Spring and early summer storms roll through Benton and Washington counties every year, and most of the hail damage they leave behind never gets found. Shingles don't usually blow off; they bruise. The granules that protect the asphalt get knocked loose, the mat underneath cracks, and the leak shows up a year or two later as a ceiling stain.
Start from the ground, safely. Look at gutters and downspouts for dents, check window screens and siding for impact marks, and look at anything soft in the yard, like a grill cover or a plastic patio table, for hail-sized dimples. If those are damaged, the roof almost certainly is too.
Photograph everything with a date. Dented gutters, cracked siding, broken screens, and the hail itself if it's still on the ground. Insurers care about the date of loss, and most policies have a window for filing storm claims. A dated photo set makes the claim far easier.
Then get someone on the roof. A proper inspection checks for bruised and cracked shingles, exposed mat, dented vents and flashing, and cracked pipe boots. We document what we find with photos and mark test squares the way adjusters expect, so you have a clear picture before you decide whether to file.
If the damage is real, don't let a storm-chasing crew talk you into signing anything in the driveway. Get a written estimate from a local company that will still be here next spring. Leak Solutions & Roofing inspects storm damage for free across Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley.