Hail and wind damage roof repair in Madison

The storm track, and who gets hit first

Dane County's damaging storms come from the southwest. They build over Iowa County in the afternoon, cross the Wisconsin River, and hit Verona and Fitchburg first, then the west side of Madison, then the isthmus, then Sun Prairie and DeForest on the way out. Hail is worst in May and June; straight-line wind runs through July and into August. The subdivisions with the most exposed west-facing slope — Hawks Landing, the newer parts of Verona, the open ground around Sun Prairie — lose shingles first.

What happens next, day by day

The night of the storm. Stay off the roof. Wet shingles on a two-story after dark are how people get hurt. If water is coming in, move the furniture, put a bucket under it, and photograph everything with a time stamp. Emergency roof repair Madison companies do that night is tarping, and only tarping.

The next morning. Walk the yard. Shingles on the grass, granules piled at the downspout outlets, dents in the gutters, the mailbox, the AC condenser fins. Call us. We tarp exposed decking ($300–$700 for most roofs), photograph the damage from up top, and write a scope.

Days two to seven. Call your insurer with the photos and get the claim number and the adjuster's name. This is also the week the out-of-state trucks appear. Don't sign anything yet.

Weeks two to six. The adjuster visits. We meet them if you want us there, chalk the test squares, and walk the slopes together. Then the repair or replacement gets scheduled; after a big storm, expect three to six weeks for anything that isn't leaking.

Hail or wind: what the adjuster is looking for

Hail damage roof repair Madison WI adjusters approve comes down to the count in those test squares, so we chalk them and photograph each one. Storm damage roof repair Madison homeowners get without that documentation is a coin flip.

Wisconsin's rules for storm work

Two things in state law protect you. First, a contractor may not pay, rebate or promise to absorb your insurance deductible; a "free roof" offer is an invoice about to be inflated. Second, if your insurer denies the claim, you can cancel a storm-repair contract within three business days of finding out. We follow both, and we'll say so in writing.

Also read your declarations page. Many Wisconsin homeowners now carry a separate wind-and-hail deductible of 1–2% of the dwelling limit, which on a $400,000 house is $4,000–$8,000. A dozen wind-lifted shingles at $500 is not a claim; a bruised roof on every slope is.

The trucks with magnetic signs

Within days of hail, crews work the doors along Highway 151 in Sun Prairie, Highway 14 through Fitchburg and Oregon, and the cul-de-sacs off Mineral Point Road. Some are legitimate. Many can't pull a Madison permit because they hold no Wisconsin Dwelling Contractor credential, and in two years there will be nobody to call. Before signing an assignment of benefits or a contingency agreement, look the company up on the state credential search and run through our list of questions to ask Madison roofing contractors.

After the check arrives

If the roof was 20 years old and hail got every slope, the payout usually covers a full replacement, and Class 4 impact-rated shingles are worth pricing while you're at it; some carriers discount for them. If only one slope was hit, we'll tell you whether the money is better spent on a repair. The storm damage checklist walks you through the morning after, and the roof inspection page explains what a documented inspection includes.

Hail damage roof repair Madison homeowners hire us for gets the same underlayment, ice barrier and nailing as any other roof we build. A claim doesn't change the spec.