HailEvidence → cosmetic damage denial
Denied as "cosmetic damage"? Start with how big the hail actually was.
A cosmetic-damage exclusion argues your roof damage is appearance-only. That argument usually leans on how severe the storm was — and the official NWS record is the same source carriers' own weather vendors read from for exactly that number.
What to check before you respond
Pull every NWS-recorded hail event near the property for the date in question: size, distance, and the forecast office's narrative. A larger recorded hail size near your address makes a functional-damage argument (punctures, stressed seams, coating failure, ponding) more plausible to raise with the carrier — though the roof's own condition is what ultimately decides functional vs. cosmetic, not the storm record alone.
NWS records are point and path observations. The absence of a nearby report does NOT prove that no hail fell at this address — it means no observation was logged nearby. A report of nearby hail documents the event; it does not by itself prove damage to a specific structure.
Start free: how big was the hail near your address?
Type a street address — or just a ZIP code. We measure it
against every hail event the National Weather Service recorded in the last 10 years and show you
how many fall within 1, 3 and 10 miles — free, instantly, nothing stored. Rural property with no street
address? Enter coordinates as 44.05, -107.31.
Address lookup by the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder. Records: NOAA NCEI Storm Events (final) plus SPC preliminary reports for storms newer than the latest compile — see methodology.
What the record can and can't settle
The record documents hail size, location and timing — it's context for a functional-damage argument, not a substitute for one. Whether your specific policy's exclusion applies, and what counts as "functional" under its wording, is a policy-reading question for your agent, state insurance department, or an attorney. The inspection — punctures, open seams, fastener stress, coating cracks — is what actually carries a dispute past the cosmetic line.
If the free lookup finds a relevant event, the full report adds the citation, exact size and distance an adjuster or engineer can check against: Standard (10yr, hail) — $29 or Extended (15yr, hail & wind, appeal letter) — $49.
Related: "no storm of record" denials · how long you have to file a claim · how to look up NOAA hail reports by address · methodology & sources.
Common questions
What does a "cosmetic damage" denial actually mean?
Many metal-roof policies carry an endorsement excluding hail damage that only affects appearance (denting, surface marks) while covering damage that affects function (punctures, broken seams, coatings that fail and let in water). The carrier's cosmetic denial is an argument that your damage falls on the appearance side of that line — whether it's right depends on the roof and the policy language, not on us.
Does the recorded hail size matter for a cosmetic-damage argument?
It's context, not proof. Softball-size hail near your address on the claimed date makes a functional-damage argument more plausible than quarter-size hail would; the official record gives you that size, distance and the forecast office's own narrative for the area. The roof itself — punctures, stressed seams, ponding — is what actually decides functional vs. cosmetic.
I didn't know I had this endorsement. Is that normal?
Common enough to be worth checking: insurers often add a cosmetic-damage exclusion at renewal on metal roofs in hail-prone areas, in exchange for a lower premium. Check your declarations page and endorsement list — whether it applies to your policy, and what it requires, is a policy-reading question for your agent, state insurance department, or an attorney.
What should I send back on a cosmetic-damage denial?
The disputed date and address, the recorded hail size and narrative near the property, and — separately — your roof inspection or engineer's documentation of the actual functional damage (open seams, fastener stress, coating failure, ponding). The weather record supports the "how big was this storm" half; it can't substitute for roof-level evidence on the "what did it actually do" half.
What if the record shows a smaller hail size than I expected?
We'll show you exactly what's on file, including a modest size, rather than round up. A smaller recorded size doesn't end a functional-damage argument by itself — it's one input among several — but it does mean you lean more heavily on the inspection and less on the storm's size.
Check the recorded hail size — $29
This page is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Sources: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (final through 2026-06-30) and NOAA SPC daily storm reports (preliminary, loaded through 2026-10-25). Methodology & sources.