Hail Hit Garland? Here's What to Do — and When.

Yes — Garland sits in Dallas County, inside the same North Texas corridor that produces some of the country's most damaging hailstorms. A storm on May 6, 2025 dropped hail directly on Garland, pounding backyards and outdoor seating areas during a fast-moving severe weather event. More recently, a hail report near Garland on April 27, 2026 logged golf-ball-size stones at 1.75 inches. Texas led the nation in hail damage in 2025, with more than 235,000 homes affected statewide and Dallas ranking among the top metro areas for homes at risk. The same storm systems that bring damaging hail to North Texas can also spawn tornadoes — the EF4 tornado that tore through Garland and Rowlett on December 26, 2015 destroyed roughly 400 homes in Dallas County and remains a stark reminder that severe weather here is a recurring risk, not a one-time event.

Storm paths vary block to block, but home age, tree cover, and roof density shape how much damage a given part of Garland ends up documenting after a storm:

• Firewheel— Garland's master-planned community built out mainly from the late 1990s onward around Firewheel Town Center and Firewheel Golf Park. The newer architectural shingle common in this area can hide hail bruising until a leak develops months later.
• Duck Creek / Oakridge — an established area centered on the Duck Creek Golf Course and Duck Creek Trail, with mature tree cover and roofs that have been through multiple storm cycles. Older shingles here tend to show granule loss and bruising more visibly, but wind-driven limb strikes can complicate an inspection.
• North Garland — older residential pockets that in many cases operate without an HOA, meaning roof age and upkeep vary widely from one block to the next even within the same storm path.
• South Garland— home to much of the city's older housing stock. Roofs already near the end of their service life here are more likely to sustain functional damage from moderate hail than newer construction elsewhere in the city.

From the ground (safe to check):

• Dented gutters, downspouts, or AC condenser fins
• Dings on window screens, sills, or fence tops
• Dented or cracked vinyl or fiber-cement siding
• Granule loss visible in gutters or splash-down on the ground
• Damaged patio furniture, mailboxes, or vehicles — often a proxy for roof impact

On the roof (only accessible to a professional):

• Round or irregular dark spots where granules have been knocked off shingles
• Bruised shingles — soft spots that feel spongy when pressed
• Cracked or split shingles
• Exposed fiberglass mat
• Dented ridge cap or dented plumbing/attic vent stacks

1. Photograph your gutters, siding, AC unit, and any visible roof damage from the ground
2. Note the date and time of the storm (pull weather records if needed)
3. Check your attic for any daylight or moisture
4. Do not go on the roof yourself — hail-damaged shingles are fragile and slippery
5. Contact us — we'll help you get a proper inspection before you call insurance
6. Check your insurance policy for the claim filing window (usually 1–2 years, but varies)

Yes, in most cases. The City of Garland requires a building permit for roofing work valued at $2,000 or more, which covers essentially any full roof replacement. The permit application needs either a copy of the executed repair or replacement contract, or the insurance adjuster's scope of loss if the work is being done through a claim. The re-roofing permit fee is $175 (a $140 permit fee plus a $35 processing fee). Garland also requires the roofer to register as a General Contractor with the city's Building Inspection Department, supplying a driver's license and a certificate of insurance naming the City of Garland as an additional insured. Once the permit is issued, inspections are scheduled by calling the Building Inspection Department at 972-205-2300, with requests needing to come in before midnight to be scheduled for the next business day. A licensed roofer normally handles the permit as part of the job, but it's worth confirming with your contractor that it has actually been filed before tear-off starts. We don't pull permits or perform repairs ourselves; we help you understand what to ask a contractor before work begins.

Hail damage doesn't always cause an immediate leak. It weakens shingles so that the next rain or hard freeze causes the actual failure. That gap between the storm and the visible symptom is where Garland homeowners get hurt — insurers may argue the damage is old or pre-existing if you wait too long to document and report it. The right time to document is right after the storm, not after the first stain appears on a ceiling.

• Date-stamped photos of all impact points on shingles
• Granule loss measurement across the roof field
• Ridge cap, flashing, and valley condition
• Gutters, fascia, and soffit damage
• HVAC condenser and any skylight impacts
• Interior attic for moisture or penetration

Most standard homeowner policies cover hail damage as a sudden and accidental loss. The critical factors are: (1) the damage traces to a specific storm event, (2) you report it within your policy's filing window, and (3) the damage meets your policy's threshold. A professional inspection before filing gives you a documented baseline — useful anywhere in Dallas County, where hail size and storm tracks can vary from one neighborhood to the next, as the May 2025 and April 2026 storms both showed across the region. We help you understand what to photograph and what questions to ask before your adjuster arrives. We do not file claims or negotiate on your behalf — that requires a licensed adjuster.