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Hail-damaged garage doors
Hail dents steel garage doors easily, and El Paso County gets hail on about 13.8 days a year. Cosmetic dents can wait; a door that binds or cracks needs repair, and either may be covered by your homeowner's policy.
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How much hail falls here
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 1,631 hail reports in El Paso County from 1996-2025, on 415 separate days. 95% of those days fell between May and August. 1,193 reports were an inch or larger, and 104 were 2 inches or larger.
Several storms in that record caused damage across whole neighborhoods. The National Weather Service summary of the July 28, 2016 storm cites about $353 million in hail losses, and its summaries of the June 13 and August 6, 2018 storms cite media reports of $169 million and about $172 million. See the full hail record.
What hail does to each kind of door
- Thin, uninsulated steel dents in small hail and shows every mark. This is the most common builder door.
- Insulated steel with a foam core and a thicker skin holds up better, though large hail still dents it.
- Wood splits and loses its finish where stones hit, which lets water in.
- Composite and fiberglass resist small dents but can crack in large hail.
- Windows in the top section can crack or break.
Cosmetic or functional
Dents alone don't stop a door from working. Look for these signs that the damage is more than cosmetic:
- Sections that rub or catch as the door moves.
- Cracked panels, split wood or broken windows.
- A bottom seal or weatherstripping torn or pushed out of place.
- Bent struts or track, or rollers out of line.
If the door works and only looks bad, there is no rush. If it binds or won't close, stop using the opener and get it looked at. Off-track and binding doors.
Insurance
A hail-damaged garage door is often part of a homeowner's claim along with the roof and siding. Whether it is worth claiming depends on your deductible and your policy, and some policies carry a separate wind and hail deductible. Read your declarations page before you file. How to document hail damage for a claim.
Repair or replace
Single sections can be swapped if the panel is still made. When every panel facing the storm is dented, a new door is usually the cleaner fix, and it is a good time to move to a thicker, insulated door. Insulated doors.
Common questions
Does homeowner's insurance cover a hail-damaged garage door?
Many policies cover hail damage to an attached garage door, subject to your deductible. Check your policy and its wind and hail deductible, and photograph the damage before any repair.
Are some garage doors more hail resistant?
Thicker insulated steel doors resist dents better than thin uninsulated steel. Some manufacturers sell doors rated for impact. Large hail can still dent any steel door.
When is hail season in Colorado Springs?
NOAA records for El Paso County show 95% of hail days between May and August, with June and July the busiest months (1996-2025).