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

Yes — Plano sits inside the same North Texas hail corridor that makes the Dallas–Fort Worth area one of the most hail-prone metros in the country, and the last few years show it. Collin County recorded hail up to 1.75 inches (golf-ball size) near Lavon in 2021. Storm reports around Plano in 2024 documented downed trees and light poles at Parker Road and Independence Parkway, and at Legacy Drive and Independence Parkway — a proxy for how hard those storms hit. A multi-state severe hail outbreak on May 6, 2025 tracked through North Texas with reports recorded in the Plano area, and as recently as April 27, 2026, hail up to 1.25 inches (half-dollar size) was reported here again. Hail season in Plano runs nearly year-round, with the sharpest spikes in spring.

Damage patterns vary by part of town, mostly because of tree cover and roof age:

• West Plano / Willow Bend — mature tree canopy in these master-planned communities means hail damage often arrives combined with wind-driven limb strikes, not hail alone.
• East Plano / Old Town Plano — many homes here date to the 1960s–70s. Older roofing systems have less remaining life to absorb an impact, so moderate hail can cause functional damage sooner than it would on a newer roof.
• Legacy / North Plano corridor — a mix of newer residential subdivisions and low-slope commercial roofs, where hail bruising on membrane roofing can be harder to spot than on shingles.

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, or fractured tile
• 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 Plano Building Inspections Department requires a permit for re-roof work, with a narrow exception for repairs that don't exceed 25% of the roof area. Plano's process includes a final roof inspection, which covers an attic check to confirm vent piping still runs correctly through the roof deck after the work is done. A licensed roofer normally pulls this permit as part of the job, but it's worth confirming it was filed — an unpermitted re-roof can create problems later, including at resale. We don't pull permits or perform repairs ourselves; we help you understand what to ask a contractor before work starts.

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 Plano 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 or tile
• 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 Collin County, where storm dates and hail size can vary block to block. 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.