Guides · Published 2026-10-24 · Updated 2026-10-25 · By David Linda, Founder

Hail damage roof replacement in Colorado: from storm day to final inspection

When hail shreds roofs from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs, the same thing happens every time. Within days there are yard signs, door-knockers and trucks with plates from three states away. Most of those roofers are legitimate. The problem is that a homeowner can't tell which ones are from the doorstep, and the rules that protect you change at every city line.

This guide walks through a hail claim in order, from the afternoon of the storm to the final inspection. It covers what the Colorado Division of Insurance tells homeowners, what Colorado's residential roofing law requires, who licenses roofers in each Front Range city, what one city's permit records show about who does this work, and where to go if something goes wrong. If you're in Colorado Springs, our Colorado Springs hail guide goes deeper on PPRBD. For the city-by-city license rules in more detail, see Do roofers need a license in Colorado?

How often hail hits the Front Range

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center publishes a hail climatology for the area around the Denver/Boulder radar, a circle of 124 nautical miles that covers most of the Front Range. It's based on storm reports from 1980 through 2006, so treat it as a long-run picture, not a recent count.

By month, the reports averaged about 1 a year in March, 11 in April, 40 in May, 82 in June, 51 in July, 38 in August, 12 in September and 2 in October. Yearly totals ranged from 36 reports in 1980 to 666 in 2005. Those are reports from spotters and the public, so they reflect how many people were watching and reporting as well as how many storms there were. The practical takeaway holds either way: late spring and summer afternoons are hail season, and June is the peak.

Storm day: the first 48 hours

1. Stay safe and wait it out. Don't climb on a wet or damaged roof. A ground-level look and photos are enough for now.
2. Prevent more damage. The Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI) tells homeowners to document the damage and take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, such as covering holes with a tarp. Keep receipts for tarps and emergency repairs.
3. Call your insurer yourself, as soon as you can. DOI's first tip after a hailstorm is to contact your insurance company or agent quickly. Write down the claim number and the name of everyone you talk to.
4. Don't sign at the door. DOI cautions about contractors who go door to door after a storm and suggests working with Colorado-based contractors. A paper labeled "inspection authorization" or "agreement" can be a contract. Read it as one.

How to document hail damage

Your photos and notes are the evidence for your claim, and they're yours, not the roofer's. A simple routine works:

• Date and size. Photograph hailstones next to a coin or ruler if it's safe, and note the time the storm hit.
• Soft metals first. Dents in gutters, downspouts, vents, window screens and the air-conditioner fins are easy to photograph from the ground and help show the storm reached your house.
• Every side of the house. Siding, window wraps, paint, fences and the deck. DOI's hail FAQ notes there's no Colorado law requiring an insurer to match undamaged siding or paint, so document what was actually hit.
• Inside. Stains on ceilings or in the attic, and anything wet.
• Keep a log. Who inspected, when, and what they said. Save texts and emails.

If a roofer offers to inspect, that's normal. Ask for copies of their photos too, and keep them with yours.

The insurance claim, step by step

This section follows DOI's 2024 consumer advisory and its after-a-hailstorm FAQ. Your policy controls the details, so read it alongside these points.

• Know your deductible before you file. Your policy may have a separate wind and hail deductible, and DOI says it may be a percentage, such as 1%, 2% or 5%, rather than a flat dollar amount. Check your declarations page for what the percentage applies to. If it applies to a $500,000 coverage limit, for example, 2% is $10,000. If the damage is less than your deductible, the insurer won't pay.
• Ask for an itemized explanation. DOI suggests asking the adjuster to explain the estimate item by item. If you disagree, ask for the specific policy language the decision rests on.
• If the claim is denied, get it in writing. DOI says to ask for a written denial that gives the reason and cites the specific policy language. In Colorado that letter matters for another reason: it starts your 72-hour right to cancel a roofing contract (more below).
• Don't rush to settle. DOI encourages homeowners to get more than one contractor estimate.
• The estimate can change. If more damage turns up once the old roof is off, tell the insurer before work continues. DOI says the insurer can issue a supplement for the added damage.
• Matching and non-renewal. DOI's FAQ says no Colorado law requires matching of siding or paint, and no law specifically addresses non-renewal after a hail claim, though multiple losses may lead an insurer not to renew. Ask your agent how a claim affects your policy.
• Hail-resistant roofs. In the same advisory, the Insurance Commissioner suggested asking about premium discounts or deductible savings for impact-resistant roofing. Ask before you choose materials.

