Two hailstorms, billions in damage and what a buyer asks about the roof

Calgary had two major hailstorms in four years. The June 13, 2020 storm caused almost $1.2 billion in insured damage. The August 5, 2024 storm was reported at nearly $2.8 billion at first and was later set at about $3.3 billion. A buyer of a Calgary home should ask about the roof’s age, any repairs and any insurance claims.

This post gives the figures from the Insurance Bureau of Canada and CatIQ, then sets out the questions to ask on a showing and in the conditions period. Derek is not a home inspector, engineer, insurance adjuster or contractor. He points out what he sees. A licensed professional does the formal assessment. The wider topic sits in the hail and roof guide.

The June 2020 storm

On June 13, 2020 a hailstorm hit Calgary, Airdrie and Rocky View County. The Insurance Bureau of Canada said in July 2020 that the storm caused almost $1.2 billion in insured damage, citing CatIQ. A later IBC release describes the figure as over $1.2 billion. The numbers refer to insured losses, which means damage that insurers pay for. They do not count damage that nobody claimed.

This post does not give a claim count for 2020, because none appears on the pages opened for it.

The August 2024 storm

On August 5, 2024 a second storm struck Calgary. IBC reported on September 11, 2024 that it caused nearly $2.8 billion in insured losses and over 130,000 claims, based on an initial CatIQ estimate.

CatIQ later published its final industry loss estimate, two years after the event, on August 5, 2026. That final figure is CAD 3.349 billion. The one-year estimate had been CAD 3.293 billion. CatIQ also states that more than 95 per cent of reported claims have been resolved.

Storm	Date	Insured damage reported
Hailstorm	June 13, 2020	Almost $1.2 billion (IBC, per CatIQ)
Hailstorm	August 5, 2024	Nearly $2.8 billion at first (IBC); CAD 3.349 billion final (CatIQ, 2026)

What these figures tell a buyer

They tell a buyer that hail is a recurring risk in Calgary and that many roofs were repaired or replaced after these events. They do not tell a buyer anything about a particular house. A street can be hit hard while the next one is not.

Because so many claims were paid, a house you look at may have a roof that is newer than the house itself. Others may have had damage that was never fixed. The question to ask is specific to the home, not general to the city.

Questions to ask about a roof

Ask the seller, through the listing agent and write down the answers:

• How old is the roof and when was it last replaced or repaired?
• Was it replaced because of a hail claim? Which storm?
• Is there paperwork, such as an invoice, a warranty or a contractor’s name?
• Was the whole house repaired or only the roof? Siding, windows, gutters, vents and fences can all be damaged by hail.
• Were any claims left open or any repairs left unfinished?

The answers help you plan. A roof with a clear record and a recent replacement is a different file from a roof of unknown age. Neither answer replaces an inspection.

What an inspection and your insurer add

A licensed home inspector looks at the roof during an inspection, from the ground or the surface where it is safe. A roofing contractor can give a deeper opinion on the condition and remaining life. Neither is something Derek provides.

Your insurance broker also matters. Before you remove conditions, ask a broker how the insurer views the roof’s age and material, whether there are conditions on hail coverage and what the deductible is. These are insurance questions and an insurance broker answers them. Insurers set their own terms, which can change.

If a roof needs work, an offer can account for that through conditions, price or a repair request. The buyers page explains how conditions work. For help reading the exterior of a home, see the services page.

Roof rebates and the Resilient Roofing program

The City of Calgary ran a Resilient Roofing Rebate Program. It offered a $3,000 rebate for Class 4 impact-resistant roofing and launched in June 2021, with year-one funding through May 31, 2022. The City newsroom says 1,600 rebates were awarded by the end of the program in May 2022.

This post has not found a current City page announcing a new round. Check calgary.ca before you assume any rebate is available. If a seller says a home has a Class 4 roof, ask for the invoice and the product details and confirm the rating with a roofing contractor.

Reading the listing and the showing

A listing may mention a new roof. Treat that as a prompt for a question, not an answer. Ask the year, the material and whether the work was part of a claim. At the showing, look at the roof from the street and from the yard if you can. Derek notes what he sees, such as mismatched shingles that suggest a partial repair or dents in soft metal such as vents and flashing. These are observations to raise with an inspector, not a diagnosis.

Inside, ask about water stains on ceilings, which a seller may have repaired or painted. Ask whether the attic was checked after either storm. Keep the answers with your other notes so your lawyer and inspector can see them.

Newer communities and older ones

Roof age depends on when the house was built or last reroofed, not on the community name. A newer neighbourhood may have homes that were fully reroofed in 2020 or 2024 and an older one may have a mix. For a view of what each area looks like, browse the neighbourhoods page. Then ask the roof questions about each house on its own.

How Derek helps

Derek reads listing information with you, asks the seller’s side the roof questions above and points out what he sees at a showing, such as curled or missing shingles, fresh patches or granules in the gutters. He then suggests you book a licensed inspector. Insurance questions go to your broker and repair estimates go to a contractor.

To talk through a specific house, contact Derek.