Georgetown Roofing After Hail: Claims, Crews and Materials

The trucks usually show up a day or two after the hail. Door hangers, yard signs, a friendly knock and an offer of a free inspection. Some of those crews do good work. Others are three states away by the time your new roof starts leaking around the vents.

Georgetown and the rest of Williamson County see hail most springs, and the town's steady growth means a lot of roofs are now hitting the age where one bad storm finishes them off. Here's how to handle the weeks after a storm, and how to choose a roof that stands up better to the next one.

The first week after a storm

1. Take dated photos of the roof, gutters, window screens, siding and any dented cars or patio furniture.
2. Look for dents in soft metal: gutters, downspouts, vent caps and the AC unit's fins. If those are dented, the shingles probably took hits too.
3. Call your insurance company and open a claim before you sign anything with a roofer.
4. Read every contract slowly. Be wary of one that hands control of your claim to the contractor before there's a written estimate.
5. Ask for the company's local address and a few recent customers you can call.

One more thing to know: the Texas Department of Insurance warns that it's illegal for a contractor to offer to pay or waive your deductible. If someone offers, walk away.

Damage you can't see from the driveway

Hail doesn't always knock shingles loose. More often it bruises them. A hailstone can crack the fiberglass mat under the surface and knock off the granules that protect the asphalt from the sun. From the ground the roof looks fine, but those spots age quickly and start leaking a year or two later.

That's why a proper inspection means someone on the roof, checking each slope and marking hits, not a quick look from a ladder. Ask to see photos of what they found. Our hail damage guide walks through what adjusters typically look for.

Picking materials with the next storm in mind

Impact-rated shingles

Class 4 shingles, the top rating under the UL 2218 impact test, are built to take hail better than standard shingles. They cost a bit more, and some insurance companies discount premiums for them. Ask your agent before you choose, since that discount can cover part of the difference over time.

Standing seam metal

Metal handles hail and wind well, often lasts 40 years or longer, and reflects more summer heat than dark shingles. Large hail can dent it, mostly cosmetically. Thicker panels and textured or matte finishes hide small dents better.

Stone-coated steel

These panels are shaped to look like shingles, shakes or tile, with a granule coating over steel. They're an option where an HOA wants a traditional look but you'd like metal underneath.

HOA rules in Georgetown neighborhoods

Sun City and most newer Georgetown subdivisions keep an approved list of roof colors and materials. Submit your request with the product name and color sample, and wait for written approval before work starts. Changing a roof color without approval can bring fines or a demand to redo it, and nobody wants to pay for a roof twice.

Deal with attic heat at the same time

A new roof is the right moment to fix ventilation. Many houses have too little intake at the soffits, so hot air has nowhere to go. Balanced soffit and ridge venting, plus a radiant barrier under the rafters, can bring attic temperatures down noticeably in July. That helps the AC and any ductwork running through the attic.

The rest of the house

The same hail that dents gutters can crack glass and chew up a door's finish. Our pages on Georgetown windows and doors in Georgetown cover what to look at next. For a wider look at the house, Texas Energy Pros can check your roof, attic and insulation during a free home energy audit; you'll find the details on our Georgetown page.