Storm Damage Roof Checklist for Madison Homeowners
Dane County's storm season runs from late April into July. The bad ones build over Iowa in the afternoon, track northeast, and cross Verona, Fitchburg, Madison and Sun Prairie in the early evening with hail and straight-line wind. A storm like that can hit an entire subdivision with the same 15-year-old shingle at once, which is why the door-knockers show up the next morning.
This is what to do the morning after, in order.
The morning after
Stay off the roof. Wet shingles on a two-story house are how homeowners end up at UW Hospital after a storm. Everything below can be done from the ground and the attic.
Walk the yard first. Shingles or pieces of shingles in the grass, granules washed into piles at the downspout outlets, torn screens, broken branches. Note which side of the house they're on; that's the slope that faced the wind.
Look at the soft metals. This is the single most useful check for hail. Gutters, downspouts, the aluminum drip edge, vent caps on the roof, the fins on the air conditioner, the mailbox. Hail big enough to damage shingles dents all of them, and the dents are easy to photograph. If your gutters are smooth and your neighbor's AC fins are fine, the hail probably didn't hurt your shingles.
Look at the roof from the ground. Binoculars help. You're looking for missing shingles, shingles folded back, a slope that looks darker or pockmarked, ridge cap pieces gone, and anything hanging.
Check the attic. Daylight through the deck, wet insulation, fresh drips. Bring a flashlight and stay on the joists.
Check the ceilings. Especially under valleys and along outside walls.
Photograph everything
Phone photos, time-stamped, from the ground:
- Every side of the house, wide, showing the roof
- Every dented soft metal, close up, with a coin or tape measure for scale
- Shingles in the yard, where they landed
- Any water inside
- Any hailstones still on the ground, next to a coin, before they melt
These photos are what make your claim clean. The adjuster may not come for two weeks; by then the hail is gone and the yard is mowed.
Hail versus wind: what each does
Hail knocks the granules off a shingle and bruises the mat underneath. From the ground the roof looks fine. Up close each hit is a dark, soft spot, and the mat under it cracks within a couple of winters. Adjusters often check hail damage in marked test squares; ask your insurer how it assesses damage. Because bruises are hard to see from the lawn, the damage has to be looked at up close, from the roof, by someone who does it safely.
Straight-line wind lifts the leading edge of a shingle and folds it back. The crease breaks the mat even if the shingle lies flat again. Creased shingles are leaks next year, and they're invisible from the ground. They're on the slope that faced the wind, which around here is usually the west or southwest.
Trees are the third thing. Silver maples on the older streets and the dead ash trees the emerald ash borer left standing drop limbs at 60 mph. A limb through the decking is an emergency: tarp today.
The first calls
Call a roofer for an inspection and, if needed, a tarp. After a big storm, emergency roof repair in Madison is triaged by water coming in. If your deck is exposed, say so; it usually moves you up the list. A tarp typically runs $300–$700. Most policies expect you to prevent further damage; ask your insurer whether the tarp is covered, and keep the receipt.
Then call your insurer. Give them the date and the photos, get the claim number and the adjuster's name, and ask what else they need from you.
Think twice before filing for a few shingles. Some policies carry a separate wind/hail deductible, often a percentage of dwelling coverage — check your declarations page. A $400 repair against a deductible of several thousand dollars is a loss, and a claim may stay on your insurance history; ask your agent. Get the repair price first and compare.
What not to sign
The trucks that arrive the day after a Sun Prairie or Verona hailstorm with out-of-state plates are storm chasers. Some are fine. Many are not credentialed in Wisconsin, and their warranty is worth nothing once they've left for the next storm. The things to refuse on the doorstep:
- An assignment of benefits — signs your claim over to the contractor
- A contingency agreement — commits you to hire them if the claim is approved, before you've seen a price
- Any offer to "cover" or waive your deductible. Be wary of any roofer who offers to cover, waive or rebate your deductible — Wisconsin restricts it and it can put your claim at risk. Ask your insurer, or check with DATCP or an attorney. A "free roof" pitch usually means the cost is hiding somewhere.
Wisconsin gives homeowners cancellation rights on some home-solicited and insurance-contingent roofing contracts; check the current rules with DATCP or an attorney before you sign. Read our post on questions to ask a Madison roofing contractor before signing anything, and look the company up on the state's DSPS credential search.
The adjuster visit
Photograph the damage, call your insurer, and get a written repair estimate from a roofer. The adjuster decides what's covered; in a dispute, a public adjuster licensed by Wisconsin's Office of the Commissioner of Insurance or an attorney can advise. Keep your own photos and notes from the visit, and ask the adjuster to explain anything in the estimate you don't understand.
The short version, to keep on the fridge
From the ground: shingles or pieces in the yard and which side they landed on; granules piled at downspout outlets; dents in gutters, downspouts, vent caps, AC fins and the mailbox; missing ridge cap or shingles folded back.
Inside: the attic for daylight, wet insulation and fresh drips; the ceilings under valleys and along outside walls; the tops of window frames on the windward side.
Paperwork: time-stamped photos of every side, every dent and every stain; the claim number and adjuster's name; a written estimate from a roofer; the tarp receipt, if there was one.
Keeping records
Make one folder, on paper or on your phone, and put everything in it: photos, the claim number, notes of each phone call with the date and who you spoke to, every estimate and every receipt. If the claim takes a few weeks, or you ask for a re-inspection, this is what you'll work from. Keep it after the roof is done. When you sell the house, a buyer will ask about the roof's history, and the folder answers that question.
Common mistakes in the first week
- Climbing a ladder while the roof is still wet.
- Mowing the lawn and cleaning the gutters before the photos are taken.
- Letting a door-knocker up on the roof "for a free look" before you've called anyone yourself.
- Filing a claim without knowing your deductible, then finding the fix costs less.
- Leaving a tarp on for months. A tarp is meant for days or weeks; sun and wind break it down.
Questions for the roofer who inspects
- Which slopes have damage, and can you show me photos of each?
- Is it hail, wind, or ordinary wear?
- What needs a tarp now, and what can wait for the claim?
- What would the repair cost, and what would a replacement cost?
After the claim
If the roof is over 15 years old and hail bruised every slope, the insurer may pay for a full replacement minus your deductible — check your policy — and it's worth asking for Class 4 impact-rated shingles while you're at it. The hail and wind damage page covers the whole process, and the roof inspection page explains what a written roof inspection covers.
Need roof work in Madison?
Call for a free estimate. Mon–Sat 7am–7pm.