According to the Insurance Information Institute, insurance losses related to hail damage averaged between $8 and $14 billion dollars each year from 2000 to 2019. In 2002, there were more than 4,600 major hail storms in the U.S. alone. The southern Midwest is a hotspot for these types of extreme weather, often coming at the most unexpected times.

Metal roofing is one of the best ways to keep yourself from being part of the massive percentage of homeowners filing a hail-related claim on their property each year. Just how durable are metal roofs against hail? Let’s dig in.

Types of Hail Damage to Roofs

When a hail storm occurs and a roof sustains damage, the hard pieces of hail themselves aren’t the only culprits in most cases. Sure, the icy balls can cause dents and scratches, but the really expensive hail damage is something different entirely.

Usually when a home has enough damage to file an insurance claim, the roof has sustained more damage than just a few dents. There can be a crack or tear which lets water into the home. If hail is aggressive enough, it can cause these intrusive leaks which can lead to expensive repairs to both the roof itself and the more internal parts of the home. Or maybe the roof was under so much pressure that it warped and is close to completely caving in on itself. Or perhaps the moisture from multiple severe hail storms led to rotting that compromises the structural integrity of the whole roof.

Other materials like shingles and tiles are incredibly vulnerable to these different types of hail damage. Luckily, metal roofs are more resistant to hail damage than pretty much any other roofing material out there! It won’t rot, warp, or cave in. In fact, most metal roofs last up to six decades.

Metal Roofing Materials are Made to Withstand Anything

In addition to being incredibly resilient in severe hail storms, metal roofs are made to handle pretty much any kind of natural disaster. In a hail storm, they’ll come out of it with just a few minor dents if it gets really bad, but the integrity of the roof will not be compromised. Metal roofs are the safest roofing material when it comes to things like fire, wind, lightning, tropical storms, and more!

Insurance Companies Offer Better Rates to Homes with Metal Roofs

Just how much better do metal roofs protect against hail than other roofing materials? Well, according to State Farm, “what’s over your head could lower your [insurance] costs.” The use of “qualifying impact resistant roofing products” can make you eligible for discounts on your homeowners insurance premiums! Luckily, Arkansas is a state in which these rules apply.

Insurance companies would never offer these types of discounts on rates if the materials didn’t drastically increase the integrity of a home in severe weather! Metal roofs are almost always considered “qualifying impact resistant roofing products”, but to be sure that the material you have is going to get you better prices, you should ask the professionals who instal it.

If you have a metal roof and still want insurance that will cover “cosmetic damages” such as denting, look carefully before choosing a plan. Some policies only cover structural failure like leaks. Always talk to your provider before signing the dotted line on a new plan.

Make Sure Your Metal Roof is Prepped to Handle a Hail Storm

Though metal roofing is more sound than other materials, there are a couple things you can check on to make sure your metal roof will hold up in a hail storm.

Support

The support structures that hold up your metal roof directly affect how much impact hail will have. If the supports are sturdy and evenly distributed, the amount of flex in your roof will be minimal. This means that even when hail hits the roof, dents will be hard to cause due to the stiffness of your roof. If your structure allows for flexing, dents may happen in a severe enough hail storm.

Sloping

Denting and damage from hail is less likely to occur on areas of a roof that are sloped. Flat roofs are much more susceptible to hail damage. The angle of slope on a roof directly impacts how much damage hail can cause. If a roof is more sloped, the hail will not hit with as much force, therefore causing less damage.

Now you know one of the main benefits of having metal roofing! Here in the southern Midwest, we do see some hail storms. Metal roofing can protect your home from hail and much more! This material is made to withstand anything and everything, and the insurance discounts are a nice little perk. 

Interested in saving money and boosting your home’s safety ratings with metal roofing? Talk to one of our Metal Roof Pros today and get a quote.