How to document hail damage for a Texas homeowners insurance claim

Why documentation matters before you call your insurer

Once you file a claim, the adjuster's inspection becomes the primary record of your damage unless you have your own. If your documentation only exists as scattered phone photos with no organization, you are relying entirely on the adjuster's assessment for what gets covered. Building your own room-by-room and exterior record first means you walk into that inspection with a record that matches, or challenges, what the adjuster finds.

This is general information, not legal or insurance advice, and not public-adjuster services. Confirm your policy's specific terms and any deadlines with your insurer and, where it matters, your own attorney or licensed public adjuster.

What to photograph and how

• Roof: Each slope separately, with wide shots showing the full slope and close-ups of individual impact marks. Include a reference object (a coin or chalk circle) in close-ups for scale if you have one.
• Siding, gutters, windows and screens: Every elevation of the house, plus close-ups of dents, cracks or holes.
• Outdoor property: HVAC condenser fins, fencing, vehicles, and any detached structures.
• Interior: Any ceiling stains, water intrusion or damage that followed a roof breach, room by room, with the date noted.
• Date and time: Most phones geotag and timestamp photos automatically; do not turn that off. It matters later if the claim is disputed.

Take photos again after any temporary repairs (a tarp, board-up) so there is a before-and-after record, and keep receipts for temporary repair materials, since many policies cover reasonable costs to prevent further damage.

Organizing what you have into an inventory

Turn your photos into a simple room-by-room and exterior inventory: location, description of the damage, and the photo numbers that support it. This does two things. It gives the adjuster a clear document to work from instead of scrolling through your camera roll, and it gives you your own record if the claim outcome does not match what you documented.

A basic inventory line looks like: "Roof, north slope — hail impact marks across roughly 40% of the surface — photos 3 through 9." Keep the same structure for every area so it reads as one document, not a collection of notes.

Understanding your claim timeline

Texas has prompt-payment rules for insurance claims under the Texas Insurance Code (generally discussed as chapter 542), which set out general expectations for how quickly an insurer should acknowledge a claim, begin an investigation and make a decision once required documentation is received. The specific day counts and requirements can vary depending on your policy and are set by statute, so confirm exact figures against your own policy and, if you want certainty, the current statute or the Texas Department of Insurance rather than a generic checklist.

Build your own timeline anyway, even in general terms: the storm date, the date you filed, the date (if any) the adjuster visited, and the date you received a decision. If any step is taking noticeably longer than what your policy or the statute generally expects, that is worth raising directly with your insurer or the Texas Department of Insurance.

Questions worth asking your adjuster

• What specific damage did you find, and where, in your own inspection?
• What is the basis for any depreciation applied to a line item?
• Is this a replacement-cost or actual-cash-value settlement on this claim, and when does any recoverable depreciation get released?
• What is the timeline for receiving a written estimate or decision?
• If I disagree with the estimate, what is the process for requesting a re-inspection?

Self-filing versus hiring a public adjuster

	You self-file, documented	Public adjuster
Who controls the process	You	The adjuster negotiates on your behalf, for a fee
Typical cost	Your own time	Often a percentage of the claim payout
What you need	Organized documentation and a clear timeline	Less prep work from you, but you give up part of the payout

Comparing contractor estimates

If you are getting more than one contractor estimate, put them side by side in a simple table rather than three separate PDFs. Compare scope (is one contractor quoting a full roof replacement and another a repair?), materials, and total cost. A side-by-side table also makes it obvious when one estimate is missing a line item another one included, which is worth resolving before you sign anything.

Filing the claim itself

When you file, give the insurer the storm date, a summary of the damage by area, and let them know you have photos and, if applicable, contractor estimates ready to send. Ask how they want documentation submitted (their app, email, or mail) and get a claim number in writing before you hang up or close the chat. From that point forward, note every call and email: date, who you spoke with, and what was said or promised.

If you're already mid-claim

If you have already filed and the adjuster has visited, you can still build your documentation retroactively and use it as a supplement. Compare your own inventory against the adjuster's written estimate line by line. Anywhere your documentation shows damage the estimate does not address, that is the specific gap to raise, rather than a general objection that the estimate feels low. Specific, photo-backed gaps are far easier for an insurer to act on than a general dispute.