Four hailstorms affected 249,000 homes in 2025. If you’re in one of these ZIP codes, your insurance claim window could close this summer.
Between July and August 2025, four significant storms rolled through El Paso County. Some dropped hail the size of golf balls. Others dropped smaller stones that did damage most homeowners still haven’t found. Either way, the insurance clock started ticking the day each storm hit.
The tricky part? Hail damage to asphalt shingles is often invisible from the ground. You won’t see a leak until months later. But by then, your claim window may be gone.
This guide covers which storms hit Colorado Springs last summer, which ZIP codes were in the path, what damage signs to look for, and how to file a hail damage insurance claim before your deadline expires.
Four Storms Hit Colorado Springs in 2025. Was Your Home in the Path?
Storm 1: July 4, 2025 — ZIP Codes 80920 & 80840 | ~1″ Hail | ~27,000 Homes
A July 4th storm sent 1-inch hailstones through northern Colorado Springs, hitting the Briargate corridor (80920) and the Air Force Academy area (80840).
One inch doesn’t sound like much, but it’s large enough to knock granules off your shingles and dent your gutters. Most of that damage won’t be obvious until a professional gets on your roof and looks.
Storm 2: July 7, 2025 — ZIP Codes 80906, 80905 & 80904 | ~2″ Hail | ~166,000 Homes
Three days later, the season’s worst storm hit the central and southwest parts of the city. Two-inch hailstones tore through the Broadmoor area (80906), downtown-adjacent neighborhoods (80905), and Old Colorado City (80904).
This single storm affected an estimated 166,000 homes. At that size, hail cracks seals, breaks tiles, and hammers gutters, siding, and every exposed metal surface on your exterior.
If your home is in one of these three ZIP codes and you haven’t had your roof inspected, this is the storm most likely responsible for your damage.
Storm 3: August 9, 2025 — ZIP Codes 80928 & 80808 | 1.25–2″ Hail | ~43,000 Homes
A mid-August storm swept the southeastern edges of Colorado Springs and into the Calhan area. Hail ranged from 1.25 to 2 inches. Many homes in these rural and semi-rural corridors took a hit.
Storm 4: August 24, 2025 — ZIP Codes 80911, 80906 & 80916 | 0.5–1″ Hail | ~13,000 Homes
The final storm of the season brought smaller hail to ZIP codes 80911, 80906, and 80916. Smaller hail still accelerates granule loss and weakens shingle seals, especially on roofs that were already stressed from the July 7 storm weeks earlier.
What Are the Claim Deadlines, and Have Any Already Passed?
Now here’s why all of that matters: the clock on each of those storms started the day they hit.
Most homeowners insurance policies allow approximately 365 days from the date of the storm to file a hail damage claim. Some policies require claims within just six months, while others allow slightly more than a year.
While Colorado state law generally allows a two-year window to file a lawsuit for property damage, many insurance companies have much shorter internal deadlines. Some require claims within a year or even as little as six months. Missing this internal deadline can lead to an outright denial, regardless of the claim’s validity.
Here’s what those deadlines look like for each 2025 storm:
| Storm Date | ZIP Codes | 6-Month Deadline | 12-Month Deadline |
| July 4, 2025 | 80920, 80840 | Jan 4, 2026 | July 4, 2026 |
| July 7, 2025 | 80906, 80905, 80904 | Jan 7, 2026 | July 7, 2026 |
| August 9, 2025 | 80928, 80808 | Feb 9, 2026 | August 9, 2026 |
| August 24, 2025 | 80911, 80906, 80916 | Feb 24, 2026 | August 24, 2026 |
Every major carrier handles deadlines a little differently. State Farm typically allows a 2-year filing window; Allstate enforces a 1-year deadline with strict “prompt notification” language; Farmers has a 180-day preferred window; and USAA uses a “reasonable time” from date of discovery standard.
Your single most important next step: pull out your policy’s declarations page (the summary sheet at the front of your policy) and find the storm damage filing deadline. If you can’t find it, call your agent today.
How to Tell If Your Roof Was Damaged
No leak doesn’t mean no damage. That’s the part that catches most homeowners off guard.
Hail damage, especially from storms under 2 inches, hides inside your shingles. Seals crack. Granules wash off. The underlayment bruises. None of it shows up as a drip in your ceiling right away. But six months from now, when water finds the weak spot, your claim window may already be closed.
What You Can Check From the Ground
You don’t need to climb on your roof to gather useful information. Walk the perimeter of your home and look for:
- Dented or dimpled gutters and downspouts — if hail was hard enough to dent aluminum, it damaged your shingles too
- Granules in your downspout drainage or flower beds — that dark, sandy material is the protective coating washing off your roof
- Damage to window screens, patio furniture, or your AC condenser — collateral damage here confirms hail size and impact force
- Chipped paint or spatter marks on wood fascia — an easy-to-miss indicator that’s often right at eye level
Other signs that hail damaged your roof include dings, dents, and spatter marks on roof vents, gutters, roof flashing, and other roof penetrations.
What Only a Roofing Professional Will Find
Hail damage can show up as missing granules, bald shingles, dents, holes, or soft, spongy bruised areas on the shingle itself. On older roofs, impacts may also cause shingles to crack, break, or shear off completely.
A licensed roofer will also probe for bruised underlayment. That’s damage you can feel but can’t see. They’ll check metal roof vents and pipe boots for circular dings, gutters and downspouts for dents and separated seams, and flashing around chimneys and skylights for warping or dislodgement.
This is exactly why a free professional inspection before filing is always the right move. You want to know what you’re dealing with before you open a claim.
