Denton's hail record
Denton is the Denton County seat, founded in 1857 to be exactly that, and Census estimates show it growing from about 139,900 residents in 2020 to about 169,400 in 2025. Its roofs range from older houses near downtown and the two university campuses to subdivisions finished last year, and the storms don't care which is which. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 40 reports of hail 1.75 inches (golf-ball size) or larger within about 10 miles of Denton from 2016 through the September 2026 update. The ones closest to town:
- April 11, 2016: the big one for Denton. NOAA lists 4-inch hail in Denton under two miles from the center of the city, 2.75-inch hail near Mayhill and 2.5-inch hail about half a mile from the center of the city, plus three more golf-ball-size reports around town the same night.
- May 24, 2020: 2-inch hail at two spots in Denton, both under two miles from the center of the city.
- March 26, 2017: 4.25-inch hail near Corinth, about five miles south.
- May 10, 2021: 4-inch hail near Ponder, on the west edge of that ten-mile circle.
- June 15, 2023: 5.9-inch hail near Sanger, right at the north edge of the circle, the largest hail NOAA lists anywhere in Denton County from 2016 through the September 2026 update.
- Smaller hail keeps coming: 1.25-inch hail about two miles from the center of the city on September 21, 2023, and 1-inch hail in Denton on June 2, 2024 and May 6, 2025.
Hail that size can bruise shingles in ways you can't see from the yard, and bruised shingles are often where leaks start a year or two later.
Tornadoes and straight-line wind in Denton
NOAA's event narratives show how wind does its damage here:
- April 30, 2019, EF-1 tornado. It formed on the east side of the Texas Woman's University campus, uprooted large trees along the TWU golf course, crossed University Drive and ran northeast through heavily wooded neighborhoods in northeast Denton before ending near Sherman Drive (FM 428) and Hartlee Field Road. Most of the 2.9-mile track was EF-0 damage (60 to 75 mph), with spots of 85 to 90 mph. NOAA notes that large trees falling on homes and vehicles caused much of the property damage.
- April 17, 2019: the Denton airport measured a 74 mph gust, and metal roofs were torn off three buildings at UNT's Rafes Urban Astronomy Center next to it.
- May 28, 2024: Guinn Hall at TWU recorded an 83 mph gust, and trees came down around downtown Denton.
- June 3, 2025: part of a warehouse roof and wall collapsed near Highway 380 and Western Boulevard.
- September 5, 2025: Denton Enterprise Airport recorded a 75 mph gust, damaging a hangar and several small planes. On September 21, 2025, a 68 mph gust was measured at TWU.
In Denton's older, tree-lined neighborhoods, a storm inspection isn't only about hail. We look for limb strikes, punctured decking, cracked rafters and torn flashing where branches came down, and we photograph the inside of the attic where something hit.
After a storm: what to do first
- Stay off the roof. Wet, damaged roofs are slick, and hail damage is easy to miss from a ladder anyway.
- Take your own photos of dented gutters, vents, cars, patio furniture and any water inside, with the date.
- Write down the date of the storm. Your claim runs from the date of loss, not the day you noticed the leak.
- Be careful with door-knockers. Ask any roofer for proof that they're registered with your city where it requires registration, a local office you can drive to, and a written scope before you sign anything.
- Call us for a free inspection with a photo report. We answer storm and leak calls 24/7, so call (817) 733-9228 any time.
What our storm inspection covers
We get on the roof. Hail bruising rarely shows from the yard, and a quick look from a ladder at the gutter line misses most of it. On every roof we:
- Check every slope for bruised or fractured shingles and granule loss, and photograph each hit we find
- Look at the soft metals (vents, gutters, downspouts, flashing) for dents that show how big the hail was and which way it came from
- Check the ridge, hips and starter course, where wind damage usually starts
- Look for creased, lifted or missing shingles and loose metal trim after high wind
- Check flashings, pipe boots and every penetration
- Go into the attic and check the decking wherever we see leak stains
Every inspection comes with a free digital photo report, so you see what we see. An inspection usually takes 15 to 45 minutes, and you only need to be home if there are leaks inside. If the roof is fine, we'll tell you so, and the report is yours to keep either way.
How a hail or wind claim works with us
- Stop the water. If the storm opened the roof, we tarp it or make a temporary repair. Tarping is priced by size, pitch and stories, and it's included in the claim when there is one. Keep your photos and receipts.
- Inspection and photo report. You see what we see before you decide anything.
- You decide whether to file. The claim is between you and your insurance company. If the damage is small next to your deductible, we'll say so.
- We meet your adjuster on the roof. We walk the slopes together and point out the damage we photographed, slope by slope.
- You get the insurer's scope. If it leaves out damage we documented, we give you the photos and measurements so you can ask your insurer to take another look. We don't negotiate with your insurer for you, and we never promise what an insurer will pay.
- The work. Our own crew does the repair or replacement, and we file the permit wherever the city requires one.
- Closeout. Many replacement-cost policies hold back part of the payment until the work is finished. We give you the final invoice and completion photos your insurer asks for.
