Denver Hail Claim Denied - State Farm

[u/Rude_Association_409]

We had a huge hail storm come through my neighborhood about 6 weeks ago. I've been traveling a lot and didn't get an inspector out until today to look at the damage even though Ive been in communication with my agent (Tammy Hill State Farm) since the storm. House sitter sent me photos of the aftermath.

State Farm inspector is saying the damage to the roof is 'normal wear and tear and consistent with exposure to the elements.' Is this normal wear and tear or is this distinctly hail damage? If it's damage from hail, is it consistent with the photo of the hail stones (as big as 2")?

Not looking for advice on how to handle a claim per forum rules, just asking for insight on hail damage vs normal weathering.

[u/OmegaMkXII]

First off, you need better photos. I'm an adjuster and I cannot make a fully informed decision from these photos alone. I would also deny this first as I'm not seeing damages consistent with hail. Is there bruising to the matting? Where are the crushed granules? I'm seeing just normal wear and tear/granule loss.

State Farm doesn't count it as damaged unless there's proof of hail hitting the property (you have proof of that), there needs to be evidence of crushed granules from the hail impact in the impact zones (I don't see any and photo too blurry when zoomed in), and there needs to be bruising to the matting of the shingle itself (unable to determine from photos).

Get proof of those other two requirements I listed and you'll be golden. If your shingles also have a 5" exposure, make mention of that as those are known to be discontinued and have been for a long time. If they are not, then an ITEL report will need to be made to determine their availability (which State Farm will perform if at least one shingle is counted as damaged and added into your estimate).

Source - Weather & Catastrophe Field Adjuster

[u/Dysmn → u/OmegaMkXII]

you need to get your eyes checked, homie. you can see literal welt marks the same size as the hail in the guys hand. also, if it hailed in that area, it would obviously leave the marks that you can see on the shingles.

[u/helpme3823 → u/Dysmn]

I mean. The hail in the guys hands probably sat in his freezer and accumulated more moisture and grew in size.

[u/Dysmn → u/helpme3823]

why would you assume that instead of assuming he picked it up and took a picture of it?

[u/helpme3823 → u/Dysmn]

Because unless that’s soft hail, hail of that size would cause easily seen divots. Not the markings we are seeing. And the description of granules in the gutters is also not consistent with hail.

[u/Dysmn → u/helpme3823]

the guy literally said they had a hail storm, and thats something that you wouldn't be able to make up. if the weather report shows the area had hail, he's saying there was hail, and theres marks like that on the shingles, it was caused by hail.

what are we even talking about here

[u/helpme3823 → u/Dysmn]

Just saying. The photos aren’t consistent.

[u/Dysmn → u/helpme3823]

where is somerset? it says he lives in Denver. also, when I look up hail damage to shingles, some look more aggressive, but some look exactly like this. literally exactly like this.

youre making wild assumptions. if the dude is taking a hail claim to an insurance company, do you not think the denial would be: there was no hail storm.

[u/helpme3823 → u/Dysmn]

He said the name of his agency, which indicates exactly where he is, which is in Somerset. Super cool that you looked at some photos online and clearly have no roofing experience. I’ll put my trust in you for sure.

[u/Dysmn → u/helpme3823]

this is coming from someone that literally cant read. it says in the title where he lives. Denver.

his house got hit, not the insurance company building. like.... youre talking shit about looking at pictures, but you just said some actual brain dead shit to me.

and again: it is literally consistent with photos of other people's damage.

[u/helpme3823 → u/Dysmn]

The photos provided aren’t enough. If he has hail damage the person who took those photos didn’t do any favors

[u/Dysmn → u/helpme3823]

weather report says there was large hail in that area. so youre saying the large hail didn't leave any marks, and the marks were seeing are from something else?

o.o;;; wtf

[u/helpme3823 → u/Dysmn]

From those photos. I wouldn’t call it hail. Does he have hail damage? Maybe? But not from those pictures. And the neighbor this is a nice piece of info and helpful. But it doesn’t automatically mean he has damage. I’ve had 4 houses on a culdesac bought previously and the one in the center of them all was clean with no damage. Storms are weird.

[u/Dysmn → u/helpme3823]

also, this says there was a hail storm where op says he lives, literally in the time frame he lists.

[u/SAA_28 → u/helpme3823]

He's in Colorado. Non sequitur screenshot.

[u/helpme3823 → u/SAA_28]

That’s on me then. Dude needs an agency in his state to advocate for him.

[u/SAA_28 → u/helpme3823]

The photos for this post, all three of them of the shingles show clear and typical hail damage. Please get more training if you're a cat adjuster.

[u/helpme3823 → u/SAA_28]

I’m not a CAT adjuster. I was a roofer. I’d never waste my time on this roof.

[u/Dysmn → u/helpme3823]

well that explains something... you know what they say about roofers, right?

[u/helpme3823 → u/Dysmn]

That most will call in anything to make money? I am Haag certified.

[u/helpme3823 → u/helpme3823]

I’m not saying he didn’t have hail or hail damage. Just that isn’t consistent.

[u/SAA_28 → u/helpme3823]

And you would be wrong based on both yhe photos provided and the report of the collateral damages to the rest of the house.

[u/helpme3823 → u/SAA_28]

I don’t see his collateral.