Hail and Your Roof: Was Your Area Hit, and What Next

Recent Big Storms

• April 14, 2026: storms dropped hail up to softball size on parts of the Madison area.(NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan) NOAA has 71 Dane County reports that day, the largest 4 inches, near Burke, east of Maple Bluff, confirmed by a trained spotter's photo.(NOAA)
• May 15, 2025: large hail across southern Wisconsin; 31 Dane County reports, up to 2.25 inches.(NWS)
• April 18, 2025: hail up to baseball size from New Glarus east to Edgerton. NWS Milwaukee issued its first-ever "destructive" severe thunderstorm warning, partly for Dane County.(NWS)

Newer storms: NOAA's database runs up to 120 days behind.(NOAA) For a storm in the last few months, check the Storm Prediction Center's daily storm reports by date; they're preliminary.(Storm Prediction Center) NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan posts summaries of major storms.(NWS) The National Weather Service counts hail as severe at 1 inch, about the size of a quarter.(NWS)

Checking Your Roof

• Stay on the ground. IKO, a shingle maker, says to check from street level unless you have experience and safety gear for working at heights, and to leave the full inspection to a professional.(IKO)
• What to look for: dark patches where the granules are knocked off, small dents, and cracked or dented roof vents and flashing.(IKO) A pile of granules in gutters or at the downspouts is a reason to get an inspection.(CertainTeed)
• Dents in gutters, cars, siding and window screens are signs of hail at your house, even if your area got less than the worst of it.(Wisconsin OCI)
• Cracks and tears from hail can let water in, and larger dents leak more than small ones, according to IBHS, an insurer-funded research institute.(IBHS)

Right After a Storm

• Downed lines: stay at least 30 feet away and assume they're live. Report them to MG&E at 608-252-7000(MG&E) or Alliant Energy at 1-800-255-4268.(Alliant Energy)
• Photograph the damage before you clean up, and notify your agent or insurer right away.(Wisconsin OCI)
• Stop further damage. You have a legal duty to make reasonable temporary repairs, like covering a hole or boarding a window. Those repairs are covered, so keep the receipts; permanent repairs wait for the adjuster.(OCI homeowners guide)
• Don't throw out damaged property until the adjuster agrees.(Wisconsin OCI)
• Don't hire door-to-door crews. Wisconsin's consumer protection agency says transient crews often take payment up front and never do the work.(DATCP)

Insurance Claims

• Hail is a covered peril even in the basic homeowners form (HO-2).(OCI homeowners guide) The insurer pays to repair or replace the part of the roof damaged by the storm, minus your deductible, not necessarily the whole roof. A roof that wore out on its own isn't covered.(Wisconsin OCI) A roof in poor condition before the storm can affect coverage.(Wisconsin OCI)
• Actual cash value is replacement cost minus depreciation.(OCI glossary) With replacement cost coverage, the insurer pays the difference once repairs are done; if you don't repair, you get only actual cash value.(OCI claims guide)
• Cosmetic dents in siding may or may not be covered, depending on your policy, and the insurer doesn't have to match undamaged siding.(Wisconsin OCI) Your policy pays for what you had, not an upgrade.(OCI claims guide)
• Get written, line-by-line bids from licensed contractors; OCI says it speeds the claim. Settlements can differ between neighbors on the same street.(OCI claims guide)
• Timing: under Wisconsin law, a claim is overdue if it isn't paid within 30 days after the insurer gets written notice of the loss and its amount, and overdue payments earn 7.5% interest a year.(Wis. Stat. 628.46) Wisconsin's claims rule treats a response within 10 days as prompt.(Ins 6.11)
• If you disagree, you can ask for an appraisal by appraisers who don't work for your insurer, complain to the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, or hire a lawyer.(OCI homeowners guide) OCI complaints: 1-800-236-8517.(OCI claims guide)
• Frequent wind and hail claims can lead an insurer to require a higher deductible.(OCI homeowners guide)

Roofers and Insurance Claims: Wisconsin Law

Wisconsin has a law aimed at storm-repair contractors (Wis. Stat. 100.65). It covers roof and other exterior work on one- and two-family homes:(Wis. Stat. 100.65)

• A contractor can't pay or rebate any part of your deductible, or advertise that it will. Discounts, gifts and referral fees count as rebates.
• Before you sign, the contractor must give you a boldface form asking whether the work is tied to an insurance claim, with a cancellation notice.
• If your insurer denies the claim in whole or in part, you can cancel until midnight of the third business day after you get the written denial. The contractor must refund your payments within 10 days, minus the reasonable value of emergency work you approved in writing.
• A contractor can't negotiate your claim for you. With your consent it can talk with the adjuster about the damage and submit an estimate.

