After a hailstorm, most St. Louis homeowners walk outside, see the shingles still on the roof, and assume they got lucky. Sometimes that's true. Often it isn't. Hail damage on an asphalt shingle is a bruise, not a hole: the impact knocks the protective granules loose and crushes the mat underneath, and the leak shows up two or three winters later when that spot finally cracks.
From the ground, look for the easy tells first. Dents in aluminum gutters, downspouts, and window screens. Chipped paint on the deck rail or the mailbox. Shredded leaves and small branches everywhere. If the soft metals around the house took hits, the roof did too.
On the roof itself, hail damage looks like dark, roughly circular spots where the granules are gone, often with a slightly soft feel underneath. Wind damage from the same storm looks different: creased shingles, lifted tabs, and missing pieces on the edges and ridge.
The reason to get an inspection quickly is the insurance clock. Most policies give you a limited window to file a claim after a storm date, and an inspection report with dated photos is what makes the claim straightforward. We do these inspections free across Missouri and Illinois, and we'll tell you honestly if the roof is fine.