Claims · Hail and storms
Hail and storm damage: what to photograph, and when to claim
A hail damage insurance claim is won or lost in the first few days: what you photograph, how quickly you report it, and whether the damage can be traced to the storm rather than wear and tear. Here’s which policy deals with which damage, what to record, and why storm claims get turned down.
Why hail claims matter this season
Summer thunderstorms bring hail to large parts of the country, and the 2026 season has already started. On 3 November the South African Weather Service had a level 4 severe thunderstorm warning in place over Mpumalanga and northern KwaZulu-Natal, with level 2 warnings for parts of Limpopo, Gauteng, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, and residents were warned the storms “could bring damaging winds, hail, and flash flooding” (SABC News, 3 November 2026).
A single storm can damage thousands of cars and roofs at once. SAIA’s annual review recalls “a hailstorm in the Midrand area” in November 2023 that “caused major property and motor vehicle damage” (SAIA Annual Review (2024)). When claims come in at that volume, the ones that move fastest are the ones with clear evidence, which starts with knowing which policy you’re claiming on.
Which policy pays for which hail damage
Hail damage is claimed under the policy that covers the damaged item, so one storm can mean two or three separate claims. Your car is a motor claim, the roof and structure are a buildings claim, and belongings inside are a contents claim. Each usually has its own excess.
| What was damaged | Policy usually involved | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Dents, cracked windscreen or broken lights on your car | Comprehensive car insurance | Third-party-only cover doesn’t pay for your own car; third party, fire and theft may not include hail |
| Roof tiles or sheeting, gutters, skylights, solar panels on the roof | Buildings insurance | Whether panels and fixtures are included in the buildings sum insured |
| Ceilings, walls or flooring damaged by water through a broken roof | Buildings insurance | Wear and tear and poor maintenance exclusions |
| Furniture, appliances or electronics soaked by that water | Home contents insurance | That your contents sum insured is up to date |
| A flat or townhouse roof in a complex | The body corporate’s policy | Report it to the managing agent or trustees |
| Business premises, stock or vehicles | Commercial property or fleet cover | Whether lost trading time is covered by business interruption |
On the car, the level of cover is what decides it. News coverage of this week’s storms put it plainly: third-party insurance “generally covers damage you cause to other people’s vehicles or property, not hail damage to your own car”, and third party, fire and theft “also does not automatically cover hail damage” (The South African, 4 November 2026). Our guide to the types of short-term insurance sets out how the three motor levels differ. For flats and townhouses, see sectional title insurance.
Once you know where the claim goes, the next job is the evidence.
What to photograph after a hailstorm
Photograph the damage before anything is moved, cleaned or repaired: a wide shot that shows the whole car or roof, then close-ups of every damaged area. The FSCA’s claims guidance says you should supply “other evidence to support your claim, which includes uploaded photos, if you took any” and that you should “keep all the documents relating to your claim in one place” (FSCA, Non-life (short-term) insurance (2021)).
The aim is to show three things: that there was a storm, when it happened, and that this damage came from it. Photos of hailstones on the ground and a note of the time do the first two. Clear close-ups of fresh damage do the third, which matters most on roofs, where insurers look for signs of old damage. Use this list on the day; your ticks are saved in this browser.
Don’t climb onto a wet or damaged roof to take pictures; from the ground is enough, and the insurer’s assessor will inspect it. Our home inventory checklist helps with the contents side, and the photos only help if the claim reaches the insurer in time.
When to claim hail damage, and why speed matters
Report hail damage as soon as you reasonably can, and within any time limit in your policy. SAIA’s code lists timely reporting as a policyholder duty, alongside “the need to allow the Member to handle inspection and assessment of damage prior to settlement” (SAIA Code of Conduct (2025)). In other words, the insurer expects to see the damage before it’s fixed.
A late report isn’t always fatal. The National Financial Ombud has said that rejecting a claim for late notification “may not always be fair and reasonable”, especially “when an insurer cannot prove that this delay resulted in any material prejudice” (NFO (2026)). But a prompt claim avoids the argument, and with roofs, every extra week of rain makes it harder to separate storm damage from the water damage that follows.
The insurer has duties too. Under the Policyholder Protection Rules, an insurer must decide a claim within a reasonable period and give written notice of the decision within 10 days, and a rejection must come with reasons and at least 90 days for you to make representations (Policyholder Protection Rules (Short-term), rule 17.6). Our step-by-step car insurance claim guide covers the full process.
While the claim is being assessed, the question most people ask is whether they can start repairs.
Repairs, assessors and choosing a panel beater
Make emergency repairs that stop further damage, such as covering a broken roof or skylight, but don’t authorise permanent repairs until the insurer has approved them. Drivers are advised to “wait for approval before proceeding with repairs, unless urgent safety work has been authorised” (The South African (2026)). Photograph the damage before and after any emergency work, and keep every receipt.
For cars, light hail dents are often repaired with paintless dent removal, where a technician pushes the panel back into shape from behind without repainting. Deeper dents, damaged paint and dents near panel edges usually need conventional panel work, and a heavily dented older car can be written off if the repair costs too much compared with its value. How a write-off is paid depends on your car’s insured value, which our guide to retail, market and trade value explains.
You also have a say in who does the work. SAIA’s code says an insurer “may prefer a specific Service Provider, but should the Policyholder request a specific Service Provider, the Member should reasonably consider the request”, and where the insurer appoints and authorises the repairer itself, it must “accept responsibility for the quality of the workmanship and materials”. The code’s guideline is a repair decision within 14 days of receiving the assessor’s information (SAIA Code of Conduct (2025)). You’ll normally still pay the excess on each claim.
