Reading hail damage on asphalt shingles

Hail leaves three distinct signatures on asphalt shingles. Learning to tell them apart, and to separate them from wear that merely looks like hail, is the single highest leverage field skill for a new adjuster.

Bruising

A hail bruise is a soft, dark depression where the impact crushed the granule layer into the mat. Run your fingers over it: fresh bruising feels like a small soft spot, the way an apple bruises under the skin. Photograph every bruise with a chalk circle and a scale reference before touching it.

Granule loss

Impact granule loss exposes black asphalt in a roughly circular pattern with crisp edges. Distinguish it from age related loss, which follows water flow lines and thins evenly across a slope. Check the gutters: heavy fresh granule accumulation supports a recent event.

Mat fractures

Fold back a suspect shingle gently and look for a crescent shaped crack in the fiberglass mat. Fractures are the strongest indicator of functional damage, because they shorten shingle life even when the surface looks intact. Note them separately in your report; they carry the coverage argument.

Test squares and collateral evidence

• Chalk a 10x10 ft test square on each slope and count impacts inside it.
• Check soft metals first. Vents, gutters, and window wraps dent at smaller hail sizes than shingles bruise.
• Match damage direction to the storm: hail strikes hardest on the windward slopes.
• Record roof age and material; brittle, aged shingles show different fracture patterns.

What is not hail

Blistering, foot traffic scuffs, and manufacturing defects are the usual false positives. Blisters have raised rims and no impact pattern in the surrounding granules. When in doubt, document generously and describe what you see without forcing a conclusion. The templates file has neutral wording for exactly this case.