Hail-resistant roofing is emerging as an option for homeowners to try to mitigate higher premiums and potential damage. Hailstorms, especially in Alberta, are now a major insurance consideration given their frequency and the damage incurred from them. 

What damage can hail cause to your home

Hail has become a serious problem, accounting for about 30¬–68% of a home’s total insurance premium, according to IBC. That’s due to extreme damage from hailstones that range from the size of a chicken egg to as large as a grapefruit. At speeds up to 130 km/h raining from the sky, hail can be a serious threat to homes.

The dominant driver in terms of insured losses to homes is damage either to the roof or siding from hail, says Dan Sandink, a senior director at the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR). A roof is typically considered the most vulnerable part of a building, he says, but siding is also vulnerable given the soft products now dominantly used for it, such as uninsulated vinyl.

Read more: How much does windshield repair cost in Canada?

Where are hailstorms frequent in Canada?

Alberta has had at least one major hailstorm every year for the past decade, according to the IBC. Hailstorms frequent a high-risk zone in Alberta known as ‘Hail Alley’, which runs from High River, just south of Calgary, north through central Alberta. Calgary is the highest risk area in the province, where the active hail season runs from June to mid-September. 

What losses homeowners face from Alberta hailstorms

When hit by a hailstorm, a widespread area of homes can sustain severe damage worth billions in total insured losses. Here are a few storms that have occurred in Calgary with losses incurred:

The frequency and severity of hailstorms in Alberta is on the rise, according to the IBC, as well as the number and costs of insurance claims in the province. That’s partly due to the staggering urban development in Calgary. The 2024 storm would have caused far less damage 40 years earlier simply because less would have been in its path, according to a 2025 Aon analysis of the storm’s footprint.

How insurance has changed after significant hail losses

Widespread hail damage has not gone unnoticed by insurance companies. Between December 2020 to December 2025, home insurance rates in Alberta increased nearly 56%, according to IBC – far outpacing the national average. That increase is cumulative, not from a single event.

Daniel Ivans, Rates.ca insurance expert and licensed insurance broker, says hail coverage over the last decade in Western Canada has undergone “significant structural changes”, including the introduction of hail-specific deductibles and payout caps. He notes that high-risk areas such as Calgary may have higher premiums because of the disproportionate volume of severe claims year-over-year, which have to be priced accordingly.

“The industry has had no choice but to reprice the risk to reflect what it actually costs to cover (hail),” Ivans says. “Insurers aren’t inflating premiums arbitrarily, they’re recalibrating to reflect what the data says it actually costs to cover homes in that corridor [in Western Canada].”

How to protect your home against hail

One option to protect against hail and rising premiums for Albertans is to install hail-resistant roofing. Sandink says there is a one to four scale for roof covers based on hail resistance. Class one roofs are resistant to smaller objects, and larger impacts are prevented up to class four.

Sandink says roofers now typically encourage installing laminate shingles to avoid callbacks and warranty issues. He recommends a class four impact-resistant roof cover, be it asphalt shingles or recycled rubber. These class four covers can withstand impact from a two-inch hail ball and reduce damage from hail up to 15%.

Read more: How to protect your home from severe weather

How much does hail-resistant roofing cost?

Sandink says costs for a class four cover could be between $1,000 – $1,500, a relatively low cost for potential benefits. He also recommends impact resistant siding, such as wood, brick, or stone siding, that is a step above base level vinyl siding.

Insurers are now adjusting premiums, deductibles, and caps based on whether you have hail-resistant features in your home, Sandink says. The price of installing a better roof cover, in his view, can be recovered within a few years through better insurance terms and conditions. ICLR has found that impact-resistant roofing pays for itself eight times over in high-risk hail zones.

“(Hail-resistant roofing) would have an immediate direct financial benefit for a household,” Sandink says. “In some cases, an insurer might not even offer coverage if these practices are not in place.”

Read more: Rebates for resiliency changes to your home reduce future insurance claims

Can hail-resistant roofing lower home insurance premiums?

Yes, premiums can be lowered up to 50% if you have hail-resistant roofing and siding, according to an IBC and MNP study. Fewer claims mean lower risk to the insurer, and that gets passed onto the homeowner in the form of better pricing and coverage terms. IBC also notes that consumers can lower deductibles, have coverage caps removed or reduced, and gain wider access to full replacement cost coverage on roofs.

All insurance companies have different approaches, so while there is no one universal truth, mitigation efforts will usually yield some sort of positive impact with most providers, Ivans says. “It’s often best to check in with providers as to what may actually qualify as a discount-related mitigation measure prior to taking any actions.”

Insurance companies are also offering financial assistance to install better protection, Sandink says, but you have to make sure to ask the right questions to see if there is such an offer. IBC says that the size of the discount isn’t standardized across the market.

Some builders are including hail-resistant materials right from the get-go, Sandink said, but it is still not a building code requirement in Alberta. IBC is calling on the use of hail-resistant materials to be standard practice, and found that at least one major Alberta home builder has made hail-resistant roofing standard on all new single-family homes.

Read next: Severe weather adaptations boost home value by up to 5.6% in Canada

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are home insurance premiums higher in high-risk hail areas in Alberta?

Yes, the hail peril can account for 30-68% of a home’s total insurance premium, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). Between December 2020 to December 2025, home insurance rates in Alberta increased nearly 56%, according to IBC – far outpacing the national average.

Can hail-resistant roofing lower premiums?

Yes, premiums can be lowered up to 50% if you have hail-resistant roofing and siding, according to an IBC and MNP study.

How much does hail-resistant roofing cost?

The cost for a class four cover that offers maximum protection from hail could be between $1,000 – $1,500.

Is it worth it to get hail-resistant roofing?

Yes, the price of installing a better roof cover can be covered within a couple years through better insurance terms and conditions. The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction has found that impact-resistant roofing pays for itself eight times over in high-risk hail zones.