Public adjusters

A public adjuster works for you, not the insurer, to prepare and negotiate a claim. DOI says public adjusters must be licensed by the Division, often charge a percentage of the claim payment, and are not required. Check the license before you sign. One thing a roofer cannot do in Colorado is act as your public adjuster: under C.R.S. 6-22-105, a roofing contractor can't represent themselves as, or act as, a public adjuster. A roofer may discuss the scope of the roofing work with your insurer once you have a valid contract.

Who to call at the Division of Insurance

If your claim stalls, the information you're getting doesn't add up, or you want to file a complaint, call DOI Consumer Services at 303-894-7490 (toll-free outside the Denver metro area, 800-930-3745) or email DORA_Insurance@state.co.us.

What 28,542 Boulder re-roof permits tell you

Most Colorado cities don't publish their permit records as open data. Boulder does, and its file is the best public look we have at who replaces roofs on the Front Range. We pulled the City of Boulder's construction permit data on October 20, 2026. It holds 337,482 permits issued from 1987 through October 19, 2026, and 28,542 of them are "Roofing Replacement Permits."

Three things stand out:

• Volume swings a lot. 2019 had more than twice as many re-roof permits as 2017. That's the pattern you'd expect after damaging storms, when demand outruns local crews. We haven't matched those years to specific storms, so treat it as context, not proof.
• Many companies do the work, and a few do much of it. From January 2021 through October 19, 2026, Boulder issued 5,084 re-roof permits to 634 different contractor names. The ten busiest names pulled 32% of them. A roofer who says they do "hundreds of roofs" in your city should be able to point to permits.
• Homeowners rarely pull their own roof permits. Only 131 of the 28,542 roof permits list an owner/contractor. If a roofer asks you to pull the permit, ask why.

The median estimated project cost on Boulder re-roof permits since 2021 was $10,728. That's the value the applicant wrote on the permit, not a quote, but it's a useful sanity check against a door-knocker's number.

Who licenses roofers in each Front Range city

Colorado has no state roofing license. Cities, counties and regional building departments license roofers, and the rules differ. Here's what each department's own pages say. Licensing is based on where the house is, not where the roofer's office is.

"Licenses don't transfer" is mostly true, with exceptions. Wheat Ridge, for example, accepts an active license from Aurora, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, Fort Collins, Pikes Peak or Park County as proof of qualification, and several cities accept an ICC exam passed elsewhere. You still need the license for your city.

What our license lists show about roofers who work several cities

HomeProFax has loaded the contractor license lists from Aurora, Arvada and Thornton. Together they hold 933 roofing contractors. Of those, 172 hold a roofing license in two or more of the three cities, and 37 hold one in all three. That's normal for established metro roofers, and it's a good sign when it matches where they say they work.

A Colorado mailing address alone doesn't tell you much. Only 3 of those 933 roofers list an out-of-state address. Out-of-town storm crews often set up a local address or work under a local company's license, so ask how long they've worked in your city, and ask to see permits there.

When your re-roof needs a permit

• Denver: on buildings under 25,000 square feet, a repair needs a permit if it covers more than 10% of the roof or two roof squares, whichever is smaller. A full replacement needs one, as does every new roof penetration. Denver's roofing guide also says you can't replace a partial slope. Denver offers a quick roofing permit without plan review, and its inspections page warns that after heavy storm seasons roofing inspections can't always be scheduled for the next business day.
• Colorado Springs (PPRBD): the licensing FAQ lists roof or siding work under 100 square feet among the work a handyman can do without a building contractor license. Larger roof jobs need a PPRBD-licensed roofer.
• Arvada: re-roofing requires a permit and a final inspection.
• Smaller towns differ. Johnstown, for example, requires a permit for roofing over 200 square feet. Check your own building department's page.

A permit protects you. It means an inspector looks at the work, and it creates a record you'll want when you sell the house or file the next claim.

Your rights under Colorado's roofing law (C.R.S. 6-22)

Wherever you live in Colorado, the residential roofing law passed in 2012 (SB 12-038) applies. These are the parts that matter most after a hailstorm.

The written contract (C.R.S. 6-22-103)

Before any roofing work starts, the roofer must give you a written contract signed by both of you. Under C.R.S. 6-22-103 it must state at least:

• the scope of the work and the materials;
• the approximate dates of service;
• the approximate cost, based on the damage known when you sign;
• the roofer's contact information, including a physical address, email and phone number;
• the roofer's surety and liability insurer, with contact information, if applicable;
• the roofer's cancellation and refund policy, including your right to rescind within 72 hours of signing and get a full refund of any deposit, plus a statement that you can also rescind after an insurance denial;
• a statement that, if insurance is paying, the roofer can't pay, waive or rebate any part of your deductible; and
• on the face of the contract, in bold type, a statement that the roofer will hold your payment in trust until materials are delivered to your home or most of the work is done.

