Hail damage on shingles looks like dark spots where granules got knocked off, plus dents in gutters and vents. Check from the ground and stay off the roof.

That's the short version. The longer one matters in metro Atlanta, because a lot of hail damage is easy to miss from the driveway and some of it doesn't show up as a leak until a year or two later. By then nobody remembers which storm did it.

This post covers when hail tends to hit north Georgia, what size of hail matters, what the damage actually looks like, and what an inspection should tell you afterward.

When hail hits north Georgia

The National Weather Service office in Peachtree City covers the Atlanta area, and its severe weather climatology says nearly all hailstorms in its area strike between February and August. April is the most favored month. In spring and summer, the vast majority of hail events have come in the afternoon and evening, when the day's heat is feeding the storms.

The same office's hail page puts Georgia's peak severe thunderstorm season in March, April and May, with a second peak that sometimes shows up in September and October. It also says severe storms can happen at any hour and in any month. So a fall storm that drops hail on Roswell or Lawrenceville isn't some freak event, even if spring is the main act.

One more number from that page that surprises people: the typical size of hail in Georgia is about one to two inches across. That's quarter size up to a bit bigger than a golf ball.

Does all hail damage a roof?

No. But the line between "fine" and "damaged" isn't one neat hailstone size, and it moves as your roof gets older.

What the size words mean

Weather reports describe hail by comparison. The Peachtree City office's chart lists pea at 0.25 inch, penny or dime at 0.75 inch, quarter at 1 inch, golf ball at 1.75 inches and baseball at 2.75 inches. The National Weather Service and NOAA call a storm severe when it drops hail one inch across (quarter size) or bigger, among other criteria. NOAA also notes hailstones can fall faster than 100 mph.

Small hail still counts

For years the working assumption was that pea and marble size hail didn't matter much. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) has been testing that. Its small hail research looks at what it calls sub-severe hail, stones under one inch, and found that it knocks protective granules off asphalt shingles, exposes the asphalt underneath and speeds up aging.

The bigger finding: roofs that went through natural weathering plus two simulated rounds of sub-severe hail became up to ten times more susceptible to damage from later large hail than new shingles. A roof can take a few "nothing happened" storms and come out weaker for the next real one.

Age changes the answer

The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) explains in its roof inspection course that the asphalt holding granules in place loses its grip as it ages. Its words: "Even small hail can dislodge granules from older shingles." InterNACHI also points out that when small hail knocks off granules that age had already loosened, that isn't counted as hail damage.

That's why the same storm can leave a five-year-old roof in Johns Creek looking fine and a 20-year-old roof next door looking rough. If you're not sure how old yours is, our post on how long shingles last in Atlanta covers the baseline numbers.

Hail damage shingles signs: what it actually looks like

Most hail damage on an asphalt roof isn't a hole. Here's what to look for, roughly from most common to least.

Dark spots where granules are gone

Granules are the sandy coating on top of a shingle. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) says they protect the shingle's asphalt from breaking down under long UV exposure. When hail knocks them off, you get dark, roughly round marks where the black asphalt shows through.

InterNACHI says hail doesn't crush granules. It pushes them away from the sides of the strike and drives the rest deeper into the asphalt, which is one way an inspector tells a hail mark from foot traffic or a dropped tool.

Shallow dents with soft edges

InterNACHI describes hailstrikes on shingles as very shallow indentations with gently sloped sides, with granules still sitting in the strike area. Blisters look different. They leave steeper pits.

Cracks and tears

This is the damage that leaks. IBHS tested water leakage on hail-damaged shingles and found small dents let in very little water, while larger dents and even modest tears let in a lot. InterNACHI's course draws the same line: a crack only in the top asphalt layer isn't functional damage, but a crack that goes through the mat (the shingle's core) is.

A random pattern

Real hail lands randomly. InterNACHI notes that damage grouped in neat arcs, or bunched away from the roof edges, points to something other than hail.

Functional or cosmetic?

InterNACHI defines functional damage as anything that makes the roof worse at shedding water or shortens its expected service life. Everything else is cosmetic. Minor, scattered granule loss and dented metal vents usually land in the cosmetic column. It also says granule loss has to be visible to a casual observer to count as functional, so if someone has to crouch and squint to show it to you, keep that in mind.

What you can check without a ladder

You can learn a lot from the yard and the windows.

