When a storm damages your roof, the quality of your documentation often shapes how smoothly the rest of the process goes. Clear, dated records help you have an informed conversation with your insurance company, make it easier to compare repair estimates, and give you a complete picture of your roof’s condition.

This guide is written for Front Range homeowners who want to document storm damage the right way. It explains what to record, how a roofing contractor supports that process, and — just as importantly — where the roofing contractor’s role ends and yours and your insurer’s begins.

First, a clear note on roles

Let’s set expectations up front, because this matters. Green Slate Roofing & Siding is your roofing contractor — not a public adjuster, an attorney, or a claim representative. We inspect your roof, document its condition with photos, and explain what we find in plain language. We can also repair or replace the roof.

What we don’t do: file your claim for you, negotiate with your insurance company, or make any decisions about your coverage or payout. Those are between you and your insurer. Understanding that boundary protects you and keeps the process clean. Our insurance claims page lays out the typical flow step by step.

With that clear, here’s how to document storm damage well.

Step 1: Note the storm details

Start a simple record the moment you suspect damage:

• The date and approximate time of the storm.
• The type of weather — hail (and rough size, if you saw it), high wind, heavy rain, fallen branches.
• Any local news or weather alerts for your area that day. A screenshot of a hail or severe-storm warning for your ZIP code is useful context.

This establishes a timeline, which is one of the first things any roof condition report ties back to.

Step 2: Photograph the interior first

Before you think about the roof, document any damage inside the home:

• Water stains on ceilings and walls, with a tape measure or a common object in frame for scale.
• Damp insulation, wet decking, or water trails visible from the attic.
• Any damaged belongings, photographed before you move or discard them.

Date-stamp these if your phone allows it, and don’t throw anything away until it’s documented.

Step 3: Document the exterior from the ground

You can safely capture a lot without leaving the ground. Please don’t climb onto a storm-damaged roof — leave the roof itself to a professional.

From the ground, photograph:

• Gutters and downspouts for dents and granule buildup.
• Soft metals — vent covers, flashing, and gutters — for hail dents.
• Other surfaces that confirm hail size: window screens, the AC unit’s fins, the deck, fences, and painted trim.
• Wide shots of each roof slope, especially the sides that faced the storm.

For more on what hail does to a roof and how to recognize it, see our hail damage roof repair page.

Want the roof itself documented properly? Green Slate Roofing & Siding provides free, photo-documented inspections across the Denver metro. Call 720-537-1149 or request one online.

Step 4: Get a professional, photo-documented roof inspection

This is where a roofing contractor adds the most value. A trained inspector safely accesses the roof and documents what you can’t see from the ground: bruised shingles, fractured mats, granule loss, damaged flashing and valleys, and the condition of roof penetrations like vents and skylights.

A good inspection produces a clear set of photos and a plain-language explanation of the roof’s condition. That record becomes a useful reference whether you’re filing a claim, comparing contractor estimates, or simply keeping your own files current. Our storm damage roofing page describes exactly what our inspection covers.

Step 5: Organize your documentation

Pull everything into one place so it’s easy to reference:

• A short written timeline of the storm and when you noticed damage.
• Interior photos and video.
• Exterior/ground photos.
• The contractor’s inspection photos and condition report.
• Copies of any estimates.

A simple folder — physical or digital — keeps you organized and makes every later conversation easier.

Step 6: Contact your insurance company

With your documentation in hand, you can reach out to your insurer to understand your coverage and, if appropriate, start a claim. You file the claim; you choose whether to proceed; you decide which contractor does the work. Your insurer may send an adjuster to inspect the roof.

If you’d like, your roofing contractor can be present for that inspection to point out the documented damage and answer questions about the roof — essentially a joint walkthrough so everyone is looking at the same conditions. That’s contractor-side coordination, not claim negotiation. The decisions about coverage and payment remain between you and your insurance company.

A note on your deductible

It’s worth being clear about this: when a roof repair or replacement is covered by insurance, your deductible is your out-of-pocket responsibility. Be cautious of anyone who suggests they’ll “waive,” “rebate,” or “cover” your deductible — that’s a red flag, not a perk. A reputable contractor documents the work honestly and lets you and your insurer handle the financial side.

What good documentation gets you

• A clear, dated record of your roof’s condition after the storm.
• An easier, better-informed conversation with your insurance company.
• A solid basis for comparing repair estimates from different contractors.
• Peace of mind that nothing important went unrecorded.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need photos before I call my insurance company? It helps. Documenting the damage first — interior, exterior, and a professional roof inspection — means you walk into the conversation informed and organized. You’re not required to, but it makes the process smoother.

Does Green Slate Roofing & Siding handle my insurance claim? No. We’re your roofing contractor. We inspect, document, and repair the roof and can attend the adjuster’s walkthrough to point out documented damage. Filing the claim and all coverage decisions are between you and your insurance company.

Can you be there when the insurance adjuster inspects my roof? Yes. We can join the inspection as a joint walkthrough to show the conditions we documented and answer roofing questions. We don’t negotiate the claim — that’s between you and your insurer.

Will I have to pay my deductible? Your deductible is your responsibility on a covered claim. Be wary of any contractor who offers to waive or cover it.

Is the roof inspection free? Yes. We provide free, photo-documented roof inspections across the Denver metro and Front Range.

Document it right, then let us handle the roof

Strong documentation turns a stressful situation into a manageable one. Record the storm, photograph the damage inside and out, and get a professional, photo-documented inspection so you have a complete and credible picture of your roof’s condition.

Green Slate Roofing & Siding serves Golden and the greater Denver metro and Front Range. Call 720-537-1149 or request your free inspection online — we’ll document the roof clearly, explain what we find, and repair it right, while the claim itself stays between you and your insurer.