After a major storm rolls through Central Illinois, the first thing most homeowners think about is their roof. That makes sense – your roof is the most exposed surface on your entire home and the first line of defense against hail, wind, and falling debris. But here is what almost every homeowner misses: the same storm that damaged your roof almost certainly damaged your siding too. And if you do not catch it, you are leaving money on the table with your insurance claim and exposing your home to moisture intrusion that can cost thousands to repair down the road.

At Campbell Construction, we have been inspecting storm-damaged homes across Morgan County, Springfield, and the surrounding Central Illinois region since 2000. One pattern we see over and over is homeowners who file a roof damage claim and completely overlook the siding damage that happened during the exact same storm event. This article breaks down why that happens, what siding damage actually looks like after a storm, and how to make sure you are not leaving covered damage out of your insurance claim.

Storm damage to siding is often overlooked during roof inspections. Peeling, cracked, and wind-torn panels are common after severe weather events in Central Illinois and should be documented as part of every storm damage claim.

Why Siding Gets Overlooked During Storm Damage Claims

The roofing industry has conditioned homeowners to think about storms in terms of roof damage. When a storm chaser knocks on your door after a hailstorm, they are talking about your shingles. When your insurance company sends an adjuster, the adjuster walks your roof. When your neighbor mentions they filed a claim, it is a roof claim. Siding rarely enters the conversation until water is already behind it.

The problem is that siding damage from storms is often subtle. A hail dent in vinyl siding does not look like a missing shingle. A hairline crack in a fiber cement panel does not scream for attention the way a torn-off ridge cap does. Wind damage to siding can loosen panels without displacing them – the siding still looks fine from across the yard, but the seal is broken and moisture is getting behind the panels every time it rains.

This is why Campbell Construction inspects siding during every single storm damage assessment. Your siding and your roof were hit by the same storm. They should be evaluated together, documented together, and claimed together.

Types of Siding Damage from Storms

Storm damage to siding comes in several distinct forms depending on the type of storm, the type of siding material, and the direction and intensity of the weather event. Here is what to look for after severe weather hits your area.

Hail dents and impact marks. Hail strikes siding the same way it strikes roofing – at an angle determined by wind direction. On vinyl siding, hail creates circular dents, cracks, and punctures. On aluminum siding, hail leaves permanent dents that cannot be repaired without replacing the affected panels. Even small hail can cause cosmetic and structural damage to siding when driven by high winds.

Cracked and shattered panels. Larger hailstones and wind-driven debris can crack vinyl siding panels outright. These cracks may be immediately visible or they may be hairline fractures that are only detectable during a close-up hands-on inspection. Cracked panels compromise the moisture barrier and must be replaced.

Wind-torn and displaced sections. High winds do not just damage the surface of siding – they get underneath it. Vinyl siding is designed to hang loosely on the wall to allow for thermal expansion and contraction. That design feature means high winds can catch the bottom edge of panels and peel them upward, breaking the interlocking connection with the panel above. Once a panel is displaced, every panel above it is vulnerable to the same wind-lift effect.

Impact damage from flying debris. Branches, lawn furniture, trash cans, and other storm debris can strike siding with enormous force during high wind events. The impact can crack, puncture, or shatter panels and may also damage the house wrap or sheathing behind the siding.

Hailstones like these are common during Central Illinois severe weather events. Even modest-sized hail driven by high winds can crack vinyl siding, dent aluminum panels, and chip fiber cement – damage that is often invisible from the street.

How to Spot Siding Damage from the Ground

You do not need to climb a ladder to do a preliminary siding check after a storm. Walk the entire perimeter of your home and look for these indicators.

Visible cracks or holes. Look at each wall face at a slight angle so the light catches surface irregularities. Cracks and punctures that are invisible when viewed straight-on often become obvious when light hits them from the side.

Displaced or hanging panels. Panels that have been lifted by wind may hang away from the wall or show visible gaps at the overlap seams. Look along the bottom edge of each row for panels that are no longer seated properly.

Dents and dimples. On aluminum siding, hail dents are permanent and visible as circular depressions. On vinyl, dents may appear as slightly discolored or textured areas where the surface was compressed without cracking.

Pieces on the ground. After severe storms, check the ground around your foundation for siding fragments, chips of paint, or broken pieces of trim. Any debris from your exterior cladding indicates damage above that needs professional evaluation.

Water stains on interior walls. If you see water stains or dampness on interior walls – especially near windows, at the base of walls, or in the basement – the water may be entering through damaged siding rather than the roof. This is a critical distinction because the repair approach is completely different.

Why Siding Damage Matters for Your Insurance Claim

This is where most homeowners cost themselves real money. Here is the critical rule that your insurance company will not volunteer: damage from the same storm event should be filed on the same claim. You pay one deductible and everything damaged by that specific storm is covered under that single claim.

If you file a roof-only claim and then discover siding damage six months later, you may have to file a second claim with a second deductible – or worse, the insurance company may deny the siding claim entirely because the damage was not documented during the original inspection. This happens constantly, and it is entirely preventable.

When Campbell Construction performs a storm damage assessment, we inspect everything the storm touched: roof, siding, gutters, windows, fascia, soffit, and any other exterior components. We document all damage comprehensively so your insurance claim includes everything you are entitled to – not just the most obvious roof damage. This is one of the biggest advantages of working with a full-service exterior contractor rather than a roof-only company.

