Storm Damage Roof Checklist for Schaumburg Homeowners
Schaumburg's storm season is not one season. Hail comes April through June, straight-line wind from thunderstorms and the occasional derecho runs through September, and ice dams start in January. Each does different damage and leaves different clues. Here is the checklist to use after any of them, written for mid-September, when the summer wind season is closing and the roof has to be sound before snow.
In the first hour
- Stay off the roof. Wet shingles are slick, hail-damaged shingles are worse, and a wind-damaged roof may have loose decking. Everything on this list can be done from the ground, a window, and the attic.
- If water is coming in, put a bucket under it, poke a small hole in a bulging ceiling to let the water out before it collapses the drywall, and move what is under it.
- Photograph the storm itself, if you still can: hail on the deck next to a coin or a tape measure, the time, and the sky. Adjusters like a date and a size.
- Note the date and time. Insurers match claims to weather records; the National Weather Service Chicago office logs hail and wind reports by town.
From the ground
Hail
Hail damage on shingles is hard to see from the ground and easy to see on soft metal. Check:
- Gutters and downspouts for dents. Aluminum dents at about 1-inch hail.
- The AC condenser fins for a pattern of flattened spots.
- Window screens for tears, and painted wood trim for chips.
- Granules in the gutters and at the downspout outlets — a pile the size of a cup after one storm is a sign.
- The deck, the car, the mailbox. If those are dinged, the roof is.
Hail bruises are dark, roughly round spots where the granules were knocked off, soft to the touch. They do not leak now. They crack a year or two later, which is why a roof inspection within a few weeks of the storm matters — the claim has to be tied to the date.
Wind
Wind is the easier one to see. Walk the yard and the neighbor's yard for shingles and tabs. Look up at each slope, especially the ones facing west and south, for tabs standing up, missing shingles, and a horizontal crease line a few inches above the bottom edge where a tab folded back and lay down again. Creased shingles are broken even though they look fine from the street. Check the ridge cap, which goes first, and any satellite dish or turbine vent that may have moved.
Ice dams
A thick band of ice along the eave with icicles behind the gutter, water staining on the siding or soffit below, and a stain on the ceiling above an exterior wall. Policies often treat sudden interior damage from an ice dam differently from the underlying cause — a warm attic — so check your policy or ask your agent how yours handles it.
From the attic
Within a day of the storm, take a flashlight into the attic. Wet insulation, water trails on the rafters, daylight through the deck where a shingle is gone. Photograph all of it. The find-the-leak-from-inside post walks through the tracing.
Emergency measures
If water is coming in, a tarp is the right call, and many policies treat it as a reasonable step to prevent further damage — check yours with your agent. Keep the receipt. A proper tarp on a Schaumburg roof runs $300–$700 and should be nailed through furring strips at the top and sides, not just weighted with bricks. Do not let anyone do a permanent repair before the adjuster has seen the roof, unless the damage is photographed thoroughly first.
Before you call the insurer
Photograph the damage yourself, then get a licensed roofer to inspect and give you a written repair estimate. A careful roofer will check each slope, count hail hits and photograph creases. Then decide, with your agent, whether it is a claim. The adjuster decides what's covered; in a dispute, a public adjuster licensed by the Illinois Department of Insurance can represent you — ask your agent or an attorney. Three creased shingles on one slope is a $400 repair and not worth the claim. Hail on every slope is a replacement and exactly what the policy is for. See storm damage and insurance claims for the process.
The people who will knock on your door
Within 48 hours of a hailstorm, Weathersfield, Lexington Fields and the Hoffman Estates parcels fill with trucks offering free inspections. Some are fine. Ask every one of them for their Illinois roofing license number — licensed Illinois roofers are expected to show it on bids, contracts and ads — and check it with the IDFPR license lookup and your village's building department before you sign anything. Be wary of any roofer who offers to waive, cover or rebate your deductible — it can put your claim at risk. Ask your insurer or an attorney. The contractor questions post has the rest of the list.
Keep a storm file
One folder, paper or on your phone, with:
- Dated photos of the roof, yard, gutters, siding and any inside damage.
- The date and time of the storm, and the weather service report if there is one.
- Receipts for tarps, buckets, fans and any emergency work.
- Every written estimate, with the roofer's state license number on it.
- Notes of every call with your insurer: the date, the name and what was said.
- The claim number, once you have one.
That file is what you will reach for when the adjuster visits, and when a question comes up months later.
The rest of the house
Hail and wind that hit the roof usually hit everything else too. Look at:
- Vinyl siding on the storm-facing walls, which cracks.
- Window wraps and screens.
- Fence boards and the deck.
- The garage door, if it faces west.
- Skylight lenses and roof vents, which can crack or dent.
List these in the file even if the roof turns out fine.
The next two weeks
- Within the first week, get a licensed roofer's inspection and written estimate, with photos by slope.
- Call your insurer once you know the scope, and ask how the deductible and the timeline work.
- Keep any tarp tight, and check it after each rain.
- If an adjuster visits, you can be there; have your photos and the estimate ready.
- If you disagree with the result, ask about a licensed public adjuster or talk to an attorney.
Mistakes to avoid
- Waiting until spring to look at a roof that was hit in September.
- Letting the first person at the door start work.
- Throwing away the shingles you find in the yard. Keep a few to show what came off.
- Assuming no leak means no damage. Bruised shingles can stay dry for a year.
The checklist, short version
- Off the roof. Bucket under the drip. Photos of hail with a coin.
- Date and time.
- Gutters, AC fins, screens, trim, granules.
- Shingles in the yard, creases, ridge cap.
- Attic: wet spots, daylight, trails.
- Tarp if water is coming in. Keep the receipt.
- A licensed roofer's inspection and written estimate before the claim.
- License number on paper. No deductible deals.
Common questions
What size hail damages shingles? It depends on the shingle, its age and the wind behind the storm. Dents in aluminum gutters are a common sign the hail was big enough to matter, which is why the soft metals are worth checking first.
Should the gutters be fixed before the roof? Usually the roof first, or both together. Gutters hang at the drip edge, and new ones hung before a roof repair may have to come down again. Photograph the dents for your file either way.
Is it safe to look at the roof from a ladder after a storm? Only once the wind has dropped and the ladder sits on dry, firm ground. Look from the eave without stepping onto the shingles, and leave anything higher to a roofer.
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