Oklahoma hail season moves fast. A storm that came through at midnight is already aging as evidence by morning. The 48 hours after a storm are your best window to document, to stop further damage, and to position your insurance claim properly. Here is the list.
Don't climb on the roof
Do this firstThis comes first because it is the mistake that sends people to the hospital. Wet shingles are slippery. Hail-damaged shingles are unpredictable. A storm that came through at midnight left the roof wet and potentially structurally compromised.
Everything you need to document for your insurance claim can be done from the ground or from inside the attic. A drone covers the rest. No claim outcome is worth a fall.
Check for active leaks inside
Do this firstStart in the attic. Look at the underside of the roof deck for water stains, dripping, or wet insulation. Check every area, especially around penetrations: chimneys, vents, skylights, and pipe boots. These are the first places water gets in.
Then walk through the top floor of the house. Look at ceilings for fresh stains or soft spots. Bowed drywall means water has been sitting. Note where every stain is and photograph it.
If water is actively coming in, move valuables out from under the affected area, place a bucket, and call us immediately for emergency tarping. See our 24/7 tarping service. That is the one situation where you act before you finish this checklist.
Photograph exterior damage from the ground
Walk the perimeter of your home with your phone camera. You are looking for visible impact damage on every horizontal and vertical surface. Take wide shots first to establish the overall condition, then close-ups of specific damage.
Focus on: gutters (look for dents and granule buildup), siding (hairline cracks or impact pits on west and north faces), fascia boards, window screens (holes or tears), door and window frames (dents), and fence caps. Every piece of ground-level evidence supports your roof claim.
Do not edit or filter the photos. Original timestamps and GPS coordinates embedded in phone photos serve as documentation that the images were taken on a specific date in a specific location. Your insurance adjuster uses that data.
Check AC fins, gutters, siding, and windows
Your air conditioner condenser is one of the most useful damage indicators on your property. Crouch down and look at the aluminum fins on the front of the unit. Hail bends, smashes, and flattens these fins. The pattern of damage tells you the hail direction and approximate size. Insurance adjusters check the condenser as a calibration point during their visit.
Scoop a handful of material out of your gutter trough. After a hail event, you will find dark granules mixed in, the ceramic coating knocked off your shingles. More granule loss means more shingle damage. A lot of granules in the gutter means the storm was significant.
Check your window screens on the north and west faces of the house. Hail punches clean circular holes in screen mesh. One hole per screen means small hail. Torn mesh and bent frames mean large hail. Photograph everything before you clean anything up.
Call your insurance only after you have documentation
This is the order that matters. Document first. Then call your carrier.
When you report the loss, you need a date of loss, a description of the storm, and a sense of what damage you can see. The inspection PDF that AE Roofing produces gives you the third element in professional form. Filing a claim without documentation means the adjuster controls the entire scope narrative.
Most Oklahoma carriers give you 365 days from the date of loss to file. Some have tightened that window to 180 days. Check your policy. You have time to get documented before you call.
Schedule a professional inspection
Call AE Roofing or submit a request at our inspection request page. We schedule within 24 to 48 hours. The inspection covers drone footage of every roof plane, a ground walk of the full property, attic moisture readings, and a 14-page Xactimate-ready PDF.
The PDF goes to your insurer with your claim. It gives your adjuster the documentation they need and leaves very little room for dispute on documented items. Getting this inspection done before you file is the single most impactful thing you can do for your claim outcome.
The inspection is free. It takes about 45 minutes. You get the PDF the same evening.
Don't sign anything from a door-knocker
Do this firstWithin 24 hours of any confirmed hail event in Tulsa, contractors appear. Out-of-state plates. Clipboards. They know where the storm hit because they follow the radar.
Some are legitimate. Many are not. The red flags: they want a signature on the first visit, they offer to waive your deductible (that is insurance fraud in Oklahoma), they mention assignment of benefits, they cannot give you a local Oklahoma address or license number.
Do not sign anything on the day of the storm. Get the inspection done first. Get the documentation. Then evaluate contractors based on their credentials, their written contract, and whether they are still going to be in Oklahoma when your warranty matters.
Know your deadlines
Your insurance policy has a window to file a claim. Most Oklahoma policies are 365 days from the date of loss. Some are 180. A handful are shorter. Read your declarations page now, not after the window has closed.
The evidence window is shorter than the filing window. Hail bruising on asphalt shingles fades visually after 60 to 90 days of UV exposure in Oklahoma summers. File documentation within 30 days of the storm for the cleanest evidence. File the actual claim within 90 days if at all possible.
Warranty on new roof installations typically needs to be registered within 30 to 60 days of job completion. AE Roofing handles this for you, but confirm the registration number is on your paperwork at job close.
After the 48 hours
If you have followed this list, you should have: photos of all ground-level damage, a professional inspection scheduled or complete, and a clear sense of whether your damage warrants a claim. You have not signed anything. You have not called your insurer yet.
The next step is the full insurance claim process, or the detailed Oklahoma step-by-step guide if you want the full walkthrough from documentation to final invoice.
Post-storm questions
What should I do in the first 48 hours after a hailstorm?
Stay off the roof. Check for active water intrusion inside, starting in the attic. Photograph everything you can see from the ground: gutters, siding, AC fins, window screens. Then call a local roofing contractor for a free inspection before you call your insurance company. Get the documentation first. File the claim second.
Should I call my insurance before or after getting an inspection?
After. Get the inspection and documentation first. The inspection produces a 14-page PDF that covers drone footage, ground photos, and moisture readings formatted for your adjuster's Xactimate software. Filing with documentation puts you in a much stronger position than filing and waiting for the adjuster to show up cold.
How long does it take to get a roof inspection after a storm?
AE Roofing schedules within 24 to 48 hours under normal conditions. During active storm events, when multiple properties in the same area need inspections, we triage by severity. Active leaks get same-day service. Standard post-storm documentation inspections go in queue order.
What if a storm came through weeks ago and I didn't document it?
You can still get an inspection. Hail evidence is clearest in the first 30 to 60 days, but a professional inspection can still document damage after that window. We will note the inspection date and reference available NWS storm data for your area. The earlier you act, the better, but it is not too late.
Is it bad to file a hail claim?
Filing a legitimate hail claim for documented damage is exactly what your policy is for. The concern is filing a claim that gets denied, pulling multiple claims in a short window, or filing a claim that does not meet your deductible. Each claim goes on your CLUE report, which insurers reference when pricing your policy. Get the inspection first, know the scope, and then make an informed decision about whether to file.
Get the inspection done today.
Free, within 24 to 48 hours, and the 14-page PDF is yours whether you file a claim or not.