Most hail claims on cars go through without much argument. Roof and water claims are where disputes tend to happen.
Why storm damage claims get rejected
The most common reason a storm claim on a home is turned down is that the insurer believes the damage was caused by wear and tear, poor maintenance or gradual deterioration, with the storm only revealing it. The NFO explains the principle this way: “The purpose of a short-term insurance policy is to provide cover for damage caused by a single, sudden, and unforeseen event which must be named as an insured event in the policy” (NFO, June 2026).
Three published NFO cases show how this plays out:
- A leaning boundary wall (2026). A homeowner said extreme weather had brought down his boundary wall. The loss adjuster found the wall had been leaning for some time with no signs of storm damage, and the NFO, comparing photographs, found the cracks had worsened over time. Disclosing the cracks when the policy started didn’t mean they were covered. The rejection was upheld (NFO).
- A roof with holes and rusted sheets (2024). The insurer’s expert found unsealed overlaps, rusted sheets and several holes. The homeowner’s maintenance invoices were about four years old and only covered painting, and the NFO found the insurer’s expert report and photographs “more compelling” (NFO Annual Report (2024)).
- Heavy rain before a wall failed (2026). Engineering evidence showed long-term hydrostatic pressure and soil movement caused the damage. The NFO noted that heavy rain “may immediately precede a loss”, but if long-term deterioration caused the failure, “the rainfall becomes merely the triggering event” (NFO in FAnews, August 2026).
The lesson for homeowners is that maintenance records are evidence. Dated photos of your roof, gutter cleaning and repair receipts, and a contractor’s report all help show that the storm, not neglect, did the damage. Our buildings insurance guide covers this in more detail, and if an insurer has already rejected your claim, our guide to rejected claims and the National Financial Ombud explains how to challenge it.
Before the next storm
A few minutes of preparation makes the next hail claim simpler, or avoids it. Watch the South African Weather Service’s severe weather warnings, which are graded by level; in 2024/25 SAWS “issued a total of 1 267 warnings and alerts” (SAWS Annual Report 2024/25). When a hail warning is issued for your area, move the car under cover if you can.
- Take dated photos of your roof, gutters and car now, so you have a record of their condition before any storm.
- Clear gutters and downpipes, and fix loose or cracked tiles before summer.
- Check that solar panels, geysers and other roof fittings are included in your buildings cover. Our geyser and water damage guide covers the questions to ask.
- Make sure your sums insured are current, so a large claim isn’t reduced under the average clause.
- Save your insurer’s or broker’s claims number in your phone.
Hail damage claim FAQs
General answers about hail and storm damage claims in South Africa.
Does car insurance cover hail damage?
Comprehensive car insurance commonly covers hail damage to your own car, subject to the excess and the policy wording. Third-party-only cover doesn’t pay for damage to your own car, and third party, fire and theft cover doesn’t automatically include hail.
Which insurance covers hail damage to my roof?
Damage to the roof and the structure of your home is normally claimed under your buildings insurance. If you live in a sectional title complex, the body corporate’s policy usually covers the roof. Belongings damaged by water coming through the roof go to your home contents insurer.
How long do I have to claim for hail damage?
Check the time limit in your policy and report the damage as soon as you reasonably can. Insurers expect timely reporting and want to inspect the damage before repairs. The NFO has said rejecting a claim for late notification may not be fair where the delay didn’t prejudice the insurer, but a prompt claim avoids that argument.
What should I photograph after a hailstorm?
Take wide photos showing the whole car or roof, close-ups of every dent, crack and broken item, hailstones on the ground, and any water damage inside. Record the date, time and location of the storm and keep a screenshot of the weather warning.
Can I fix hail damage before the insurer approves the claim?
Make emergency repairs that stop further damage, such as covering a broken roof, and keep the receipts and before and after photos. Don’t authorise permanent repairs until the insurer has approved them, because it will normally want to assess the damage first.
Can I choose my own panel beater after hail damage?
You can ask. SAIA’s code of conduct says that if a policyholder requests a specific service provider, the insurer should reasonably consider the request. Where the insurer appoints the repairer itself, it must accept responsibility for the quality of the work.
Will a hail-damaged car be written off?
Most hail-damaged cars are repaired. A car can be written off when the cost of repairs is too high compared with its value, which is more likely on older cars with heavy panel damage. The payout then depends on the insured value on your schedule.
Why was my storm damage claim rejected?
The most common reason is that the insurer believes the damage came from wear and tear, poor maintenance or gradual deterioration rather than the storm. Ask for the reasons in writing and the evidence relied on. You have at least 90 days to make representations, and can then complain to the National Financial Ombud.
Need help with a hail claim?
If hail has damaged your car or home, Best Care can help you work out which policy to claim on and what the insurer will need. We can also review your cover before the next storm. Cover and claims remain subject to each insurer’s assessment and the policy wording.
This article is general education, not personal financial or legal advice. Whether hail or storm damage is covered depends on your policy wording, schedule and the facts of the claim. Rules and cases are summarised from the SAIA Code of Conduct, the Policyholder Protection Rules (Short-term Insurance) and published NFO cases, as checked in November 2026. Best Care Insurance Brokers CC, registration 1992/100995/23, Authorised FSP 8754. See the FAIS disclosure.