Most storm photo files start with the shingles, the gutters and the siding. The small steel parts fixed to the roof get skipped, and they are often the first things a crew sees when they walk up. A roof jack is a bracket that holds a plank for work on the roof. A ladder bracket or ladder hook rests on the ridge or eave so a ladder can lean against the house without marking the shingles. Hail hits these parts like it hits everything else on the lot, and a dent in galvanized steel or aluminum is easy to read in a photo if you know to take it.
This page covers what hail does to these parts, what to photograph before anyone touches them, and what to ask a roofer before the crew starts. It does not cover how an insurer values the roof, because that belongs to you and your insurer. Keys documents the damage with a written scope, photos and measurements that you keep, and the crew attends the visit as the contractor.
Storm and hail
Roof jacks and ladder brackets are usually made from galvanized steel, aluminum or painted metal. The coating is thin. A hailstone that dents the metal can also crack the coating, and a crack in the coating starts rust even when the dent looks small. On a bracket, the dent often shows as a round flat spot or a shallow bowl, the same shape as a dent in a gutter. Look at the top surface where the hail struck, not only the edges.
The bigger risk is where the bracket attaches. A roof jack is fastened through the shingle courses into the deck. If hail loosens the fastener or lifts the shingle beside it, water can get under the shingle at the nail hole. That is a leak path that will not show as a stain until the next steady rain. Check the shingles immediately around each jack. Look for a lifted tab, a split near the nail, a bent flashing edge, or a fastener head that sits higher than the rest of its row.
Ladder brackets that clip over the ridge cap or the eave work differently. They press on the cap or drip edge rather than passing through the roof. Hail can bend the bracket arm, dent the cap beneath it, or crack the edge of a metal drip edge. Photograph the cap or edge under the bracket, not only the bracket itself, so the file shows what the bracket was resting on.
Timing matters in St. Louis. Hail season runs through spring and early summer, and freeze and thaw cycles through winter open small cracks in coated steel. A bracket that looked fine in June can show rust by February. That is why the photo file should be dated and should include a close view and a wide view of each part. A wide shot shows where the part sits on the roof. A close shot shows the dent or crack.
What to photograph, one part at a time
- Each roof jack, from above and from the side, with a coin or tape measure for scale.
- The shingles directly around each jack, showing whether any tab is lifted or split.
- Each fastener head at the jack, looking for backed-out nails or missing caps.
- Each ladder bracket where it meets the ridge cap or eave, with the cap visible in the frame.
- The drip edge or fascia under any bracket that rests on the eave.
- A wide shot of the roof showing how many jacks and brackets are on it.
Do not climb to take these photos. Use a ladder set on solid ground and a phone zoomed to one level. If a part is on a steep slope or out of reach from the ground, take the photo with a zoom lens from the ground, or leave it for the roofer to document on the walk. A photo taken from a ladder leaning on the gutter is not worth the fall.
What it costs
A roof jack or a ladder bracket is a small part. Replacing one usually costs far less than the trip up to the roof, which is why the bid should name the trip rather than bury it in a small line. A roofer who has to come back for a single bracket will charge a service visit. A roofer who replaces the jacks during the same visit as the shingle repair should show each jack on the scope, not fold them into a general line for accessories.
Ask each roofer whether the jacks and brackets are included in the price, and what exactly is included. A line that says "roof accessories" does not tell you how many parts are on the roof or whether each one is replaced or only reset. A line that says "two roof jacks, replaced, with new fasteners and sealant at each penetration" tells you a good deal more. The difference is a few words, and those words set what you are paying for.
Hail-damaged parts that are left alone can cause a leak later, and a leak at a jack is often blamed on the shingles. Before you pay for a repair, ask whether the flashing under the jack and the shingle beneath it were checked, not only whether the visible shingles were replaced. That check costs little when it is done during the visit, and it costs more when you have to call the roofer back in the rain.
What to ask
- Which jacks and brackets are on my roof now, and which will be removed, reset or replaced?
- Will the shingle beneath each jack be lifted and checked, or only the visible part?
- What sealant and fasteners will be used at each penetration, and will the flashing be replaced if it is bent?
- Who removes the jacks before the tear-off, and where do they go, so they do not end up in the debris pile?
- Will you photograph each jack and bracket before and after the work, and send me the files as originals?
- If a bracket is dented but still attached, will you record it in the scope so there is a written note?
Keep the answers in writing. A verbal promise that the jacks will be taken care of does not tell you whether they are reset, replaced or left as they are. If the roofer cannot put the answer in the scope, ask why. Keys Roofing can be reached at (314) 220-2333 to talk through the jack count on your roof before the visit.
Finally, keep the file. A dated set of close and wide photos of each jack and bracket, saved as the original files from your phone, shows what was on the roof before the work started. It also lets you check the finished roof against the scope. Put the date in each file name, and keep a copy somewhere other than the phone.