A hail claim depends on when the storm hit. Hail reports show when hail fell near an address and how big it was.
Below are the free and paid sources, how to choose one, and how to use it on a claim.
Where to get hail reports: free and paid sources
Free sources
The three government sources below are free. Free hail maps such as AGSIST's draw on the same NWS reports and radar data. HailTrace also offers limited maps at no charge.
NOAA Storm Events Database
NOAA's official, final record of storm events, including hail.
- Who it's for: anyone checking a storm more than about four months old.
- Price: free (checked October 2026).
- What matters: search by state and county or on a map, filter hail from 0.50 in. up, and export a PDF; NCEI certifies copies on request. New months appear about 75 to 90 days after they end.
SPC Storm Reports
The Storm Prediction Center's daily list of hail, wind, and tornado reports, including today's.
- Who it's for: anyone checking a recent storm.
- Price: free (checked October 2026).
- What matters: reports are preliminary and likely incomplete, and sizes are in hundredths of an inch (175 means 1.75 in.).
NOAA Severe Weather Data Inventory (SWDI)
Radar hail signatures for a place and time.
- Who it's for: anyone who needs the radar side of a storm.
- Price: free (checked October 2026).
- What matters: NCEI describes radar entries as probable conditions, not confirmed ones.
Paid reports by address
The paid providers tie that data, and their own radar work, to one address. They are listed alphabetically.
Benchmark hail report
Verisk's address report, built into carrier claim and estimating systems.
- Who it's for: carriers and adjusters; anyone can order one by address on Verisk's Benchmark store (U.S. and Canada).
- Price: per report, shown at checkout once the address is entered (checked October 2026).
- What matters: a hail order returns a Date of Loss report and a History report back to January 2009.
CoreLogic hail report
Cotality's address hail report, Weather Verify, Hail. CoreLogic renamed itself Cotality in March 2025.
- Who it's for: mainly carriers; Cotality says most major carriers use it. Sold online, by license, or by API.
- Price: not published; volume discounts (checked October 2026).
- What matters: reports hail of 0.75 in. or larger at the location and within 1, 3, and 5 miles, from Level 2 radar, for the continental U.S.
Dorothy
A property damage platform that ties hail, wind, and storm events to properties.
- Who it's for: public adjusters, restoration and mitigation firms, insurance agencies, law firms, and others.
- Price: by territory (one state, 5 to 10 states, or 15+ states), quoted through a demo (checked October 2026).
- What matters: date-of-loss verification back to 2010, with the lookback set by plan.
HailScore
A low-cost address lookup built on Storm Events, NEXRAD, and MRMS data.
- Who it's for: contractors, adjusters, public adjusters, and homeowners.
- Price: free address score; $9.95 single report; Team $49 and Firm $199 a month (checked October 2026).
- What matters: the single report covers 45 days either side of the date you enter.
HailTrace pricing
Storm maps for sales teams, plus reports for claims.
- Who it's for: roofing contractors, public adjusters, carriers, attorneys, and engineers.
- Price: Weather History $40, Meteorologist Reviewed $150, Meteorologist Certified $1,000, and Expert hourly. Map plans: a free limited tier; paid tiers priced on request (checked October 2026).
- What matters: the Reviewed report has a meteorologist review one date you choose; the Certified report adds a signed analysis aimed at disputed claims.
Interactive Hail Maps
Radar hail swath maps produced by meteorologists, with the Hail Recon app.
- Who it's for: roofing contractors, public adjusters, and PDR companies.
- Price: $999 a year for one state, $1,499 for three, and $1,999 nationwide (checked October 2026).
- What matters: every plan includes hail history back to 2011, hail impact reports by address, and address monitoring.
PLRB hail reports
The Property & Liability Resource Bureau's weather service.
- Who it's for: members only: insurers and Standard- or Plus-tier affiliates, such as restoration and engineering firms.
- Price: membership; insurer dues start at $1,250 a year (checked October 2026).
- What matters: the Hail & Wind History Report looks back up to 10 years at an address; the Full Weather Report searches a 2- to 50-mile radius.
StormAuditor
A low-cost address lookup for wind and hail.
- Who it's for: contractors, adjusters, public adjusters, attorneys, and homeowners.
- Price: free snapshot; $2.99 single report; paid plans $4.99 to $29.99 a month (checked October 2026).
- What matters: the free account lists the top five date-of-loss candidates; the report covers every storm date since October 2021.
How to choose a hail report
Three things decide which report you need.
A map, a lookup, or a report for the file. A hail map shows where hail fell across an area. AGSIST's map and the free HailScore and StormAuditor lookups turn that into a first list of dates for an address. For the claim file, use a paid report that ties dates and sizes to the address, often at the address itself and within 1 and 5 miles. Paid reports start at $2.99 with StormAuditor and $9.95 with HailScore, and HailTrace's run from $40.
