Hail-damaged gutters: what to do after a storm

Why gutters are the first thing to check

Aluminum gutters and downspouts are thin, soft metal on the most exposed edge of the house. After a hailstorm they often show damage more clearly than the shingles above them, and insurance adjusters look at them for exactly that reason: dents in gutters, downspouts, vents and window screens help show how big the hail was at your address.

Hail is a routine risk in parts of the country. According to National Insurance Crime Bureau data reported by the trade press, Texas led the nation in hail-loss insurance claims over a recent three-year period, with Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota and Illinois also near the top. In the Dallas–Fort Worth area, storm reports on June 1, 2025 listed hail up to about 3 inches in diameter in Tarrant County.

Step 1: Check from the ground, safely

Do not climb onto a wet roof or a ladder right after a storm. Most gutter damage is visible from the ground:

• Dents along the front face of the gutter, often in a random pattern. Look at the gutter from an angle in low sunlight, where dents show up as shadows.
• Dented or crushed downspouts, especially the elbows at the bottom.
• Seams that now drip or corners that have opened up.
• Sections that sag or have pulled away, often from falling limbs or the weight of hail sitting in the gutter.
• Granules from the shingles collected at downspout outlets, a sign the roof was hit hard too.

Also check other soft metal around the house: window screens, AC fins, mailbox, vents and your car. Consistent dents on several of these help show what happened.

Step 2: Document everything

The Texas Department of Insurance advises homeowners to file a claim as soon as they can after hail or wind damage, to take pictures and video of the damage, and to make a list of damage inside and outside. Its advice applies well beyond Texas:

• Photograph each side of the house, then close-ups of dents with a coin or ruler for scale.
• Note the date and time of the storm. Local news and weather service storm reports can help confirm hail size.
• Keep damaged parts if anything is removed, until your insurer says you can throw them away.
• Prevent further damage: clear downspouts blocked with debris, and cover any openings if water is getting in.

Step 3: Understand how insurance usually treats gutters

Gutters are part of the house, so a homeowners policy that covers hail usually covers them too, subject to your deductible and the adjuster’s findings. In practice, gutters are often included in the same claim as the roof. A few points to know:

• Your policy decides. Some policies treat purely cosmetic damage to metal differently. Read your policy or ask your agent.
• The deductible is yours to pay. The Texas Department of Insurance points out that state law makes it illegal for contractors or roofers to offer to waive your deductible or promise a rebate for it, and insurers may ask for proof that you paid it.
• Replacement is often all or nothing on a run. Seamless gutters cannot be patched invisibly. If one section of a run is badly dented, the whole run is usually replaced so it matches.

An installer can measure the gutters, photograph the damage and give you a written estimate for replacement. Your insurer decides what is covered.

Step 4: Avoid the storm-chaser traps

After a big storm, out-of-town crews often go door to door. Some do good work, many do not, and a few disappear with deposits. The Texas Department of Insurance notes that Texas does not require state-level licensing for roofers and general contractors, so it is up to homeowners to check them out. Wherever you live:

• Get the company’s full name, local address and phone number, and look up reviews that go back more than one storm season.
• Ask for proof of liability insurance and, where your state requires it, a license or registration number.
• Get a written, itemized estimate: linear feet, gutter size, gauge, number of downspouts, hanger type and removal of old gutters.
• Do not sign anything that assigns your insurance benefits to the contractor without reading it carefully.
• Do not pay in full before the work is done.

Step 5: Repair or replace?

Small, shallow dents that do not change the slope or open the seams are cosmetic. The gutter still works. Replacement makes sense when:

• Dents are deep enough to trap water or debris, or change the slope
• Seams or corners leak after the storm
• Downspouts are crushed and restrict flow
• Sections sag or have pulled loose
• The roof is being replaced anyway, so new gutters can go up on the new drip edge

If you replace, consider upgrades while you are at it. Heavier-gauge aluminum or steel dents less easily than thin stock. In storm-prone areas, 6-inch gutters with 3x4-inch downspouts handle heavy spring rain better. Guards add weight and cost, but they also protect the gutter channel from filling with hailstones and debris. See 5-inch vs. 6-inch gutters.

Common mistakes after a hailstorm

• Waiting too long to file. Insurers expect prompt notice, and damage gets harder to connect to a specific storm as time passes.
• Climbing the roof yourself. Wet shingles and damaged gutters are a fall risk. Most gutter damage can be documented from the ground.
• Signing the first contract at the door. Take a day, get a second written estimate, and check the company’s track record.
• Replacing the roof but keeping bent gutters. Reinstalling dented gutters on a new drip edge rarely looks or drains right.
• Forgetting the downspouts. Crushed elbows restrict flow. Make sure they are on the estimate.

What replacement typically costs

Published figures for orientation only, not quotes.

For local details see gutter installation in Dallas, Fort Worth, Oklahoma City and Denver.

Sources

• FenderBender: Texas leads nation in claims for hail damage (NICB data)
• Stormer Site: hail reports near Fort Worth (NWS storm reports)
• Texas Department of Insurance: After hail or windstorms
• HomeGuide: Seamless gutters cost
• Angi: How much does gutter installation cost in Dallas, TX?
• Angi: How much does gutter guard installation cost in Dallas, TX?
• HomeGuide: Gutter installation in Fort Worth, TX