How to File a Hail Damage Insurance Claim in Colorado Springs
Step 1: Get a Free Roof Inspection First
Most local roofers will do a free hail damage inspection of your roof and home exterior. Start here. A local roofer can reach you much faster than an insurance adjuster, who may be booked weeks out after a major storm. You also don’t want to file a claim without confirmed damage, as a claim with no findings can negatively affect your policy status with some carriers.
A good roofing contractor will also tell you honestly whether the damage meets the threshold for a legitimate claim. That protects you from unnecessary claim activity on your record.
Step 2: Document Everything Before You Call
Document everything with clear photos and videos, a detailed list of damaged items, and receipts for any temporary repairs. This evidence forms the backbone of a successful claim and is essential for disputing an insurer’s assessment later.
Photograph your gutters, your roofline from multiple ground angles, any dented metal surfaces, and any interior water staining. Save local weather reports from the storm date. These help establish the event if the adjuster pushes back.
Step 3: File and Get a Claim Number Right Away
Contact your insurance company as soon as possible. Many insurers have specific timelines within which a claim must be filed. Be prepared to provide details about the damage and the documentation you’ve gathered.
Getting a claim number immediately matters. It timestamps your notification of loss, and that timestamp protects you if there’s ever a dispute about whether you reported promptly.
Step 4: Have Your Roofer Present at the Adjuster Visit
Your insurance company will send an adjuster to inspect the damage and estimate repair costs. Don’t let that visit happen without your roofing contractor present.
Experienced roofers know exactly what hail damage looks like at a granular level. They catch things adjusters miss, like bruised underlayment, cracked pipe boot flashing, granule loss patterns that indicate impact vs. normal wear. Having that second set of expert eyes on-site can be the difference between a complete scope and an underpaid one.
Step 5: Review the Scope of Damages Before You Sign Off
If your claim is approved, the adjuster will issue a scope of damages. This is a document listing the repairs the insurance company will pay for. This typically takes 1–2 weeks after the inspection.
Have your contractor review it line by line before you authorize any work. Supplement claims, i.e. where additional damage is identified after the initial scope, are common and legitimate, but they’re far easier to pursue before repairs begin than after.
What to Know About Your Hail Deductible
Before you file, find the wind/hail deductible on your declarations page. It may surprise you.
Many policies now list a separate deductible specifically for hail and wind events. It’s calculated as a percentage of your home’s insured value. Some homeowners discover their hail deductible is 1%, others find it as high as 2% or more.
Here’s what that looks like in practice: if your home is insured for $400,000 and your hail deductible is 2%, you’re responsible for the first $8,000 in repairs. Knowing that number before you file helps you make a financially informed decision.
One more thing worth knowing: hail-related claims drive 55–70% of homeowners insurance costs statewide. There’s a growing trend of carriers nonrenewing or denying coverage for homes with older roofs, particularly those 15–20 years old. If your roof is aging, acting sooner protects both your claim and your future insurability.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a hail damage insurance claim in Colorado?
It depends on your policy. The most common deadline is 12 months from the storm date, though some carriers require claims within just six months. Colorado state law allows two years to file a lawsuit but your insurer’s internal deadline is what controls whether your claim gets approved.
What size hail causes roof damage?
Damage can begin at hail as small as 3/4 inch, but severity increases quickly with size. At 1 inch, bruising to shingle underlayment and damage to gutters and siding becomes common. A quarter-inch beyond that and the damage escalates significantly, even without wind. You can verify historical hail size and storm reports for your address using NOAA’s severe weather database.
Will filing a hail damage claim raise my insurance rates?
Colorado law prohibits carriers from raising individual rates for weather-related claims. However, area-wide rate increases can affect everyone, and not filing a legitimate claim to “protect your rates” often results in denied coverage when the damage worsens later.
What if I didn’t know about the storm and found damage later?
It’s common for homeowners to discover hail damage months after a storm. If your policy deadline has passed, the insurer may deny the claim, even if the damage is clearly storm-related. At that point, you’re typically responsible for the full cost of replacement. This is why inspections after known storm events matter, even when you see nothing obvious from the ground.
Can I still file a claim if my roof is older?
Yes, but expect depreciation to reduce your payout. Older roofs receive actual cash value rather than full replacement cost in many policies. Some carriers are also moving toward non-renewal for roofs over 15–20 years old. An inspection will tell you what coverage you can realistically expect.
What if my claim is denied or the payout seems too low?
Don’t accept the first number as final. You have the right to request a re-inspection, hire a public adjuster, or invoke the appraisal clause in your policy. A roofing contractor experienced in insurance restoration can help you identify whether a supplement or formal dispute is worth pursuing.
The Bottom Line
Your roof took a hit last summer. You may not know it yet — but that doesn’t mean the damage isn’t there, and it doesn’t stop your claim deadline from running.
If your home is in ZIP code 80920, 80840, 80906, 80905, 80904, 80928, 80808, 80911, or 80916, it was in the direct path of at least one significant 2025 hailstorm. A free inspection is the only way to know what your roof is actually dealing with before your window to file closes.
Kimberlin Family Roofing has helped Colorado Springs homeowners navigate hail damage insurance claims through some of the worst storm seasons this region has seen. We offer free roof inspections, attend adjuster meetings with you, and review your scope of damages line by line so nothing gets missed and your claim reflects the full extent of what your home sustained.
The 12-month deadlines for last summer’s storms run through July and August 2026. Don’t wait for a leak to tell you what an inspection would have caught months ago.
Schedule your free hail damage inspection with Kimberlin Family Roofing.