A meteorologist behind the date. When the date is likely to be disputed, HailTrace's Meteorologist Reviewed report ($150) has a meteorologist check one date you choose. Its Meteorologist Certified report ($1,000) adds a signed analysis built for disputed claims.
What the carrier is looking at. Benchmark and Cotality are built into carrier claim systems, and PLRB's reports go to its insurer members. Benchmark gives the day's largest hail at the address, within 1 mile, and within 5 miles, and Cotality adds a 3-mile ring. Verisk's own sample shows 2.25 inches at the address and 2.75 inches within 5 miles on the same day, so check which ring a number came from. The homeowner or their public adjuster can ask the carrier for a copy of its report.
No report is exact. The National Weather Service's radar estimate of hail size is built around the largest stones, so it tends to run high, though it can run low in some storms. Ground reports thin out in rural areas and at night. No report at the address does not mean no hail.
Using a hail report on a claim
A report's real job is the date, and a loose date can sink a claim. Two Fifth Circuit cases under Texas law show how. In one, the date came from a roofer's weather history that listed nine hail events, and the insured couldn't show which damage fell in the policy period. In the other, the insureds offered conflicting dates, and the carrier's meteorologist found no hail reported on two of them. The carrier won both.
So check the weather before the homeowner files. Benchmark's Date of Loss report covers only the reported date and a day either side. A date that is two days off can come back with no hail at all. When the homeowner's memory is vague, search at least 30 days either side and ask neighbors what they remember. Each SPC day runs from 1200 to 1159 UTC, so a storm before 7 a.m. Central daylight time or 6 a.m. Central standard time appears on the previous day's page.
Then make sure the date fits the roof. A hail report puts hail near the address, but the inspection must establish damage to the roof. Weathered and fresh marks may indicate different events. Appearance alone does not date them. The storm and hail damage inspection guide covers that evidence, and the roof inspection checklist records it.
Put the homeowner's reported date of loss on your inspection report, contract, estimate, and any supplement. If the provider's terms allow it, attach the single-date report for that date to your scope. Choosing or arguing the date is for the homeowner, a public adjuster, or an attorney.
FAQ
Is there a free hail report by address?
Yes, for a first look. AGSIST's hail map, HailScore, and StormAuditor offer free address lookups. NOAA's sources are free but search by county or map, not by address.
Does a hail report prove the roof was damaged?
No. It supports the date of loss, not the damage itself, so pair it with the roof inspection.
What if no hail report covers the address?
Check NOAA's radar data, look for a nearby date, and document collateral damage. A forensic meteorologist's report can fill the gap.
How far back do hail reports go?
It depends on the source. Benchmark's history reports go back to January 2009, Dorothy's date-of-loss search to 2010 on its larger plans, and Interactive Hail Maps to 2011. StormAuditor's reports cover storms since October 2021.
Hail reports and Frontera
Frontera's estimating software can use a report from any of these sources to inform an estimate, alongside the photos, measurements, and code references behind each line.
See how it works for roofing contractors and public adjusters.
References
- NOAA NCEI, Storm Events Database
- NOAA NWS Storm Prediction Center, Storm Reports and SPC FAQ
- National Weather Service, Instruction 10-1605, Storm Data Preparation (2021)
- NOAA NCEI, Severe Weather Data Inventory
- NWS Warning Decision Training Division, Maximum Estimated Size of Hail (MESH)
- Wendt and Jirak, "An Hourly Climatology of Operational MRMS MESH-Diagnosed Severe and Significant Hail," Weather and Forecasting (2021)
- National Weather Service Chicago, Severe Weather Climatology, "Trends in Hail Days"
- National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg, Explanation of the Severe Weather Climatology Maps
- Marshall et al., "Hail Damage Threshold Sizes for Common Roofing Materials," Haag Engineering (2002)
- ISO, HO 00 03 03 22, Homeowners 3 – Special Form
- ISO, CP 00 10 10 12, Building and Personal Property Coverage Form
- Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's of London v. Lowen Valley View, L.L.C., No. 17-10914 (5th Cir. 2018)
- Cutchall v. Chubb Lloyds Insurance Co. of Texas, No. 25-20024 (5th Cir. 2026)
- Chip Merlin, "The Hail Loss Date," Merlin Law Group (2026)
- Xactware, Benchmark Reports (XactAnalysis Help)
- Verisk, Benchmark for Hail, Wind, and Lightning (2022)
- Verisk, Benchmark storefront
- Verisk, Benchmark Hail History Report (sample, 2026)
- Cotality, Weather Verify, Hail
- Cleanfax, "CoreLogic rebrands to Cotality" (March 24, 2025)
- Dorothy, home page and plans
- HailScore, Pricing
- HailTrace, Storm & Hail Reports and Plans
- Interactive Hail Maps, Pricing
- PLRB, Catastrophe Services, Membership Dues, and Affiliate
- StormAuditor, Pricing
- AGSIST, Live Hail Map & Tracker
This article is for educational purposes and does not constitute meteorological, adjusting, or legal advice. Provider prices and features change; check each provider's page before ordering.