Hail hit your roof in Calgary, what to do in the first 72 hours
Roofing · June 18, 2026 · 6 min read
How to document Calgary hail damage, when to call your insurer, and what a legitimate roofing contractor should and shouldn't ask you to sign.
Calgary sits in Canada's most active hail corridor, and most roof claims here are lost on paperwork rather than damage. The first 72 hours after a storm decide how smooth your claim goes.
Start from the ground. Photograph dented downspouts, aluminum fascia, window screens, vents and any shingle granules washed into the eavestrough. Soft-metal dents are the evidence adjusters trust most, because they date the event.
Call your insurer and open the claim before you accept any quote. You need a claim number, the adjuster's contact and the date of loss on file. Do not let anyone tell you a contractor has to open it for you.
Get an independent inspection with photos of the actual roof plane, test squares, bruised shingles, cracked mat. A written scope with measurements lets your adjuster compare apples to apples.
Be careful what you sign. Avoid any document that assigns your insurance benefits to a contractor or commits you before the adjuster's scope exists. A legitimate quote stands on its own and doesn't need your claim signed over.
Finally, ask what impact rating the proposed shingle carries. Class 3 and Class 4 impact-rated shingles cost slightly more, survive future storms far better, and some insurers discount premiums for them.