Had a storm in New Lenox? How to check for hail damage, file an insurance claim, and get your roof replaced.
After a hail storm in New Lenox, the damage to a roof is often invisible from the ground. This guide explains what to look for, how hail affects the kinds of roofs found in New Lenox, and how the insurance process works.
New Lenox homes at a glance
New Lenox is a few minutes from our Manhattan office. The older part of town near Route 30 and Cedar Road has ranches and split-levels from the 1960s and 1970s, and the rest is mostly 1990s and 2000s subdivisions with larger brick-front two-story homes.
Will County has seen repeated hail in recent years. If neighbors on your New Lenox street have had roofs replaced, a free inspection will tell you whether yours was hit too.
How hail affects different New Lenox roofs
In the older part of town near Route 30 and Cedar Road, look closely at ridge caps and at the shingles around vents and skylights, which fail first. Aluminum soffit, fascia and old gutters on these homes show dents clearly and help prove the size of the hail.
In the subdivisions built through the 1990s and 2000s, many still have the original builder shingle, which is thin and now brittle with age. Hail that a new roof would shrug off can end the life of a 20-year-old one. With many slopes facing different directions, at least one usually took the storm directly.
On the larger lots with custom-built homes, large roofs have more surface to hit and more soft metal, such as copper or painted flashing, vents and gutters, to record the strikes. Claims on these roofs are bigger and more detailed, so thorough photo documentation of every slope matters.
What to check first on a New Lenox home
When a storm crosses New Lenox, whole subdivisions get new roofs over the following months. If roofers are working on your street and nobody has looked at yours, get it inspected. Homes of the same age and orientation usually have the same damage, and policies set a deadline for filing.
What to check from the ground
- Dents in soft metal. Gutters, downspouts, roof vents, mailbox, the fins on the air conditioner.
- Torn window screens and chipped paint on the side the storm came from.
- Granules washed into the gutters and piled at the bottom of downspouts.
- Dings or cracks in siding, especially vinyl.
If you see two or more of these, the roof needs to be looked at up close. Please do not climb up yourself.
What hail damage looks like on shingles
A hail strike knocks granules off and bruises the mat underneath. The spot looks like a dark, round mark and feels soft when pressed, like a bruise on an apple. It may not leak right away. Over the following seasons the exposed asphalt dries out and cracks, and that is when the leaks begin, often after the claim deadline has passed.
How the insurance claim works
- Get an inspection. We inspect for free and photograph every slope.
- File the claim. You call your insurer and report the storm date. Many policies set a deadline for filing, often one year from the storm, so check yours.
- Adjuster meeting. We meet the adjuster on your roof and walk through what we documented.
- Scope and approval. We review the insurer's estimate so it includes everything the roof needs to be replaced properly.
- Replacement. On an approved claim your cost is normally your deductible plus any upgrades you choose.
Be careful with out-of-town crews that knock on doors after a storm. Our post on storm chasers vs local contractors explains what to watch for.
Permits in New Lenox
Permit rules are set by the Village of New Lenox. We check what your project needs and pull the permit when one is required. See our New Lenox page for this service, or the same guide for Frankfort.
Common questions
Call (331) 250-3726 or request a free consultation in New Lenox.