Short answer
Before storm season, get a professional inspection with dated photos, clean the gutters, trim branches back from the roof, secure loose yard items, and review your insurance policy. Preparation won't make a roof hail-proof, but it eliminates the preventable failures — and gives you dated documentation if you ever need to file a claim.
Get ahead of the season
North Texas storm season runs roughly March through June, with a fall secondary season. The best time to prepare is before it starts: a professional inspection catches lifted shingles, failing flashing, and worn sealant while there's still time to fix them calmly.
An inspection now also creates dated documentation of your roof's pre-storm condition — exactly what you want in hand if you need to file an insurance claim later. Photos with dates beat memory every time.
The pre-season checklist
Work through the basics: gutters and downspouts cleaned and flowing, branches trimmed back from the roof, loose items secured (patio furniture becomes projectiles in high wind), and attic checked for existing stains so post-storm changes are obvious.
On the roof itself — via a professional, not a DIY climb — loose or lifted shingles get resealed, exposed nail heads get sealed, and questionable flashing gets addressed. Small fixes now prevent the leaks that storms exploit.
- Professional inspection with dated photos.
- Gutters and downspouts cleaned; downspouts extended from the foundation.
- Tree branches trimmed back from the roof surface.
- Loose yard items secured before wind events.
- Attic checked for pre-existing stains (your 'before' baseline).
- Insurance policy reviewed: deductibles, filing windows, covered perils.
During and after the storm
During the storm, stay inside and stay away from windows — roofs are the roofer's job later. After it passes, do a ground-level check: shingles or debris in the yard, dented gutters, new ceiling stains. Photograph everything with dates.
If hail was significant, schedule a professional inspection within days. Fresh hail damage is easiest to document, insurance filing windows are finite, and bruised shingles deteriorate — early action protects both the roof and any potential claim.
What preparation can't do
Be realistic: no preparation makes a roof hail-proof. Large hail damages even well-maintained roofs. What preparation does is eliminate the preventable failures — the lifted shingle that becomes a torn-off section, the clogged gutter that becomes a foundation problem, the undocumented roof that becomes a disputed claim.
Frequently asked questions
The main severe-weather season runs roughly March through June, when hail and high winds are most common. There's typically a secondary storm window in the fall. Plan your pre-season inspection for late winter or early spring so repairs are done before the first big storms arrive.
No — tarping is for after damage, not before it. Pre-storm, your effort goes further on securing loose yard items, cleaning gutters, and making sure the roof is already in good repair. A sound, well-maintained roof is its own best protection against whatever the sky does.
A professional inspection with dated photos is the gold standard — it's exactly what insurers want to see later. At minimum, take dated ground-level photos of every roof slope, and write down the roof's age, material, and any past repairs. Store everything somewhere you can actually find after a storm.
It helps in two ways. Dated pre-storm documentation makes legitimate claims smoother because the damage is easier to prove. And insurers can deny claims where neglect contributed to the loss — maintenance records are your evidence that you held up your end of the bargain.