Cancelling after an insurance denial (C.R.S. 6-22-104)

If you signed a roofing contract expecting insurance to pay and the claim is denied in whole or in part, C.R.S. 6-22-104 lets you cancel within 72 hours after you receive the insurer's written denial. The roofer must return your payments within 10 days, though they may keep the cost of work actually performed. That's one more reason to insist the denial is in writing.

No paying or waiving your deductible (C.R.S. 6-22-105)

A roofer can't advertise or promise to pay, waive or rebate any part of your deductible (C.R.S. 6-22-105). An offer to "take care of your deductible" isn't a favor. It's a violation, and it usually means the cost shows up somewhere else.

Storm-chaser red flags

1. "We'll take care of your deductible." That's prohibited by state law, and it usually means the price is padded somewhere else.
2. A form to sign on the doorstep before you've talked to your insurer. Read anything labeled "authorization," "agreement" or "contingency" as a contract, because it may be one.
3. A license from a different city, or "license pending." In Colorado Springs, PPRBD's FAQ says new licenses take six to eight weeks, so a roofer who arrived after the storm may not be able to pull your permit.
4. No permits in your city. In Boulder, an experienced re-roofer will have permits on file. Elsewhere, ask for addresses of recent permitted jobs nearby.
5. Full payment upfront, or a deposit with no written trust language.
6. A name on the truck that doesn't match the license or the contract.
7. Pressure to decide before the adjuster comes. A good roofer will meet the adjuster with you. They won't need your signature first.

From storm day to final inspection: a timeline

1. Day 0–2: photograph, tarp, call your insurer and get a claim number. Don't sign at the door.
2. Week 1: get two or three roofers to inspect. Check each one's license with your city (Colorado has none, DORA confirms), and ask each for their HomeProFax report.
3. Adjuster visit: be there, ideally with the roofer you trust most. Ask for the itemized estimate afterward.
4. Decision: if the claim is denied, get the written denial. If it's approved, compare the estimate with your roofer's scope line by line.
5. Contract: sign only a written contract with the C.R.S. 6-22-103 terms, including the 72-hour cancellation and the bold trust statement. Note the date and time you signed.
6. Permit: confirm the permit is issued in the roofer's name before tear-off, and keep the permit number.
7. Tear-off: if hidden damage turns up, tell the insurer before the work continues so it can issue a supplement.
8. Final inspection: don't make the final payment until the city's final inspection passes. Keep the permit, the inspection record, the contract, photos and warranty papers together. You'll want them when you sell or file the next claim.

If something goes wrong

• Insurance problems: DOI Consumer Services, 303-894-7490.
• A roofer who took money and didn't do the work: the Colorado Attorney General's complaint page says the office can't give legal advice or investigate individual cases, and recommends a theft report with local law enforcement when a contractor took payment and didn't do the work. You can also file a consumer complaint at StopFraudColorado.gov or call 800-222-4444. Patterns of complaints are how the state spots repeat offenders.
• License problems: the city or county that licensed the roofer, such as Denver Community Planning and Development or PPRBD.
• Getting your money back: Colorado small claims court handles claims up to $7,500. Our guide A contractor took my deposit in Colorado has a demand letter and the steps in order.

Skip the legwork: ask for the report

Checking a roofer the hard way means a city license search, a permit search (if your city publishes one), the Secretary of State and a review site or two, for each roofer. Instead, ask every roofer you're considering for their verified HomeProFax report. It shows the city licenses we hold for the business, permits on file, business registration and any discipline flags, with the source for each. A roofer with a solid record can send it in a minute. If one won't, keep looking.

Browse licensed roofers by city: Aurora roofers · Arvada roofers · Thornton roofers · Denver contractors. Related: Colorado Springs hail guide · Colorado roofing license rules · If a contractor took your deposit.

Last updated October 25, 2026. Hail climatology: NOAA Storm Prediction Center, Denver/Boulder (FTG) radar area, 1980–2006. Insurance guidance: Colorado Division of Insurance advisory (May 31, 2024) and hail FAQ, checked October 25, 2026. Statutes: C.R.S. 6-22-103 to 6-22-105. Permit figures: City of Boulder Open Data (construction permits), pulled October 20, 2026. License-list figures: HomeProFax data from the Aurora, Arvada and Thornton contractor lists, as of October 24, 2026. City rules: each department's official page, checked October 24, 2026. This is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Rules and policies change, so confirm with your insurer, your building department or a Colorado attorney.

