1.50 inches

That pattern is why an inspection is worth having even in a quiet year. A roof that got through 2025 may still carry dents from 2022 or 2024, when the county's largest stones (4 inches) fell. A dent you can tie to a dated storm and a dated photo is easier to argue for than one nobody recorded.

Texas Claim Rules a Roofer Can't Bend

These come from Texas statutes and TDI, and they apply to every hail job in Midland:

You pay the deductible
Insurance Code 707.002 puts the deductible on the policyholder. Under 707.004, an insurer with replacement-cost coverage can hold back the depreciation until you show you paid it, with a canceled check, receipt, card statement or installment contract.
No deductible deals
Business and Commerce Code 27.02 makes it a Class B misdemeanor for a seller to pay, waive, absorb or rebate your deductible. Any contract of $1,000 or more expected to be paid by insurance must print that notice in at least 12-point bold type.
No contractor-adjusters
Insurance Code 4102.163 bars a contractor from acting as a public adjuster on property it is or may be working on, even with your power of attorney.
After a declared disaster,
Business and Commerce Code chapter 58 says a contractor that hasn't kept a physical business address in Midland County or a neighboring county for at least a year can't require payment before starting, and partial payments must be proportionate to the work done.
Deadlines on the insurer
an extra 45 days if it explains why, plus 15 more that TDI can add after a weather catastrophe.