Hail rarely looks bad from the ground. The 72-hour window is when claims are won or lost.
Hail in Evanston: more common than people think
Evanston has experienced three insurance-significant hail events in the past six years — May 2020, July 2022, and June 2024. The 2022 event in particular dropped 1.5-inch hail across most of east Evanston and triggered thousands of claims. Most of those claims were filed in the first week. Some were filed six months later — and those were the ones that ran into denial problems.
Hour 0 to 24: document, do not file yet
Walk your property. Look for dented gutter aprons, dented vent caps and roof flashing, dented mailboxes, dented car panels, dented HVAC condenser fins, broken patio furniture or planters. Hail damage on shingles is rarely visible from the ground but evidence on the surrounding metal and plastic objects tells you the storm hit you.
Photograph everything. Date-stamped phone photos of all visible damage, your roof from every elevation (ground level is fine for documentation purposes), any debris on the lawn, and any interior water damage. Note the time and date.
Save the storm data. Search the NOAA Storm Events Database for your zip code and the date of the storm. Save a screenshot. This is the document that proves the storm date — insurers love it and adjusters often forget to look it up themselves.
Do not climb on the roof. Wet or hail-damaged shingles are dangerous. Get a professional inspection.
Hour 24 to 48: call a local roofer for a free inspection
Call a contractor with a permanent local address — not a door-knocker, not an out-of-state phone number. The inspection should be free, and it should include drone overview photography, on-roof walking inspection with chalk-marked hail strikes, attic moisture check, and a written report.
If the contractor finds damage that exceeds your deductible, then call your insurance company. If the contractor finds no damage or damage less than your deductible, do not file. A denied claim stays on your CLUE report for seven years and can affect your premiums.
Hour 48 to 72: file the claim properly
Call your insurance company's claims line. Give them the storm date and your contractor's documentation. Request an inspection and ask your contractor to be present when the adjuster comes — this is your right as the homeowner in Illinois and it dramatically reduces the back-and-forth.
Do not sign a contract with the roofing contractor yet. Sign an inspection authorization that allows them to meet the adjuster. Sign the actual work contract only after the scope of loss is settled and you know your out-of-pocket cost.
What to avoid
"Free roof" offers. Illegal in Illinois. Walk away.
Pressure to file immediately on damage you have not verified. A reputable contractor will tell you if damage does not warrant a claim.
Out-of-state license plates in the driveway. Storm chasers will be gone before the warranty matters.
Signing an "Assignment of Benefits" or AOB. This transfers your claim rights to the contractor and is almost always a bad deal for the homeowner. Never sign one.
The realistic timeline from here
From storm to settlement, most legitimate Evanston hail claims take 4 to 10 weeks. The work itself runs another 4 to 8 weeks out from settlement, depending on the season. If your claim is being denied or low-balled, an experienced local contractor can usually re-open the conversation with a documented supplement — and we do this routinely.