  • Gutters and downspouts. InterNACHI says aluminum gutters dent fairly easily and steel ones resist hail well. Hail dents in aluminum are usually smaller than the stone that made them, so a pea-size dent can mean bigger hail.
  • Granules at the downspouts. A pile of what looks like coarse black sand at the bottom of a downspout after a storm is worth a photo.
  • Metal on the roof. Look at roof vents, pipe flashing and the ridge from the ground, with binoculars if you have them. Fresh dings on soft metal tell you the storm was big enough to hit things.
  • The rest of the house. InterNACHI lists cracks, dents, punctures, broken glass and spatter marks among hail damage to walls and trim. If the siding or a window screen got hit, the roof did too.
  • The attic, after the next rain. A damp spot on the underside of the roof deck or a new ceiling stain needs attention fast. Our post on roof repair or replacement walks through what comes next.

Take photos with the date on them. They're useful later whatever you decide.

Stay off the roof

Please don't climb up there to look. ARMA's advice on readying your roof for extreme weather is direct: homeowners shouldn't climb onto their roofs, and that job belongs to professionals. A steep, wet roof with loose granules on it is a bad place to be, and a fall costs a lot more than any shingle.

Hail damage roof inspection: what should happen

A good inspection after hail answers two questions. Is there damage that will let water in or shorten the roof's life? And if so, is it a repair or a replacement?

ARMA's guidance helps frame the second one. A few missing or broken shingles should be replaced one by one, and loose tabs re-adhered. A more widespread loss or damage of shingles may mean the roof needs replacing. Our roof repair and roof replacement pages cover what each job involves.

At Superior, a roof inspection is a visit of about 90 minutes from a specialist. You get photos of what they find and a firm written number built from real measurements. If it's just a repair, we'll tell you that. If it's a replacement, the number covers the whole roof as one package, not a list of parts to pick through.

Honestly, the most useful thing an inspection gives you is a dated record of the roof's condition. If the next storm does more, you'll know what changed.

What about insurance?

Whether hail damage is covered depends entirely on your own policy. Read it, or call your agent and ask. We don't interpret insurance policies, and nobody should promise you what yours will or won't pay.

Replacing after hail: impact ratings

If your roof does need replacing, it's worth knowing how shingles get rated for impact.

The standard you'll see is UL 2218. ARMA's test standards page describes it as steel balls of various sizes dropped from 12 to 20 feet onto a deck of shingles, with four classes and Class 4 the highest. ARMA also notes impact resistance isn't required by building codes, so it's a choice you make. Malarkey spells out the Class 4 test as a 2-inch steel ball dropped from 20 feet, twice in roughly the same spot. It also quotes UL saying the test doesn't evaluate weathering or aging.

IBHS runs its own shingle ratings using lab-made hailstones, which it calls a more realistic measure than steel balls. In its 2025 round, most of the 24 products rated Good and none rated Excellent.

IKO is our preferred manufacturer. Its Nordic shingle lists UL 2218 Class 4 impact resistance, along with ASTM D3161 Class F and ASTM D7158 Class H wind ratings. IKO's own page is careful about it, though. It says the impact rating isn't a guarantee of impact resistance against hail, and that hail damage isn't covered under its limited warranty. We'd rather you hear that from us than find it in the fine print later.

Not every architectural shingle is Class 4, by the way. Our architectural shingles post covers how the ratings differ.

FAQ

What does hail damage look like on a roof?

Mostly dark, roundish spots where granules got knocked off, plus shallow dents in the shingles. The serious kind is a crack or tear through the shingle mat. Dented gutters and roof vents are a good clue that hail hit hard enough to matter.

What size hail damages a roof?

There's no single cutoff. NOAA calls hail severe at one inch, and the Peachtree City weather office says typical Georgia hail runs one to two inches. IBHS found repeated hail under one inch also wears shingles down, especially older ones.

When is hail season in Atlanta?

The National Weather Service in Peachtree City says nearly all hailstorms in its area hit between February and August, with April the most common month. A smaller bump sometimes shows up in September and October.

Should I get a roof inspection after a hailstorm?

If you see dented gutters or granules piling up at the downspouts, yes. A dated inspection also gives you a baseline for the next storm. Stay off the roof yourself.

Will a Class 4 shingle stop hail damage?

It helps, but no manufacturer promises that. UL 2218 Class 4 is the top impact rating, and IKO says even its Class 4 rating isn't a guarantee against hail.

Book a roof inspection in metro Atlanta

Superior Roofing & Restoration's Georgia office is in Peachtree Corners. Victoria and the Atlanta team can set up a visit. It takes about 90 minutes with a specialist, who takes photos and measurements, and you get a firm written number. If the hail only did enough for a repair, you'll hear that from us. You can also call 844-TARP-247.

Book a roof inspection or contact us.

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