Wisconsin's home improvement rule also applies:(ATCP 110)

• A written contract is required if you pay anything before the work is done, and it's illegal to falsely tell you your roof needs replacing.
• Get a lien waiver with every payment, and have the building inspector check the finished work before the final payment.(DATCP)
• Be wary of large up-front payments and amazingly low bids.(OCI claims guide) Get more than one written estimate from contractors who see the roof in person.(OCI and DATCP)
• Madison says contractors on one- and two-family homes must hold a Wisconsin license, and out-of-state crews may not.(City of Madison) Check the DSPS Dwelling Contractor credential with the state's license lookup.(DSPS)
• Check complaints with DATCP's Consumer Protection Hotline, (800) 422-7128.(DATCP)

Permits and Code

• Madison requires a building permit to replace roofing, siding or windows; repairs under $500 don't need one. Check that the permit was pulled, online or at 608-266-4551 ext. 1.(City of Madison) A reroof without structural changes can be applied for online; changing the roof's pitch needs plan review.(City of Madison)
• New shingles can't go over a roof that already has two or more layers, or one that's water-soaked or deteriorated.(Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321)
• Wisconsin's code requires ice dam protection at the eaves only on roofs of 4:12 slope or flatter.(Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321) See the ice dam guide for what manufacturers recommend.

Permit rules for other projects, town by town, are in the remodel permit guide.

Impact-Resistant Shingles

• UL 2218 rates shingles Class 1 to 4 by dropping steel balls of 1.25 to 2 inches. Only a break through the back of the shingle counts as a failure; dents and lost granules don't.(IBHS)
• Owens Corning says insurers in high-hail areas may require Class 4 shingles, but a Class 4 rating is no guarantee against hail.(Owens Corning)
• In IBHS's 2013–14 lab tests of 22 shingles, none, Class 4-rated or not, got through more than Class 2-size impacts without at least one failure.(IBHS) IBHS now rates shingles with lab-made hailstones; good or excellent ratings mean better performance against hail up to 2 inches.(IBHS)
• FORTIFIED is IBHS's voluntary roofing standard, beyond what code requires. Its hail supplement requires a shingle rated good or excellent.(IBHS)
• CertainTeed says you may get an insurance discount for impact-resistant shingles.(CertainTeed) Wisconsin's insurance commissioner doesn't address it, so ask your insurer.

Repair or Replace

• IKO's rule of thumb: repair isolated problems; replace when the failures are widespread, such as granule loss and brittle shingles across the roof, or repeated leaks.(IKO) IKO also suggests a contractor inspection after every hailstorm.(IKO)
• Shingle warranties don't cover hail. IKO, Malarkey and Owens Corning all exclude it.(IKO)(Malarkey)(Owens Corning) Hail is an insurance matter.
• Poor attic ventilation or installation that doesn't follow the maker's instructions can void a shingle warranty.(Malarkey) IKO says warranty length isn't a promise of how long shingles will last.(IKO)

Questions

How do I find out if hail hit my area in Dane County?

NOAA's Storm Events Database is the official record; the lookup on this page lists its Dane County reports from 2024 through June 2026. For a recent storm, check the Storm Prediction Center's daily storm reports, which are posted the same day but are preliminary. Each report is one spotter at one spot, so it can't tell you what fell on your street.

What size hail damages a roof?

The National Weather Service counts hail as severe at 1 inch, about the size of a quarter. Whether your roof was damaged depends on the roof, so look from the ground for dented gutters and vents and granules in the downspouts, and have a roofer inspect it.

Does homeowners insurance cover hail damage in Wisconsin?

Hail is a covered peril even in the basic homeowners form, according to Wisconsin's insurance commissioner. The insurer pays to repair or replace the part damaged by the storm, minus your deductible. A roof that was already worn out isn't covered, and a roof in poor condition before the storm can affect your claim.

Can a roofer pay my insurance deductible?

No. Wisconsin law bars roofing and exterior contractors from paying or rebating any part of your deductible, including through discounts, gifts or referral fees. They also can't negotiate your claim with the insurer.

Can I cancel a roofing contract if my claim is denied?

Yes. If your insurer denies the claim in whole or in part, you can cancel a roofing or exterior contract tied to that claim until midnight of the third business day after you get the written denial. The contractor must refund your payments within 10 days.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Madison?

Yes. Madison requires a building permit to replace roofing; repairs under $500 don't need one. Check that your contractor pulled it before the work starts.

Are impact-resistant shingles worth it?

Class 4 shingles pass the toughest steel-ball test, and some insurers in hail-prone areas ask for them. But manufacturers say a Class 4 rating doesn't guarantee against hail, and shingle warranties exclude hail damage. Ask your insurer whether it offers a discount.