Hail and Storm Damage Roof Repair in La Crosse

Your after-the-storm checklist

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Right after the storm

Stay off the roof. Wet shingles and hailstones are slick, and damage is easier to judge from the ground and the attic.
Write down the date and time the storm hit. Your claim form will ask for it, and weather records will back it up.
Photograph hail next to a coin or a ruler. Do it before the stones melt. Size matters to the adjuster.
Check the attic and top-floor ceilings for drips. Put a bucket under any drip and move what you can out of the way.
Cover broken windows or holes. Plastic sheeting or plywood is fine for now. Keep your receipts; they are usually part of the claim.

In the next 48 hours, from the ground

Look at gutters, downspouts and window wraps for dents. Soft metal shows hail size better than shingles do.
Walk the side of the house that faced the storm. Look for cracked or holed siding and torn window screens.
Check the AC unit, mailbox, deck and car. Dented fins and pocked paint all help show how hard it hit.
Take wide and close-up photos of everything. Wide shots show where, close-ups show what. Date stamps help.

Before you file a claim

Book a free roof inspection. Know whether there is damage worth claiming before it goes on your insurance record.
Find your policy and check your deductible. Note whether you have replacement cost or actual cash value coverage.
Call your insurer to open the claim. Write down the claim number and the adjuster’s name.
Ask for your roofer to be at the adjuster visit. We meet adjusters on the roof and point out every hit we found.

What storm damage looks like

Some of it you can spot from the yard with binoculars. The rest takes someone on the roof, which is what the free inspection is for.

Bruised shingles: Dark, soft spots where hail knocked the granules off. Press one and it feels like a bruise on an apple.
Granules in the gutters: A sandy layer at the downspout after the storm means the shingles took hits.
Cracked or split cedar: Fresh splits show bright, clean wood against the grey of the old shakes.
Dented metal: Vents, flashing, drip edge and gutters dent first. They are the easiest proof for an adjuster.
Lifted or missing shingles: Wind breaks the seal strip and creases the shingle, even if it lies back down.
Holes in siding: Vinyl cracks in cold hail. Look on the side that faced the storm.

How the insurance claim works

Six steps from the first call to the last check. We do this every storm season and walk you through each one.

Free inspection
We check the roof, gutters and siding, take dated photos and tell you plainly whether there is damage worth a claim.
Northline
Open the claim
You call your insurer, give the storm date and get a claim number. Your agent can tell you your deductible.
You
Adjuster visit
The insurer's adjuster inspects the roof. We meet them there and point out every hit, with our photos.
Insurer and Northline
Read the scope
The insurer sends a scope: what they will pay for, line by line. We go through it with you for free.
You and Northline
Supplements
If the scope missed code items such as ice and water shield or drip edge, we send the insurer a supplement with photos.
Northline
Build and get paid
We build the roof. Insurers usually pay in two checks; on replacement-cost policies the second arrives once the work is done. You pay your deductible.
Everyone

Be careful who knocks after a storm

Crews from out of state follow hail across the Midwest. Before you sign anything, ask for a local address and proof of insurance, and never sign a contract on the doorstep.

Walk away from anyone who offers to "cover" or waive your deductible. That is insurance fraud, and your name is the one on the claim.

Hail hit last night? Here is what to do, in order.

Your after-the-storm checklist

What storm damage looks like

How the insurance claim works

Free inspection

Open the claim

Adjuster visit

Read the scope

Supplements

Build and get paid

Be careful who knocks after a storm

Get a free inspection first.