After the Storm: A Homeowner's Checklist for Roof, Siding, and Water Intrusion Damage

The worst storm damage often isn't the obvious kind. A missing shingle or a cracked window is easy to spot. Water that slipped behind siding or into the attic can stay hidden for weeks, until it shows up as a ceiling stain or a musty smell. Use this checklist once the storm has passed and it's safe to go outside.

Safety first

• Stay away from downed power lines and anything touching them. Call your electric provider. • Don't climb onto your roof. Wet roofs are slippery, and storm damage can weaken decking. Use binoculars or your phone's zoom from the ground. • Watch for sagging ceilings, leaning trees, and loose limbs overhead. • Avoid driving through or walking into floodwater. Turn around, don't drown.

Outside: walk the whole house

Roof • Missing, lifted, creased, or cracked shingles • Dents or bruises from hail, especially on vents, flashing, and ridge caps • Granules collected at the bottom of downspouts, a sign of hail wear • Damaged or pulled-away flashing around chimneys, skylights, and vents • Debris or tree limbs resting on the roof

Gutters and drainage • Dented, sagging, or detached gutters and downspouts • Water pooling against the foundation instead of draining away • Soil washed out from around the slab or piers

Siding, windows, and doors • Cracked, dented, or missing siding • Hail spatter marks on siding, fences, and outdoor equipment • Broken glass, torn screens, or damaged window frames • Gaps around doors and windows where water could get in

Everything else • Fences, decks, and outbuildings • AC condenser fins dented by hail • Cars, mailboxes, and patio furniture with hail dents (useful evidence of hail size)

Inside: look for water that got in.

• Attic: wet insulation, damp roof decking, daylight showing through, or a musty smell. Check after rain, with a flashlight. • Ceilings: new stains, bubbling paint, or sagging drywall, especially below roof valleys and around vents. • Walls: discoloration, peeling paint, or soft spots near windows and exterior walls. • Floors: cupping or buckling wood, damp carpet, or loose tile near exterior doors. • Smell: a musty or earthy odor often means hidden moisture, even if you can't see anything.

Document it for your insurance claim.

• Photograph every item on this checklist that shows damage, wide shots first, then close-ups. • Include something for scale in hail photos, like a coin or tape measure. • Take photos of the storm itself or its aftermath, like downed limbs and hail on the ground, with dates. • Write down the date and time the storm hit. • Make temporary repairs to prevent further damage, such as tarping a roof or boarding a window, and keep receipts.

Watch out for storm chasers

After every big Texas storm, out-of-town crews show up knocking on doors. Some do fine work, but many are gone by the time a problem shows up. Red flags:

• They show up uninvited and pressure you to sign today. • They want a large payment up front before any work starts. • They offer to "cover" or waive your insurance deductible. This is illegal in Texas. • They offer to handle your insurance claim for you. In Texas, only licensed public adjusters can negotiate claims on your behalf. • They have no local address, local references, or verifiable reviews.

Take your time. A good contractor will still be there next week.

Let us take a look.

40 Acres Construction is a veteran-owned general contractor based in Boerne. We'll walk your property, document the damage with photos and measurements for your adjuster, and give you a clear, line-item repair estimate. When it's time to rebuild, we handle the permits and inspections.

We live here, we work here, and we'll be here after the storm. Hablamos Español. Not sure what the storm did to your home? Call (830) 400-4420 or request a free damage assessment.