If you file an insurance claim, we document the damage and meet your adjuster on the roof. Texas law requires you to pay your deductible, and a contractor may not waive, absorb or rebate it. We never will. In Texas you generally have 1 year from the date of loss to file; check your policy. We aren't public adjusters. We document the damage and build our scope from what we actually find.
City of Denton roof permits
Denton is one of the strictest cities around on roof permits, and the rules help you after a storm. Per the city's roofing page:
- Every residential roof or re-roof needs a permit, a rule in effect since June 1, 2022. It has to be applied for and issued before work starts, including tear-off, and only contractors registered with the city as general contractors can pull it, online through eTRAKiT or at the Development Service Center at 401 N. Elm St.
- The permit is posted where it can be read from the street. If a crew is tearing off a roof in Denton with no permit in the yard, ask why.
- Decking is a separate permit. If any decking is replaced, which is common where a limb came through, the city requires a Residential Alteration permit, with deck thickness sized to the 2021 International Residential Code.
- The final inspection includes the attic. The inspector checks deck thickness and vent connections inside, then the drip edge, flashing and vents outside, and the site has to be cleaned of debris.
- Damaged, rusted or deteriorated vents and flashing must be replaced, exhaust vents need dampers and screens, and drip edge is required on shingle roofs.
- Solar panels: if panels come off and go back on during the re-roof, an electrician has to be listed on the permit.
- Changing materials, such as going from shingles to metal after a storm, requires a plan review with the manufacturer's specifications before the permit is approved. We submit them with the application.
We're registered with the city, we file in eTRAKiT, post the permit, and leave the attic access clear for the final. If decking has to be replaced after a limb strike or rot, we file the Residential Alteration permit with it so the job isn't held up halfway.
Replacing a storm-damaged roof in Denton: your options
A storm replacement is the one time a lot of owners get to choose a better roof than the one the builder put on. Here's what we install:
| Option | Why owners pick it after a storm |
|---|---|
| Class 4 impact-rated shingles | The highest UL 2218 impact class, a familiar look most HOAs approve, and it may qualify for an insurer credit |
| Standing seam metal | Won't crack, curl or lose granules; hidden fasteners; 24 or 26 gauge panels formed on our own roll formers |
| Stone-coated steel and metal shingles | Steel underneath with a shake, shingle or tile look from the street |
| Designer shingles | Slate or shake looks on larger homes, Class 3 impact rating or better |
| R-panel or PBR | Shops, barns, carports and outbuildings that took hail or lost panels in the wind |
Every shingle roof we install is Class 3 impact-rated or better, with Class 4 available. No roof is hail-proof, and very large hail can dent steel, but metal usually keeps shedding water after storms that ruin shingles. More on metal in Denton: metal roofing in Denton and standing seam in Denton.
Texas insurers must offer a premium credit for UL 2218 impact-rated roofs, but each company sets its own amount, and Class 4 earns the largest. We can't promise a discount; ask your insurer for their figure in writing. After a qualifying install we fill out TDI Form PC068 for you. See the Texas impact-resistant roof discount.
Business or church roof damaged? See commercial roofing in Denton; we inspect and document flat and low-slope roofs the same way.
Replacement day
- Property protected: tarps over landscaping, and the driveway and pool covered as needed
- Tear-off down to the deck, with bad decking replaced and noted in your report
- Synthetic underlayment, ice and water protection in the valleys, and new flashings, vents and pipe boots
- The new roof installed by our own crew
- Magnet sweep for nails, final photos, and your workmanship warranty from 10 years up to lifetime, depending on the job
When your shingle has been discontinued
On older roofs the original shingle is often discontinued, so a patch won't match. We can make a temporary repair to stop the leak and document the discontinued shingle with photos for your claim. Many newer policies exclude matching or replacement for discontinued shingles, so check your policy. We don't deal or negotiate with your insurer.
Who handles storm damage and roof replacement in Denton?
Snow Roofing & Exteriors does. Here are the facts you can check before you let anyone on your roof:
- 75 years as a family roofing business, and 30 years in the business for owner Blake Snow, who is still on the roofs.
- Over $80 million in completed roofing projects, from small repairs to multi-million-dollar jobs.
- 5.0 stars on Google at all three offices: Bridgeport, Decatur and Rhome.
- Our own roll formers for standing seam and R-panel, in 24 or 26 gauge, with metal lead times that are typically 1 to 2 weeks.
- Our own crew, about 22 road miles (roughly 34 minutes) from Denton at our Rhome office, doing the tear-off and the new roof.
- Snow Roofing & Exteriors is BBB A+ rated.
More reading: hail damage in Denton: inspections, photos and insurance claims. See also our Denton roofing page, metal roofing in Denton, standing seam in Denton, and storm damage in nearby Corinth and Krum.
Residential warranty: a workmanship warranty from 10 years up to lifetime, depending on the job, with manufacturer warranties up to lifetime. Manufacturer coverage depends on the product and brand, and on the project qualifying for that manufacturer's program. We put the exact warranty for your roof in writing.
Certified, with 30 years installing every major roofing brand, a family roofing business going back 75 years, and over $80 million in completed roofing projects. 5.0 stars on Google at all three of our offices.
Request a free inspection or call (817) 733-9228. Small repairs are welcome too.
