Hail Damage to Your AC: How to Document It for an Insurance Claim (Phoenix, Oct 2026)

Two storms hit the Valley this week. Tuesday night, Oct. 20, a supercell dropped quarter- to egg-sized hail across Mesa, west Chandler and the Gilbert line between about 10 and 10:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 21, a second round brought golf ball-sized hail to north Phoenix, Deer Valley and east Glendale.

Your roof and your car get the attention. Your outdoor AC unit sits in the open with thin aluminum fins and copper tubing, and it took the same hit. Here's how to check it and how to document it so an insurance claim has what it needs.

Where the hail was reported

National Weather Service spotter reports from the two storms:

• Oct. 20, ~10:10–10:25 p.m. 2" hail about 3 miles east-northeast of downtown Mesa; 1" hail southwest Mesa; dime-to-quarter hail at Arizona Ave and Elliot in Chandler.
• Oct. 21, ~3:30 p.m. 1.5" to 2" hail northeast of Glendale and around Deer Valley; golf ball-sized hail and broken windows near 19th Ave and Peoria.

If you're in or near those areas, assume your unit got hit and check it.

Step 1: Look before you run it hard

Stand over the outdoor unit and look down at the fins.

• Flat, shiny patches or dents in the fins mean hail damage.
• A cracked fan blade or bent fan guard on top.
• Dents in the top panel or cabinet.
• Ice on the copper lines, or new rattling, scraping or humming.

If it's scraping or icing, turn the system off at the thermostat and call. If it's quiet and cooling, it's fine to run, but get it inspected. A pinhole coil leak can take weeks to show up as warm air.

Step 2: Photograph it the way an adjuster wants

Do this before anything gets repaired or combed out.

1. A wide shot of the unit with the house behind it, so it's clearly your property.
2. Close-ups of each side of the coil, with a coin or ruler in frame for scale.
3. The top panel and fan guard.
4. The data plate (model and serial number) on the side of the unit.
5. Hail on the ground, if any is still there, or other storm damage on the property.

Your phone saves the date and time on each photo. Don't edit or crop the originals.

Step 3: Get a licensed contractor's written assessment

A homeowner's photo shows dents. A licensed contractor's report says what the dents did: fin coverage, leak test results, pressures, and whether it's a comb-out, a coil, or a system. That's what an adjuster weighs.

We do this as a hail damage inspection: dated photos plus a written findings report. Here's what it covers.

Step 4: File with your insurer

• Call your insurer soon and give them the storm date.
• Check your deductible. Many Arizona policies have a separate wind/hail deductible. If the damage is a few hundred dollars of fin repair, a claim may not make sense.
• Ask how they want the contractor estimate. Some send their own adjuster; some take ours.

We document the damage and give you a repair or replace number. We don't negotiate your claim. Your insurer decides coverage.

Repair or replace?

• Bent fins only, no leak: often comb-out and clean. Inexpensive.
• Punctured or leaking condenser coil: coil replacement or system replacement, depending on age and refrigerant. Our coil replacement cost guide has the 2026 ranges.
• Older R-22 system with real coil damage: usually replace. An insurance payout toward a new system can make the math easy.

Already have a quote from someone else? We'll give you a free second opinion.