Roof Storm Damage Documentation: Photos, Estimates, and Inspection Records

Good storm documentation is simple: photos and video taken safely from the ground and inside the house, a short written log with dates and names, and one folder that holds every inspection report, estimate and receipt. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) gives the same basic advice after hail and wind: take pictures and video, list the damage inside and outside, and save receipts. You never need to climb onto the roof to do your part.

This guide is a record-keeping system. For what hail damage can look like from the ground, see signs of hail damage. If water is coming in right now, start with roof leaking after a storm. This is not insurance advice: whether to file a claim, and how, is between you, your policy and your insurer or agent.

Safety first, then the camera

• Wait until the storm has passed and it is daylight.
• Stay away from downed power lines and anything touching them.
• Stay off the roof and off ladders. Roof photos up close are the roofer's job.
• Inside, keep away from sagging, wet ceilings and from water near outlets or light fixtures.

Step 1: Start the log right away

Open a note on your phone or a notebook page and write:

• Date and approximate time of the storm, and what you saw or heard (hail size compared with a common object, strong wind, a tree limb falling).
• What you noticed and when — "water stain in back bedroom ceiling, first seen next morning."
• Every conversation: who you talked to, their company, phone or email, the date, and what was said. TDI suggests keeping a list of everyone you talk to at your insurance company and taking notes on phone calls; do the same for roofers.

A log written on the day is far more useful than memories reconstructed weeks later.

Step 2: Photograph from the ground, outside

Walk around the house once, slowly, and take a short video, then go back for photos. Use a consistent pattern so nothing is missed:

1. Wide shot of each side of the house, from far enough away to show the whole wall and the roof edge above it.
2. Medium shots of anything that looks damaged: gutters, downspouts, window screens, siding, fences, outdoor AC unit fins, vehicles, patio furniture.
3. Close-ups of the same items. Put a coin or a ruler next to dents on things you can safely reach at ground level, so size is clear.
4. The roof from the ground, from several angles, including the street. Zoom if your phone allows; don't climb anything to get closer.
5. Debris on the ground: shingle pieces, anything washed out of the downspouts, fallen branches. Photograph them where they landed before cleaning up.

If hail is still on the ground, a photo with a coin or ruler for scale is useful, since it melts quickly.

TDI also advises not throwing damaged items away until your insurance company tells you. Even if you are not sure you will file a claim, setting damaged items aside costs little.

Step 3: Photograph inside

• Ceilings and upper walls in every room, especially under the roof's lowest points, around chimneys and near bathroom vents.
• Stains: photograph them the first day, then again a day or two later from the same spot. A stain that grows tells a roofer something.
• The attic, only if it has safe access and a floor to stand on. Shine a flashlight from the hatch and photograph wet insulation, dripping or daylight. Do not walk on ceiling joists where there is no floor.
• Damaged belongings, with a list. TDI recommends making a list of damage inside and outside your home.

Step 4: Record temporary repairs and keep every receipt

TDI advises making temporary repairs to prevent more damage — removing standing water and covering broken windows and holes — and saving all receipts. It also says not to make permanent repairs before the insurance adjuster sees the damage, if you are filing a claim.

• Indoors, you can safely move belongings, set out buckets and towels, and remove standing water you can reach without electrical risk.
• Roof tarping is work for a professional. If you hire someone for emergency tarping, ask for a written invoice that describes what was covered and where, and photos of the tarp in place.
• Photograph the damage before any temporary repair, then again after.
• Keep receipts for materials, tarping, water cleanup and any other costs.

Step 5: Keep roofer inspection reports and estimates organized

After a storm, you may have one or more roofers look at the roof. Each visit should leave you with paper, not just a conversation.

• Ask for the inspection findings in writing, with photos. Ask the roofer to label photos by roof slope or direction (north, south and so on) so you can match them to your own ground-level photos.
• Get the estimate in writing, with the company's name, address and phone number. TDI recommends comparing bids with the adjuster's report if you have a claim. See how to compare roofing quotes to line up different scopes.
• Note who came and when in your log, including name and company.
• Do not sign anything at the inspection that you haven't read in full, and never sign a contract with blank spaces. Be wary of any offer to "cover" or waive your deductible; TDI says that is against Texas law.
• If an adjuster visits, TDI suggests being available so you can point out all the damage, and getting the adjuster's name, phone and email. Add the adjuster's report to your folder.

Remember that some hail damage is not obvious at first; even Texas home inspection standards say inspectors are not required to identify latent hail damage. That is one more reason to date every record.

Step 6: One folder, clearly named

Keep everything in one place, with a copy in cloud storage:

• 01-Log — your notes and contact list.
• 02-Photos-Outside and 03-Photos-Inside — named with the date, for example "2026-05-14 north side wide."
• 04-Temporary-repairs — invoices and receipts.
• 05-Inspections — roofer reports, adjuster report, any inspector report.
• 06-Estimates — each estimate, plus any revised versions.
• 07-Contract-and-warranty — the signed contract, permit records, final invoice and warranties once work is done. See roof warranties.
• 08-Payments — proof of every payment. TDI advises saving proof that you paid any deductible.

Before the next storm: take a baseline

The most useful photos are often the ones taken before anything happened. On a clear day, photograph each side of the house, the roof from the street, the gutters, the outdoor AC unit and your ceilings, and save them in the same folder system. It takes a few minutes and gives you a clear before-and-after.

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