# Hail size chart: which hail sizes damage a roof

> Hail is measured by diameter and described by everyday objects, from a 0.75-inch penny to a 4.5-inch softball. The National Weather Service calls hail severe at 1 inch, quarter size. In impact testing, standard three-tab asphalt shingles were damaged by 1-inch hailstones and heavier laminated shingles by 1.25-inch stones, so hail around 1 to 1.5 inches is where roof damage commonly starts. Wind, roof age and the angle of impact all change the outcome, so size alone never proves damage.

Category: How it works. Last updated 2026-10-17.
Canonical: https://roofquery.com/guides/hail-size-chart-and-roof-damage

Hail around 1 to 1.5 inches across is where roof damage commonly starts. Below 1 inch, standard shingles usually shrug it off; from about 1.75 inches, golf ball size, most roofing materials are at risk. The chart below gives every size in inches with the object it is compared to.

## What are the standard hail sizes?

Hail is measured across its widest point and reported with an everyday comparison, the scale weather spotters use when they send reports to the [National Weather Service](https://www.weather.gov/jetstream/hail). RoofQuery storm reports print the same names next to every size.

| Diameter | Compared to | What it means for a roof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0.75" | Penny | Below damage size for most roofing; a storm report's first listed size |
| 0.88" | Nickel | Rarely damages shingles |
| 1.00" | Quarter | Severe by NWS definition; can damage three-tab shingles |
| 1.25" | Half dollar | Can damage laminated shingles |
| 1.50" | Ping-pong ball | Commonly damages asphalt shingles |
| 1.75" | Golf ball | NWS "considerable" damage threat |
| 2.00" | Hen egg | Damages most roofing materials |
| 2.50" | Tennis ball | Widespread roof damage likely |
| 2.75" | Baseball | NWS "destructive" damage threat |
| 3.00" | Tea cup | Penetrates many roof coverings |
| 4.00" to 4.50" | Grapefruit, softball | Extreme; structural damage possible |

## What size hail is called severe?

One inch. The National Weather Service treats a thunderstorm as [severe](https://www.weather.gov/bmx/outreach_svr) when it produces hail of 1 inch or larger, winds of 58 mph or more, or a tornado. Its warnings also carry [damage threat tags](https://www.weather.gov/lot/SevereThunderstormWarningsUpdate): "considerable" from 1.75-inch hail and "destructive" from 2.75-inch hail. A RoofQuery storm report lists the warnings that covered the property and the hail size each one called for.

## What size hail damages shingles?

About 1 inch for standard three-tab asphalt shingles and 1.25 inches for heavier laminated shingles. Those are the thresholds found in [impact tests presented to the American Meteorological Society](https://ams.confex.com/ams/pdfpapers/45858.pdf), which fired ice spheres of increasing size at common roofing products until most impacts caused damage: a puncture, a tear or a bruise in the shingle mat. Stiffer and thicker materials such as tile, slate and metal need larger stones before they fail, and the threshold falls as a roof ages.

## Why doesn't hail size alone prove damage?

Because the outcome depends on more than diameter. Wind drives stones in at an angle and harder; dense hail does more than slushy hail; an older, brittle roof fails sooner; and a roof facing the storm takes more hits than the far side. Hail also falls unevenly, so the largest stone in a neighbourhood may not have reached a given house. That is why a storm report gives the size at the property and within 1, 3 and 5 miles separately, and why its damage chance rating is a likelihood, not a finding. An inspection confirms damage.

## How do storm reports use these sizes?

The hail table lists dates with 0.75-inch hail at or within 1 mile of the property, or 1-inch hail within 3 miles, with each size colour-coded and named. The damage chance rating is high when 1.5-inch hail reached the property or within a mile, and medium from 1 inch nearby or 1.5 inches within 3 miles. [What's in a storm report](https://roofquery.com/guides/whats-in-a-storm-report) covers the rest, and [how radar hail estimates work](https://roofquery.com/guides/how-radar-hail-estimates-work) explains where the sizes come from.

## Frequently asked questions

### What size hail damages a roof?

Damage commonly starts around 1 inch for standard three-tab shingles and 1.25 inches for laminated shingles, and becomes likely for most roofing from about 1.75 inches, golf ball size.

### Is quarter-size hail severe?

Yes. The National Weather Service defines severe hail as 1 inch or larger, which is quarter size.

### Can pea-size hail damage a roof?

Rarely on its own. Hail under 0.75 inches seldom damages roofing, though wind-driven hail can strip granules from old or worn shingles.