SA roofing contractor receiving uptick in calls following hail storm

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Large hail and strong winds caused damage across Texas Saturday morning, with hail the size of golf balls and baseball raining down on parts of Bexar County.

According to State Farm, hundreds of claims were reported in San Antonio and surrounding counties. 

Anthony Ortiz, project manager for Compass Restorations, said their local company is trying to keep up with calls for free roof inspections.

“So far, I have inspected nine homes in this neighborhood,” Ortiz said, referring to an area on the north side near I-10 and Camp Bullis. 

David Olsen has lived in the neighborhood for 19 years. He said it sounded like boulders were hitting the side of his home on Saturday morning.

“I looked out the door and, oh my goodness,” Olsen said. “It was huge. I started running around looking at the sky lights and nothing was broke.” 

He saved some of the pieces of hail that were bigger than golf balls. 

Ortiz inspected Olsen’s roof for free Saturday afternoon and found hail damage, including small holes on the roof. There was also damage to his gutters and light fixtures.

“It doesn’t look like much, but if it doesn’t get fixed it can get really bad,” Ortiz said. “In my opinion, he’s going to need a new roof.”

Ortiz recommends customers file a claim with their insurance, have the insurance inspector check out the damage and get it fixed before it leads to leaks.

“Hail damage is different,” Ortiz said. “You have to get on the roof to inspect it and you have to know what you’re looking for. There’s a difference between roofers (and) contractors, and there’s a difference between adjusters. People that are certified to inspect these things should inspect them for you.”