Hail Season in North Texas: What to Do When a Storm Breaks Your Windows

Anyone who has lived in Dallas-Fort Worth for a few springs knows the sound. North Texas sits in one of the most hail-prone regions in the United States, and the Metroplex has taken some of the most expensive hailstorms on record. Wylie residents still talk about the April 2016 storm that dropped hail the size of softballs across the city and damaged a huge share of its homes. Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Garland, Rockwall and Fort Worth have all had their turn.

Roofs get most of the attention after a storm, but windows take a beating too. This article walks through what to do right after the hail stops, how to document the damage for insurance, and what hidden window damage to look for before the adjuster leaves.

First hours: make it safe and secure

1. Stay away from the windows until the storm passes. Hail often comes with high wind, and a cracked pane can fail without warning.
2. Keep people and pets out of rooms with broken glass. Glass fragments travel much farther across a floor than you would expect.
3. Photograph before you clean. Take wide shots of each damaged window from inside and outside, then close-ups. Include the hail on the ground next to something for scale, like a coin or a tape measure, if you can do it safely.
4. Cover the opening. Once it is safe, tape heavy plastic over the inside and board the outside with plywood if you can do it safely, or have a contractor do it. This keeps rain and animals out and prevents water damage to walls and floors.
5. Save receipts for plywood, plastic, tarps and anything you buy to protect the house. Reasonable emergency protection costs are often part of the claim.

What to photograph for the insurance claim

Adjusters are busy after a big storm, and a clear record makes the claim easier to review. Build a folder with:

• Every broken, cracked or chipped pane, with close-ups
• Dented or split window frames, sills and trim
• Torn or bent screens (screens are often damaged when the glass is not)
• Damage to the same side of the house, like siding, gutters and fences, which helps show the direction and size of the hail
• Interior damage from water or glass
• The date, and a note of the storm time if you know it

Report the claim promptly. Most policies have deadlines and duties after a loss, and waiting makes it harder to connect the damage to a specific storm. Your policy language decides what is covered, so read it or ask your agent.

Hidden window damage that is easy to miss

A shattered pane is obvious. These are not, and they are often left off the first inspection:

Cracked or failed seals

Hail impacts can break the seal around a double-pane insulated glass unit without breaking the glass. The unit loses its gas fill and starts letting moisture in.

Fogged panes

A window that starts fogging between the panes weeks after a storm usually has a failed seal. Check again a few weeks after the storm and on cool mornings, when condensation shows up most.

Dented or cracked frames

Aluminum frames dent and vinyl frames can crack or split, especially on the side of the house that faced the storm. A damaged frame may not seal or lock properly anymore.

Chips and star cracks

Small chips and star-shaped cracks can spread with heat and cold. In a Texas summer, the temperature swing on sunny glass is big enough to turn a small chip into a full crack.

Damaged glazing, weatherstripping and caulk

Hail can tear the rubber and sealant that keep water out. The window may look fine and still leak at the next heavy rain.

Repair or replace?

It depends on what failed. A single cracked pane in a sound frame can often be reglazed or have the insulated glass unit replaced. When frames are dented, seals have failed on several units, or the windows are older single-pane units, full replacement is usually the better value. If you are replacing anyway, it is a good time to upgrade to Low-E glass rated for the Texas sun. We explain what those ratings mean in Still Have Single-Pane Windows?

You can also ask about laminated glass. It holds together when struck instead of shattering into the room, which adds protection during hail season.

How TXSC works with your insurance carrier

Claims are settled between you and your carrier. Our part is making sure the damage is documented clearly and the scope is accurate. For hail-damaged windows we:

• Inspect every window on the property, not just the obviously broken ones
• Photograph and document the damage, including seals, frames and screens
• Provide a written, itemized scope for repair or replacement that you can share with your adjuster
• Coordinate with the adjuster on site when that is helpful
• Replace the windows and check the openings for water damage while they are open

We work on both residential and commercial properties, including storefronts and office windows, and we serve property managers handling claims across several buildings. For a broader look at claim documentation, see our resources page section on what to document before you file.

Before the next storm

• Know where your policy documents are and what your deductible is
• Take dated photos of your windows and the exterior now, so you have a before record
• Replace failing windows before hail season, when schedules are lighter
• Consider laminated glass for large or exposed windows

Texas Structural Concepts repairs and replaces hail-damaged windows and glass across Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Wylie, Sachse, Murphy, Rowlett, Rockwall and the rest of DFW. Learn more about our window and glass service or schedule a free inspection.