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Skylights and roof windows are a frequent point of dispute in storm claims because they combine roofing, glazing, and flashing work into a single small assembly, and damage to any one part can affect the evaluation of the whole unit. The two broad categories are acrylic or polycarbonate dome skylights, common on older homes and many commercial buildings, and glass unit skylights, more common in newer residential construction, and they fail differently under hail impact, which matters when forming an opinion about cause.
Acrylic domes tend to show hail damage as surface pitting, crazing, or in more severe cases, cracking or puncture of the dome itself, and because the material is a plastic that becomes more brittle with UV exposure over time, distinguishing a fresh hail impact from long term sun degradation requires looking closely at the fracture pattern and comparing it to known hail impact characteristics elsewhere on the same roof slope. A crack that radiates from a distinct point of impact, consistent with debris striking that specific spot, reads differently than a general crazing or yellowing pattern that has developed gradually across the whole dome from age and UV exposure.
Glass unit skylights are typically insulated units with two or more panes, and cracking in tempered glass usually shows a characteristic pattern, sometimes referred to as a spider web fracture, that is fairly distinct once a unit has actually failed, though pinpointing whether a specific impact caused a crack that appeared sometime later still requires looking at timing, location on the roof, and the condition of the surrounding roofing at the time.
Curb and flashing scope deserves as much attention as the glazing itself. Skylights are set on a curb, a raised wood or metal frame, and sealed with step and counter flashing similar in principle to chimney flashing, and this flashing is a common source of leaks whether or not the glazing itself was damaged. Wind and hail events that affect the surrounding roofing frequently affect the skylight flashing at the same time, and a complete evaluation looks at both systems together rather than assuming the flashing is fine just because the glazing shows no visible cracking, or vice versa.
Replacement matching is its own challenge, since skylight sizes, shapes, and mounting systems vary significantly between manufacturers and change over model years, meaning an exact replacement unit is not always available and a curb mounted unit occasionally needs modification or replacement to accept the closest available new skylight. Working through that reality is part of arriving at a reasonable, well documented scope for the repair.
This article is general education about how the appraisal process commonly works. It is not legal advice, and specific procedures can vary by state and policy.
Russ Lis is a working property insurance appraiser and umpire based in Minnesota, serving clients nationwide. Contact Appraisal Resolution.