Buying a House in Colorado? Check Its Hail History Before You Close

How do I check if a Colorado house has hail damage before buying?

Short answer: Run the address through the free HailScore™ hail check to see the hail recorded near the house by date. Have your inspector check the roof for hail damage from those dates. Ask the seller for the Seller's Property Disclosure, any roof claims and the replacement date. It shows exposure, not damage; only an inspection confirms damage.

That is the whole method. The rest of this guide shows why it matters in Colorado, walks the steps in order, and gives you the questions to ask the seller and the inspector.

Why hail history matters when you buy in Colorado

Colorado hail is a matter of public record, and the record is long. Every figure in this section comes from HailScore™ open data, the press and open data page and the Colorado hail days by county table, as of November 1, 2026; both pages carry the current numbers as new NOAA records arrive.

• NOAA's Storm Events Database records 15,508 Colorado hail events since 1955, and the largest report on record is 5.25″ in diameter (HailScore™ press and open data, data as of November 1, 2026).
• Through November 1, 2026, NOAA radar had recorded 91 separate hail days across Colorado in the 2026 season, with the largest radar reading at 5.00″, radar-estimated. A hail day there is a distinct Mountain-time date with new radar readings of 1″ or larger; the radar publishes a trailing 24-hour maximum, so a date that only repeated the previous day is not counted twice, and a date needs at least one 1″-or-larger reading that nearby readings back up. Radar coverage in that count begins May 10, 2026, so Colorado hail before that date is outside it (HailScore™ press and open data, source NOAA MRMS, as of November 1, 2026).
• 56 of Colorado's 64 counties have at least one hail day on record since 1955, and El Paso County leads with 419 hail days (Colorado hail days by county, data as of November 1, 2026).
• El Paso County also leads the state with 810 recorded hail events since 2015; several reports can land on one day, which is why the table below counts hail days instead (HailScore™ press and open data, data as of November 1, 2026).

A hail day in that count is one Mountain-time calendar day with at least one NOAA Storm Events hail report of 1″ or larger filed for the county, counted once however many reports came in (Colorado hail days by county, data as of November 1, 2026). Here is how ten counties along the Front Range and the I-25 corridor compare, with each county's rank among all 64 (source):

Two limits of that table matter to a buyer. NOAA files these reports by county, so a hail day says hail was reported somewhere in the county that day, not at a particular house (Colorado hail days by county). And NOAA publishes ground reports months after a storm, so a recent storm may not be listed yet, while the radar record on each HailScore™ city page is current within hours (Colorado hail days by county). For the live statewide picture, see Colorado hail statistics.

What this means for you: on the Front Range, the question is rarely whether the house has been under hail. It is when, how big, and whether the roof you are about to buy was replaced or repaired afterwards.

The buyer's hail checklist

1. Run the address. Type it into the free HailScore™ hail check. With no signup you get the 0–100 exposure score, the storm map of nearby NOAA hail reports and the most recent hail recorded nearby; the dated event-by-event list, with an estimated hail size for each date, opens after you enter an email (no account, no payment). Write the dates down.
2. Note the dated storms. Write down each date and size. Once you have the seller's replacement or repair date (step 3), mark any storm that falls after it. That list is what you hand to the inspector.
3. Ask the seller. Request the Seller's Property Disclosure; the contract sets a deadline for the seller to deliver it. Colorado's form asks whether the seller knows of a roof leak or roof damage ever existing, not only now, and asks for the roof's age and material and whether it is under warranty, all answered to the seller's actual knowledge, so a clean roof section is a statement, not an inspection. Ask for the date of the last replacement or repair with the invoice or permit, and whether a hail claim was ever filed on the house. A C.L.U.E. report lists the insurance claims filed on a property in recent years; a buyer cannot order one, only the property's owner, insurer or lender can, so ask the seller to pull it and share it.
4. Have the inspector check the roof against those dates. Give the inspector the storm list. Ask for a roof-level look (walked, or by drone where the pitch is too steep), and for a note on impact marks on the shingles, shingles shedding their gritty surface coating (granule loss), dents in vents, flashing and gutters, and whether the roof's wear fits the age the seller stated.
5. Use the findings in your inspection objection. Colorado's standard purchase contract (the Commission's Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate, Residential) sets three inspection deadlines: inspection termination, inspection objection and inspection resolution. Before the objection deadline, put the roof findings in a written inspection objection asking for a repair, a replacement or a price adjustment. If the roof is a deal-breaker, the inspection termination deadline is the date for walking away, and delivering an objection ends that termination right. If you and the seller have not agreed in writing by the resolution deadline, the contract terminates unless you withdraw the objection first. Your agent or a Colorado real estate attorney can confirm the dates in yours.

