Hail Season in Indianapolis: What Every Homeowner Should Do Before and After a Storm

If you own a home in the Indianapolis metro, hail is not a maybe — it is a schedule. The National Weather Service logs significant hail events in Marion, Hamilton, and Hendricks counties nearly every spring, with the heaviest activity between early April and late June. Stones of one inch or larger are common, and two-inch hail shows up somewhere in the metro most years. One inch is roughly the threshold where asphalt shingles start taking real damage.

Before the storm

Start with documentation while the roof is healthy. A dated inspection report with photos — even one from your phone taken from the ladder line and the ground — establishes a baseline. If your roof is over ten years old and has never been inspected, schedule one before April; small failures like cracked pipe boots become leaks the first time hail knocks them loose. Trim branches overhanging the roof, and make sure gutters are clear so storm water has somewhere to go.

Immediately after

Walk the property, not the roof. Photograph dented gutters, downspouts, mailbox tops, AC fins, and any shingles on the lawn — soft-metal dents are the cleanest evidence of hail size. Note the date and time; your insurer will match it against storm reports. If you see interior water, contain it and call for emergency tarping before you do anything else.

The inspection and the claim

Get a documented roof inspection before you file, not after. A proper hail report includes test squares on each slope, bruise counts, and photos of the soft-metal evidence. Filing with that in hand is very different from filing blind and hoping the adjuster finds damage. Indiana gives you time on hail claims — typically at least a year under most policies — so there is no reason to rush, and no reason to wait until interior damage appears either.

What to avoid

Storm-chaser crews flood Indianapolis neighborhoods within 48 hours of any major hail event. The pattern is predictable: free inspection, pressure to sign an assignment-of-benefits contract on the spot, a crew from out of state, and a phone number that stops working by fall. Never sign anything at the door, never hand over your insurance paperwork, and always verify a local address and Indiana insurance certificates.