Spring Pre-Storm Roof Checklist | Wannamaker

San Antonio's hail season doesn't send a calendar invite. Storms typically ramp up in late March and peak from April through June — sometimes delivering baseball-sized hail with almost no warning. The difference between a minor repair and a full roof replacement often comes down to what shape your roof was in before that first big storm rolled through. This checklist is what we actually walk through with homeowners every spring. No filler, no scare tactics — just the steps that matter.

Why Spring Timing Matters in San Antonio

The National Weather Service office here in New Braunfels tracks our severe weather season closely, and the data is consistent: Bexar County's highest concentration of damaging hail events falls between April and early June. That means February and March are your action window — the weeks when roofing contractors aren't yet buried in storm damage calls and when a small fix is still a small fix.

Waiting until after the first storm means competing with thousands of other homeowners for contractor time, dealing with insurance adjusters on a backlog, and potentially living with a compromised roof during the rest of storm season. Getting ahead of it costs less and protects more.

The Checklist: What to Do and When

1. Ground-Level Visual Inspection (February–Early March)

You don't need to climb on your roof. Walk the perimeter of your home and look up with binoculars. You're checking for:

• Missing or lifted shingles. Winter northers can peel back edges, especially on north-facing slopes that take the brunt of cold fronts.
• Flashing separation. Look where your roof meets walls, chimneys, and vent pipes. Gaps or rust here mean water is getting in — or will be soon.
• Granule loss in gutters. Check your downspout discharge areas. A noticeable pile of granules means your asphalt shingles are aging faster than they should.
• Sagging or uneven rooflines. This can indicate decking damage or structural issues that a storm will make dramatically worse.

2. Attic Check (March)

Grab a flashlight and spend five minutes in your attic. This is the single most underrated step homeowners skip. Look for:

• Daylight through the decking. If you see pinpoints of light, you have gaps that water will exploit.
• Water stains or discoloration. Dark spots on rafters or sheathing mean moisture has already found a way in. Even if it's dry now, that path will reactivate during heavy rain.
• Ventilation issues. San Antonio's humidity means your attic needs to breathe. Blocked soffit vents or a ridge vent clogged with insulation accelerates shingle deterioration from underneath — something most homeowners never see until it's too late.

3. Gutter and Drainage Cleanup (March)

Live oaks drop leaves in March — right when you need your gutters clear for spring storms. Clogged gutters cause water to back up under your drip edge, which rots fascia boards and can damage your roof decking along the eaves. Clean them out, check for proper slope toward downspouts, and make sure downspout extensions direct water at least three feet from your foundation.

4. Trim Overhanging Branches (March–April)

This one is specific to neighborhoods like Alamo Heights, Helotes, and parts of Stone Oak where mature trees are close to rooflines. Branches that touch or overhang your roof do two things during storms: they scrape granules off shingles in high wind, and they can snap and puncture decking. A good rule is six feet of clearance. If you have pecan or oak limbs within that range, get them trimmed before April.

5. Schedule a Professional Inspection (March–Early April)

A trained eye catches what binoculars miss. Cracked boot seals around plumbing vents, micro-fractures in tile roofing, nail pops in the field of the roof — these are things that turn a survivable storm into an insurance claim. We offer a free roof inspection specifically for this reason: documenting your roof's pre-storm condition protects you if you need to file a claim later.

Pro tip: if your roof is over 10 years old, a spring inspection isn't optional. It's the cheapest insurance you'll buy all year.

6. Review Your Insurance Policy (April)

Texas insurers have made significant changes to wind and hail coverage over the past few years. Many policies now carry separate wind/hail deductibles — often 1% or 2% of your dwelling coverage, which on a $350,000 home means $3,500 to $7,000 out of pocket before your policy pays a dime. Some carriers have moved to actual cash value (ACV) on roofs over a certain age instead of replacement cost value (RCV).

Call your agent — not the 800 number, your actual agent — and ask two questions: What's my wind/hail deductible? And is my roof covered at replacement cost or actual cash value? Knowing this before a storm lets you make informed decisions about whether a pre-storm roof repair makes more financial sense than waiting and filing a claim.

7. Document Everything (Ongoing)

Take dated photos of your roof from multiple angles before storm season starts. If you have a professional inspection done, keep that report. After any hail event, photograph your roof, your gutters, your AC unit, and any soft metals (mailbox, window screens, garage door) that show impact marks. This documentation becomes critical if your insurance claim is disputed — and in San Antonio, disputed claims are more common than most people realize.

What This Checklist Won't Do

No amount of preparation makes a roof hail-proof. A direct hit from 2-inch hail will damage even a brand-new roof. But a roof that's in good repair going into storm season is far more likely to survive moderate storms without leaking, far easier to get properly covered by insurance, and far less expensive to fix when damage does occur. Preparation doesn't eliminate risk — it shrinks the gap between a manageable repair and a financial headache.