With all the rain in the forecast next week, there's always a possibility that one of those storms could produce hail.  And if it's not this coming week, you know it's coming soon.  Hail often occurs in the summer months, but the Minneapolis area has had hail storms as early as May.  We often get calls for storm damage repair for roofing and siding after Twin Cities hail storms, so we wanted to let our readers know what you should do if your neighborhood experiences hail this season.

What To Expect After a Hailstorm: Storm Chasers

When it comes to hail storms that blow through many areas of the Minneapolis or St. Paul metro, you will likely be confronted with people that are coming to your home, knocking on your door and asking if you need roof repair because it looks like you have hail damage. These are known as storm chasers. They come to areas where the storm has hit and want to find work fixing homes. They are likely not from the area and they might have a stack of papers for those in the area to sign They may even claim to handle your insurance claim for you. If you sign anything, it's likely that payment will go directly to them from your insurance company. 

Do not sign the papers that they put in front of you because this is you giving them permission to be your contractor. You do not want this. You want to find someone that is licensed and local. You want to have someone that is a reputable and trustworthy and able to do what you need them to do. As a licensed Minnesota building contractor offering storm damage repair, we WILL work with your insurance company, but it's on your behalf and not ours.

What to Do After the Storm

You should perform a visual inspection of the area first. Walk around the home and look on the sides and the roof for a better idea of what the hail has done. You do not want to get on top of the roof as this can become dangerous. Try to see if there is cosmetic damage or structural issues you can see.   If you see problems, take pictures so you can document things and be able to relate the damage to the storm when your insurance claim is filed.

But chances are you won't be able to see anything on the roof. (Siding damage is much easier to spot.) We suggest that if there has been a hail storm you have your roof inspected by a professional roofing contractor who offers storm damage repair.

If you need to have someone come out, then make sure to give us a call. We are not only local to the area but we are also able to work with your insurance company to find out the coverage that is available under your policy and then fight to make sure you get the repairs done quickly.

Trusting in who is doing the work on your home is important. Trust in a company that is from the area - don't  let the storm chasers get a foot in the door. You may fork out a down payment and never see them again. But when you work with a licensed contractor with a good reputation, you know your home will be restored.