Hail Damage Roof STL · Questions
Twelve questions after a hailstorm, answered straight
Whether it is worth filing at all, whether the roof is really damaged when nothing is leaking, what St. Louis County wants a permit for, and what happens when the adjuster says no. Short answers, with the statute cited wherever there is one.
Is hail damage always visible from the ground?
No, and it usually is not. Bruising fractures the mat under the shingle surface and granule loss strips the coating in patches the size of a thumbprint. Neither reads from a driveway, and neither leaks at first. The visible-from-the-ground version of hail damage is the top of the size range, where stones split shingles outright. Everything below that gets found by hand, on the slope, or it does not get found at all.
My roof is not leaking. Is there anything to worry about?
Possibly, and the absence of a leak is not evidence either way. The characteristic pattern with hail is that nothing happens for two to six years, then the fractured spots open under thermal cycling and the roof starts failing all at once. By that point the storm is too far back for anybody to connect the two.
How long do I have to file a claim after a hailstorm?
That is a policy question and yours will state a notice requirement, usually described as prompt notice. Separately, Missouri's limitation period for an action on a written contract is ten years under RSMo 516.110(1), and RSMo 431.030 makes a contractual clause that shortens a statutory limitation period null and void. That is a matter for a lawyer rather than a roofer, but it is worth knowing that the one year sentence in a policy is not the whole picture in this state.
Does Missouri law require my insurer to replace the whole roof so it matches?
No. Missouri has no matching statute and no matching regulation for roofs. The rule people cite governs automobile body parts. Whether matching is owed depends on your policy's wording, with Missouri appellate authority in Alessi v. Mid-Century Insurance Company, 464 S.W.3d 529 (Mo. App. E.D. 2015).
Will Keys Roofing deal with my insurance company for me?
No, and no Missouri roofing contractor may, because RSMo 407.725 bars a contractor from representing or negotiating a homeowner's insurance claim or advertising to do so. Keys documents the roof with photographs, measurements and a written scope, and is on site as the contractor when your adjuster inspects. The claim stays yours.
Somebody offered to cover my deductible. Is that allowed?
It is not. RSMo 407.725 bars a roofing contractor from advertising or promising to pay, waive, absorb or rebate any part of an insurance deductible, and a violation is an unfair practice under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act. An offer like that generally also depends on an inflated invoice going to the insurer.
What is the Missouri deductible tax credit and does it apply to me?
RSMo 135.445 created a state tax credit equal to a homestead insurance deductible incurred during the 2025 calendar year, capped at five thousand dollars and transferable, with no new credits authorised after October 15 2026. It is administered by the Missouri Department of Revenue and it is a question for a tax preparer, not for a roofing company.
Does a metal roof need looking at after hail as well?
Yes, for a different reason. Metal rarely leaks after hail, but large stones dent panels and flatten trim, and many policies carry a cosmetic damage exclusion that specifically declines to pay for dents that do not affect performance. If you have metal anywhere on the house, that clause is the one to find on your declarations page.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in St. Louis County?
In unincorporated St. Louis County a like for like asphalt replacement on a 4:12 or steeper slope generally does not require one, while a shallower slope, a material change, or replacing more than a quarter of the decking generally does. Municipalities set their own rules on top of that, and some, including Ballwin and Kirkwood, run their own contractor licensing. For St. Charles County, call the county building division about your specific address, because the published guidance is inconsistent.
Is there a Missouri roofing licence I should check?
There is no state roofing licence in Missouri. Bills to create one were filed in 2016, 2019 and 2021 and all of them failed. What you can verify is a certificate of insurance sent to you directly by the agency, a local address that predates the storm, and municipal registration where your city requires it.
What if the adjuster says there is no damage and my roofer says there is?
That happens, and it is a genuine disagreement rather than a conspiracy in either direction. What helps is documentation that is specific: test square counts by slope, dated photographs, chalked bruises, and measurements that can be checked. If it becomes a real dispute, the people who can act for you are a licensed public adjuster under Missouri chapter 325 or a lawyer. A roofing contractor is barred from that role.
What does an inspection cost and what do I get?
There is no charge for it. You get photographs organised by elevation, test square results, measurements and a written scope, and you keep all of it regardless of what you decide. If the finding is that the roof is sound, that in writing is a dated baseline for the next storm, and in this metro there will be a next storm. Call (314) 220-2333 and the office will book a time.
The one question this page cannot answer
What your insurer will decide. Every policy is written differently and anybody predicting that on a website is guessing at your expense. What is knowable is the roof, and that takes a person, a ladder, a camera and about an hour. What the inspection covers.
Still deciding
Every answer above turns on what is actually on your slopes
That part is knowable, and it takes about an hour. Photographs organised by elevation, a chalked test square counted on each slope, measurements and a written scope, and you keep all of it whichever way you decide to go.
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