Sedgwick County gets hail almost every spring, and the storms that matter are rarely the loudest ones. A ten-minute burst of one-inch hail can bruise every shingle on the south and west slopes of a roof without knocking a single one loose — which is exactly why so many homeowners do nothing, and then discover the damage two years later when the roof starts leaking and the claim window has long closed.
1. Document the storm before you document the roof
Write down the date and rough time the storm passed. Photograph anything on the ground that shows hail size — dents in a car hood, a downspout, a grill lid, hail in your hand next to a coin. That evidence establishes that a qualifying event happened at your address, and it is far easier to collect in the first hour than to reconstruct in a month.
2. Stay off the roof
Wet shingles, hail on the surface, and the adrenaline of a storm are a genuinely dangerous combination. Everything you need to see can be documented from the ground with a phone camera and from the attic with a flashlight. Look for daylight through the decking, wet insulation, and staining on the underside of the sheathing.
3. Get an independent inspection — not a door knock
After a big Kansas hail event, out-of-state crews arrive within days. Some are legitimate. Many are gone by the time a warranty claim matters. Ask any contractor for a local address, a Kansas phone number, and proof of insurance before you sign anything at your front door.
- Ask for photographs of the actual damage on your roof, not a generic brochure
- Never sign a document that assigns your insurance benefits to a contractor
- Get the scope in writing before any work starts
- Confirm the company will still exist for the warranty period
4. File promptly — most policies have a deadline
Kansas policies commonly require that hail and wind claims be reported within one to two years of the date of loss, and some are tighter. Waiting until the roof leaks usually means waiting too long. A free inspection with photo documentation costs you nothing and tells you whether a claim is worth filing at all.
5. Protect the interior immediately if water is coming in
If water is actively entering the house, an emergency tarp is not optional — it is the difference between replacing a roof and replacing a roof plus drywall, insulation, and flooring. We answer emergency calls 24/7 across the Wichita area and can get a roof covered the same day.
If a storm has just moved through your neighborhood, call us for a free inspection. If we do not find damage worth claiming, we will tell you that plainly — an honest answer keeps you as a customer far longer than a sold roof does.