A roof can lose years of life to a storm and look completely normal from the driveway. Start with the record: find out what actually fell on your street, then decide what to do about it.
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Roofers, adjusters, and the National Weather Service all describe hail by comparison — coins and balls, not inches. Where a storm lands on this scale is the single best predictor of whether your shingles took real damage. Pick what you saw.
Homeowners usually assume there's a single deadline. In Illinois there are three separate time limits, they start at different moments, and confusing them is how people lose options they didn't know they had. Carriers verify date of loss against the same National Weather Service records — a documented storm date means the when isn't in dispute.
Policies typically require you to report a loss "as soon as reasonably possible," and some name a specific window of roughly 30–60 days. This governs when you notify the carrier — it is not the deadline for preserving your legal rights.
Source: standard homeowner policy conditionsMost Illinois homeowners policies set a one- to two-year deadline from the date of loss to bring suit against the insurer. That period pauses while a proof of loss is pending and until the insurer issues a denial in whole or in part.
215 ILCS 5/143.1 · policy language varies by carrierIllinois sets a five-year statute of limitations covering breach of insurance contract and bad-faith actions. It runs independently of the policy's own clause and does not automatically override a valid one.
735 ILCS 5/13-205 · Marcheschi v. Illinois Farmers Ins. Co.This is general information, not advice about your policy. Your contract controls, carriers differ, and several things can pause or extend these periods. We're a roof inspection and documentation company — we don't negotiate claims, and we can't tell you what your deadline is. Read your policy, and talk to your carrier or an Illinois attorney about your specific situation.
What you do right after a storm affects what can be proven later. None of this requires a contractor, and you should do it whether or not you ever call us.
Hailstones next to a coin for scale, dents in gutters, downspouts, AC fins, and grill lids. Ground evidence dates the storm and sizes the hail without anyone going on the roof.
Look at ceilings, the attic, and around chimneys and skylights for fresh staining. Water shows up indoors days before it shows up as a problem outdoors.
A dated inspection with measurements and photos creates the record. Storm damage gets harder to attribute to a specific date the longer you wait — and later storms muddy it.
Don't sign a contract or an authorization from anyone who knocked on your door that week. Read what you're signing. A real roof is still there next week.
You don't need a ladder — and please don't get on the roof. Nearly every roof with real hail damage shows a tell at eye level.
The sandy grit that coats shingles is their sunscreen. A pile of it in the downspout after a storm means the surface layer took a beating.
Gutters, vents, fascia, garage doors, and the AC condenser fins dent before shingles fail. If soft metal is dimpled, the roof was hit just as hard.
New rings on a ceiling or damp sheathing in the attic point to a breach. Check the north and west faces first — that's where Illinois storms usually land.
After a big storm your street fills with out-of-state trucks and big promises. We'd rather be plain about where our job starts and stops — including the parts Illinois law doesn't allow anyone to do for you.
Two minutes now, and someone who knows what to look for gets on it. Most inspections are scheduled within 48 hours.
You'll get a text confirming it within a couple of minutes, and we'll follow up to schedule.