Hail damage to commercial and low-slope roofs

The adjuster who inspects your roof is hired and paid by the insurance company.

They walk the membrane, see a surface that reads as sound, and ask a question you have no reason to know the answer to: this looks like foot traffic and ageing to me — where is the hail?

That question is the whole claim, and on a low-slope roof the answer is rarely on the surface. It is in the layers underneath, which is what a test cut is for. Knowing that, opening it, and defending it when the answer is challenged is what a licensed public adjuster does.

Two things worth knowing before you call. Your deductible is yours to pay on any claim, whether or not you have help with it. And the fee for that help is set in writing before any work begins.

Hail damage to a membrane or built-up roof presents nothing like damage to shingles. Bruising, membrane fracture and crushed insulation are frequently invisible from the parking lot and sometimes from the roof surface itself, which is why commercial hail claims are so often closed as no damage found by an inspection that never left the perimeter.

Assessment is destructive, or it is guesswork

Establishing hail damage on a low-slope roof generally means test cuts, moisture survey, and close inspection of penetrations, flashings and rooftop equipment. A visual walkover records what is obvious and misses the rest, because the damage that matters is in the layers beneath a surface that can look intact.

Rooftop mechanical units, condenser fins, vents, gutters and coping are often the clearest evidence available, and they are frequently omitted from a first estimate entirely.

The scope items nobody writes first time

Commercial claims run on a different scale than residential ones, and the difference is mostly in the items around the roof rather than the roof itself: code upgrade requirements triggered by the extent of the work, tapered insulation, rooftop equipment, and business interruption while the work happens.

Each of those is a line that either appears in the scope or does not. None of them appear by default.

Why the economics differ

Illinois caps public adjuster compensation on residential property. Commercial property is not capped the same way, and commercial claims are typically larger and more contested, which means both sides bring more resources to the scope argument. Knowing that before the first inspection changes how you prepare for it.

Your claim clock

Illinois sets no statutory deadline for filing. The limit is your policy's suit limitation clause, commonly about one year from the date of loss, and your policy's terms control. Under 215 ILCS 5/143.1 that period is suspended between your proof of loss and a formal denial.

Common questions

The roof looks fine and it is not leaking. Is there a claim?

Possibly. Hail can fracture a membrane or crush the insulation beneath it while leaving a surface that looks sound from above, and the leak arrives later — often long after the policy's limitation period has run. A roof that is not leaking today is not evidence that the storm did nothing.

What is a test cut and do I need one?

A small removed section of the roof assembly that shows what the layers underneath actually look like. It is the standard way to establish hail impact on a low-slope roof, and it is difficult to argue scope credibly without one or more of them.

Does business interruption apply to a roof claim?

It can, if the damage or the repair interrupts operations and your policy carries the coverage. It is a separate part of the policy from the property damage itself and is frequently overlooked when the focus is on the roof.

How long do I have on a commercial policy?

The suit limitation clause governs here too, and commercial policy terms vary more than residential ones. Read your own policy. Filing a proof of loss suspends the period under 215 ILCS 5/143.1 until the carrier denies.

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Sources: Where these statements come from