What to ask your inspector

• Did you walk the roof or inspect it by drone, and which slopes could you not see?
• Are there hail impact marks on the shingles, and roughly how many in each area you checked?
• Are the metal parts dented: roof vents, flashing, gutters, downspouts, the fins on the air-conditioner?
• Does the roof's wear match the age and the replacement date the seller gave?
• Is there any sign of patching or a partial replacement, such as newer shingles on one slope?
• Are there other hail marks around the house: chipped paint, cracked window trim, torn screens, dents in a mailbox or fence?
• Given the dated storms, is there anything you would want repaired or replaced before closing, and do you recommend a separate roof inspection before the objection deadline?

Hail history and your homeowners insurance

Hail history also comes up when you insure the house. Insurers ask about the roof's age and material, and a property's claims history can follow it, which is why the C.L.U.E. report in step 3 is worth asking for. Ask for an insurance quote on the specific address early: Colorado's standard contract has its own property insurance termination deadline, separate from the inspection deadlines, for a buyer who is not satisfied with the availability, terms or premium of insurance on the house, and your agent can confirm the date in yours. Claim deadlines and coverage rules vary by carrier and policy; confirm yours with your insurer or the Colorado Division of Insurance (doi.colorado.gov). For the buyer's side of coverage in detail, see First Home Start Guide's Colorado hail damage and homeowners insurance guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I check a house's hail history before I make an offer?

Yes. The free HailScore™ check runs on any US street address, and the seller does not need to be involved. With no signup you get the 0–100 exposure score, the storm map of nearby NOAA hail reports and the most recent hail recorded nearby; the dated event-by-event list, with an estimated hail size for each date, opens after an email step (no account, no payment). It shows hail exposure, not damage, so use it to decide how closely the roof needs to be inspected.

Does a high HailScore™ mean the roof is damaged?

No. The 0–100 HailScore™ measures hail exposure from NOAA radar and ground records near the address. Only an on-roof inspection confirms damage. A high score means the inspection is worth doing carefully, and that the dated storms deserve a direct question to the seller.

The seller says the roof was replaced after the last big hailstorm. How do I check that?

Compare the replacement date with the dated storms in the free HailScore™ check. Ask the seller for the replacement invoice or the building permit, and whether the work was a full replacement or a repair. Then have your inspector confirm that the roof's wear matches the stated age.

What if the free check shows no hail recorded near the address?

That is a real result, not a glitch: HailScore™ reports what the public NOAA record shows, including nothing. A storm from last night shows up as radar first; the ground-verified record for the same night follows months later, so a very recent storm may appear as radar only. A clean hail record does not rule out roof problems from other causes, so keep the roof on the inspection list either way.

Can I use the hail history in my inspection objection?

Yes, as context. Colorado's standard purchase contract sets inspection termination, objection and resolution deadlines. The dated storm list from HailScore™ plus what your inspector found on the roof is what you put in writing before the objection deadline. HailScore™ documents exposure; the inspector documents the roof's condition. Your agent or a Colorado real estate attorney can confirm the deadlines in your contract.

Check the address before the inspection, not after

Type the address into the free HailScore™ hail check today. It takes seconds and needs no account, and the dated storm list it unlocks is what you hand to your inspector. For every other way to check, including NOAA's own tools, see how to check hail history for any address.