Lake storm line open 24/7
Hail Damage Roofing at Lake of the Ozarks, MO
Plenty of lake roofs get hit when nobody's home. We go up, photograph every slope, and send the report to you wherever you live.
Short answer
Hail inspections at Lake of the Ozarks are free, and you don't have to be at the property for one. We mark and photograph every slope, check the soft metals, and email you the report so you can decide on a claim from home. Active leak? Call 1-800-564-6232 at any hour.
Why lake roofs get missed
Most hail damage at the lake isn't found the week it happens. A big share of the houses around Osage Beach, Sunrise Beach and Laurie are second homes or short-term rentals, and the owner lives in St. Louis, Kansas City or out of state. A storm rolls through on a weeknight in May. Nobody looks up at the roof until a guest mentions a brown ring on the bedroom ceiling in August, or a buyer's inspector finds it at closing.
That gap costs people money. Hail cracks the fiberglass mat underneath the granules, and a bruised shingle usually doesn't leak right away. Sun and a couple of freeze-thaw winters open the crack slowly, so a roof can look fine for two to five years and then start leaking in several places at once. By then the window on your policy may be closed. Our page on hail claim deadlines covers how those windows usually work.
What we see on lake houses
The housing here is all over the place. Older cabins near the original shoreline tend to have low-slope roofs, and some carry a second layer of shingles laid right over the first. Newer builds on the ridges around Lake Ozark and Camdenton are often steep and cut up, with lots of valleys, dormers and skylights. Many of them face open water with nothing to slow the wind.
Wind-driven hail hits the lake side of a house much harder than the street side. So we grade each elevation on its own instead of assuming the whole roof took the same beating. Trees matter too. Heavy oak and hickory cover on the hillsides means limbs come down in the same storms, and a branch strike gets written up separately from hail.
How an inspection works when you're four hours away
Call or send the form with the address, plus a gate code or lockbox note if we'll need one. We don't need to get inside to inspect a roof. Up top, the estimator chalks a 10x10 test square on each slope, counts the impacts inside it and circles every hit so it shows up in the photos. Then he checks the soft metals: vent caps, gutter aprons, downspouts and the fins on the AC condenser. Fresh dents there help date the storm, and adjusters pay attention to that.
You get the photos and a short written summary by email. If water is getting in, we tarp it the same day. If the damage is real, we'll tell you what a claim probably looks like. If it isn't, you'll hear that too, and you'll have dated photos of a sound roof on file. More on what's included in a hail damage roof inspection.
1. Rentals stay bookable
A tarp the night of the storm keeps the next reservation alive. We'll schedule the permanent repair around turnover days when the calendar allows.
2. Wind off the water
Slopes facing the main channel take the worst of a storm. Each elevation gets its own count and its own photos.
3. Price Class 4 too
Shingles rated UL 2218 Class 4 earn a premium credit with most carriers. If you're replacing, both prices go on the estimate.
Insurance notes for lake property owners
A second home or rental is often on a separate policy from your primary house, sometimes with another carrier entirely. Find out which policy covers the lake place before you file, then look at that policy's deductible, not the one on your main home. If you rent the house out by the night, ask your agent whether short-term rental use changes anything. That's a question for them, not us, but it's better asked before the adjuster shows up.
One thing we won't do is offer to cover or waive your deductible. That's insurance fraud in most Midwest states, and a contractor who offers it is showing you how he'll handle the rest of the job. If you're replacing anyway, it's worth reading up on impact-resistant shingles first.
Questions we hear at the lake
Do I need to be at the lake house for the inspection?
No. We only need access to the outside of the house. Leave a gate code or lockbox note if one applies, and we'll email the photos and summary when we're done.
How soon after a storm should I get the roof looked at?
As soon as you reasonably can. Hail damage often doesn't leak for a few years, and most policies limit how long you have to report a storm. A dated report made right after the event is the strongest thing you can hand an adjuster.
Can hail hurt a metal roof?
It can dent one, and whether cosmetic dents are covered depends on your policy, since some exclude cosmetic damage to metal. We'll look at any roof on the property and tell you plainly what we see. Our metal roof page has more on how carriers treat it. Hail on metal roofs ›
Will you meet the adjuster if I can't make the drive?
Yes. We meet the adjuster on the roof, walk him through the test squares and soft-metal dents, and send you notes afterward so you know what was agreed.
A guest just called about a leak at night. What now?
Call 1-800-564-6232. A live person answers 24/7, and an active leak gets an emergency tarp dispatched, not an appointment next week. Ask the guest to move anything valuable away from the drip.
Nearby pages
Free Hail Inspection in Lake of the Ozarks
Give us the basics and we'll reach out to schedule a documented Lake of the Ozarks roof check.
See what's really on your lake roof
Family-owned since 1947, with storm crews answering around the clock.