How Damaged Siding Leads to Moisture Intrusion and Mold

Siding is not decorative. It is the primary moisture barrier for your walls. Behind your siding is house wrap, then sheathing, then insulation, then your interior drywall. When siding is cracked, displaced, or punctured, rainwater gets behind the panels and starts saturating the layers beneath.

In Central Illinois, where we get rain in every season and freeze-thaw cycles from November through March, moisture behind siding causes rapid deterioration. The house wrap degrades. The OSB sheathing swells and rots. Insulation becomes waterlogged and loses its R-value. And within weeks or months, mold begins growing inside the wall cavity where you cannot see it until the damage is extensive.

We have opened up walls during siding replacement projects and found black mold growth, rotted sheathing, and destroyed insulation – all originating from a single cracked siding panel that went unrepaired after a storm. The cost of replacing that one panel would have been under $200. The cost of remediating the mold and replacing the sheathing was over $5,000. Catching siding damage early is not optional – it is essential.

Siding Types and Their Storm Vulnerability

Not all siding materials respond to storm damage the same way. Understanding what your home is clad with helps you know what to look for after severe weather.

Vinyl siding is the most common siding material across Central Illinois and unfortunately one of the most vulnerable to storm damage. Vinyl becomes brittle in cold temperatures, which means spring storms hitting when temperatures are still dropping into the 30s at night cause significantly more cracking than the same hail would cause in July. If a storm hits during cold weather, the likelihood of vinyl siding damage increases dramatically.

Aluminum siding is still found on many older homes in Jacksonville and the surrounding area. Aluminum dents permanently from hail impact – there is no way to pop the dent back out like you might with a car panel. Each dent also cracks the paint coating, creating a corrosion point that will rust through over time if not addressed.

Fiber cement siding (brands like James Hardie) is the most storm-resistant option, but it is not immune. Large hail and heavy debris impacts can chip edges and crack panels. Because fiber cement is a rigid material, once it cracks, the crack tends to propagate with subsequent freeze-thaw cycles.

Wood siding – including cedar shakes, clapboard, and board-and-batten – is vulnerable to both impact damage and moisture infiltration. Storm damage to wood siding must be repaired quickly because exposed wood grain absorbs water rapidly and begins to rot within weeks.

Vinyl siding is the most common exterior cladding on Central Illinois homes. While durable under normal conditions, vinyl becomes brittle in cold weather and is highly susceptible to hail damage, cracking, and wind displacement during severe storms.

Campbell Inspects Siding During Every Storm Damage Assessment

When you call Campbell Construction for a storm damage inspection, we do not just look at your roof. We perform a comprehensive exterior assessment that evaluates every surface the storm contacted. That means your roof, your siding, your gutters, your fascia and soffit, your windows, and any other exterior components.

Our inspectors are trained to identify siding damage that most homeowners and even many roofing-only contractors miss entirely. We document every finding with detailed photos and measurements so that when your insurance adjuster arrives, every piece of covered damage is accounted for. We have been doing this across Morgan County and Central Illinois since 2000, and our team knows exactly what adjusters need to see in order to approve a complete claim.

This comprehensive approach is one of the reasons we hold Owens Corning Preferred Contractor status and Duro-Last Certified Contractor designation. We handle the entire exterior – not just the part that is most visible from the street.

Adding Siding to Your Roof Insurance Claim

If you have already filed a roof damage claim and are now realizing your siding was damaged too, you may still be able to add it. Contact your insurance company and request a supplement to your existing claim for additional storm damage. Provide photos documenting the siding damage and reference the same storm date as your original claim.

If the claim is still open and the adjuster has not yet completed their inspection, ask Campbell Construction to be present during the adjuster visit. Our team can walk the adjuster through both the roof and siding damage to ensure everything is documented. If the adjuster has already visited but missed the siding damage, we can request a re-inspection and provide our own documentation to support the supplement.

The key is acting quickly. Insurance companies have time limits on claim supplements, and the longer you wait, the harder it becomes to prove the damage was caused by the original storm rather than normal wear. If a storm recently hit your area and you filed a roof claim, call us at (217) 271-1019 so we can evaluate your siding before the claim closes.

Cost of Siding Repair and Replacement in Central Illinois

Understanding the costs involved helps you evaluate whether to file an insurance claim or handle repairs out of pocket. Here is what siding work typically costs in the Central Illinois market.

Minor repairs – replacing a few cracked or broken vinyl panels – typically run $150 to $500 depending on accessibility and whether the panels need to be color-matched to existing siding. For insurance purposes, this level of damage usually falls below most deductibles and may not warrant a standalone claim. However, if you are already filing a roof claim from the same storm, even minor siding repairs should be included.

Moderate repairs – replacing a wall face or section of siding with multiple damaged panels, repairing or replacing damaged house wrap, and addressing any moisture that has gotten behind the panels – typically range from $1,000 to $4,000. This level of damage almost always warrants inclusion in a storm damage insurance claim.

Full siding replacement on a typical Central Illinois home runs $8,000 to $20,000+ depending on the size of the home, the siding material selected, and whether the underlying sheathing and house wrap need to be replaced. When a storm causes widespread siding damage across multiple wall faces, a full replacement may be the most cost-effective solution – and it is frequently covered by insurance when properly documented.

Campbell Construction provides free estimates for all siding repair and replacement work. If the damage is storm-related, we handle the entire insurance claims process at no additional cost. Get a free instant estimate online or call (217) 271-1019 to schedule your assessment.