Common questions

What should I do right after a hailstorm damages my roof?

Photograph the damage, cover any openings to prevent further damage, and call your insurer yourself to start a claim. The Colorado Division of Insurance encourages getting more than one contractor estimate. Don’t sign anything at the door before you’ve talked to your insurer.

Do roofers need a state license in Colorado?

No. DORA says some occupations, including roofers and general contractors, aren’t licensed by the state, so check with your city. Roofers are licensed by cities, counties and regional departments such as Denver and PPRBD, and Denver and PPRBD don’t accept other jurisdictions’ licenses.

Can I cancel a roofing contract if my insurance company denies the claim?

Yes. Under C.R.S. 6-22-104, if you signed expecting insurance to pay and the claim is denied in whole or in part, you can cancel within 72 hours of receiving the insurer’s written denial. The roofer must return your payments within 10 days, less the cost of work actually performed. Separately, C.R.S. 6-22-103 gives you 72 hours after signing to rescind with a full deposit refund.

Can a roofer pay or waive my insurance deductible in Colorado?

No. C.R.S. 6-22-105 prohibits a roofer from advertising or promising to pay, waive or rebate any part of your deductible.

How does a wind and hail deductible work?

The Division of Insurance says your policy may have a separate wind and hail deductible, and it may be a percentage, such as 1%, 2% or 5%, rather than a flat amount. Check your declarations page to see what the percentage applies to. If the damage is less than the deductible, the insurer won’t pay.

Does my insurer have to match undamaged siding or paint?

The Division of Insurance says no Colorado law requires matching of siding or paint. Document everything that was actually damaged and ask the adjuster to explain the estimate item by item.

Do I need a permit to replace a hail-damaged roof in Colorado?

In most Front Range cities, yes. Denver requires a permit for a full replacement and for repairs over 10% of the roof or two squares (whichever is smaller) on buildings under 25,000 square feet. Arvada requires a permit and a final inspection for re-roofing. PPRBD in Colorado Springs lets a handyman do roof work under 100 square feet, but larger jobs need a PPRBD-licensed roofer. Check your own building department.

What is the fastest way to check a roofer after a hailstorm?

Ask the roofer for their verified HomeProFax report. It shows the city licenses, permits, business registration and discipline flags we hold for the business, with sources, so you don’t have to search each city yourself.

Sources

Official pages we checked for this guide. Rules change, so confirm with the agency before you rely on them.

• Colorado Division of Insurance: hail storm consumer advisory (2024)
• Colorado Division of Insurance: after a hail storm FAQs
• NOAA Storm Prediction Center: Denver/Boulder hail climatology, 1980–2006
• C.R.S. 6-22-103 (roofing contract requirements)
• C.R.S. 6-22-104 (cancellation after insurance denial)
• C.R.S. 6-22-105 (deductibles, public adjusting)
• DORA: consumer protection, home and repair
• Colorado Attorney General: file a complaint
• StopFraudColorado.gov
• Colorado Judicial Branch: small claims
• Denver Roofing Guide and Checklist (permit thresholds)
• Denver Building Inspections (roofing inspections)
• Denver Contractor Licensing
• PPRBD roofing contractor licensing
• PPRBD insurance requirements
• PPRBD licensing FAQ
• Aurora contractor licensing and lookup
• Lakewood contractor registration
• Arvada contractor licensing
• Arvada re-roofing
• Thornton contractor information
• Littleton contractor licensing
• Boulder contractor licensing
• Fort Collins contractor licensing
• Loveland contractor licensing
• Longmont contractor information
• Wheat Ridge contractor licenses
• Johnstown building permits

More Colorado guides

• How to Check a Contractor in Colorado: License, Courts, Permits and Insurance
• Denver contractor licensing explained: certificates, license classes and what to check before you hire
• Hiring an electrician or plumber in Colorado: what 94,295 state license records show
• Frozen or burst pipes in Colorado: what to do first and how to check an emergency plumber
• Furnace and HVAC contractor licensing in Colorado: who licenses them, permits and carbon monoxide rules
• How contractor licensing works in Colorado Springs: a PPRBD guide (and the quick way to check)
• Reading Denver and Boulder permit records: what 347,000 permits say about a contractor
• Do roofers need a license in Colorado? The city-by-city answer
• Hiring a roofer after hail in Colorado Springs: your rights and the red flags
• A contractor took my deposit in Colorado. What now?
• Colorado contractor license lookup

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