Storm damage roof claims in Naperville, IL
In Naperville one layer of the roof decides whether the City ever sees your storm damage: the sheathing under the shingles. We document the roof down to that layer, price the permit work where the damage reaches it, and present the claim to your insurer.
We represent you, not the insurer, as Illinois licensed public adjusters. Call any day of the week; nothing is paid upfront.
Where the permit line sits on a Naperville roof
A shingle roof is a stack of layers. Hail and wind work from the top down, and how deep the damage goes changes what the repair is, who inspects it and what belongs in your claim.
Damage that stops above the deck
Bruised or cracked shingles, lost granules, creased tabs, torn underlayment. The roofer can strip and re-shingle without a City permit, so no City inspector looks at the roof. The proof is whatever was photographed and measured before tear-off. How hail leaves its marks is on our hail damage claims page.
Damage that reaches the sheathing
A limb through the deck, boards split by impact, decking soaked and soft after the shingles blew off. Replacing sheathing takes the job out of the exemption, so the permit, the inspection and any work the code requires become part of the repair, and of the estimate we send your insurer.
Your roof and walls, material by material
Check your own house against the City's rule. Where a permit is needed, the cost of getting it and passing the inspection is a cost of the repair, the same as labor and materials.
| Material after the storm | City permit | What the estimate has to carry |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingles, deck left in place | Not required | Every slope the storm damaged, ridge and hip caps, flashing, vents, and shingles that match the rest of the roof |
| Asphalt shingles, deck replaced | Required | The sheathing itself, the permit, and work the inspection calls for |
| Metal, cedar or other wood, slate | Required | The same material at today's price, the permit, and the longer install time these roofs take |
| Flat or low-slope sealed membrane | Required | The membrane, insulation board that got wet, edge metal and the permit |
| Vinyl, aluminum or cement board siding | Not required | Each damaged wall, and panels that match the walls the storm did not reach |
When new siding or shingles cannot match what is left, read roof and siding matching in Illinois. Where code work raises the price, whether it is paid as part of the repair or under ordinance or law coverage depends on your forms, and we read them before the estimate goes in.
June 20, 2021: what Naperville's last big storm left on the claim files
The EF-3 tornado that crossed south Naperville took about 23 minutes. Many of the claims it started ran for most of a year, and the argument in the ones that went public was the price of the repair.
- The tornado begins just south of 75th Street, on the western edge of the Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve.
- A house on Princeton Circle collapses completely, and nearby homes take serious damage to roofs and walls. Power poles go down on E Bailey Road west of Naper Boulevard.
- The tornado ends near Buffalo Woods in Willow Springs, after crossing Woodridge.
Times and places from the National Weather Service Chicago event summary for June 20-21, 2021.
One Naperville roof, three numbers
A couple's roof, lifted and cracked by the tornado, as reported by ABC7 Chicago in March 2023.
Figures from ABC7 Chicago, March 24, 2023. Their claim, not one of ours.
When the insurer accepts the storm but not the price, many homeowners policies send the amount to appraisal: each side names an appraiser, and an umpire settles what they cannot agree on. Our guide to the insurance appraisal clause explains when it applies. For a house the wind took apart, see tornado damage claims.
What we photograph at the deck before a roofer starts
Once the old roof is in a dumpster, the evidence for the permit work is gone with it. These are the shots we take on a Naperville roof first.
- The underside of the deckFrom the attic, with a light: wet stains, daylight through cracks and splits under the damaged slope.
- Soft spots underfootEach one marked with chalk on the shingles and photographed from close and from far, so its place on the roof is clear.
- Punctures and impact holesWhere hail, a limb or flying debris went through the shingles into the boards, with a tape measure in the frame.
- Nails pulled throughShingles that tore loose around the nails and left the deck open to rain after the storm.
- Flat sections and penetrationsMembrane splits and lifted seams, and the flashing around vents, skylights and the chimney.
- The walls on the storm sideSiding cracks and holes on the elevation that faced the weather, next to the walls that did not.
Wind marks that never break the deck, such as creased tabs and broken seals, are covered on our wind damage claims page.
Start a Naperville storm claim review
We read your policy and your insurer's estimate free, and tell you plainly whether there is more to claim. Rated 4.9 from 33 Google reviews, all on our reviews page.
Have these ready when we call:
- The storm date and your Naperville address
- Your declarations page, with the wind and hail deductible on it
- The insurer's estimate, and any roofer's quote you already have
- Photos taken before any tear-off, from the yard and from the attic
Has the roofer already found broken sheathing? Tell us. It is the part of the claim most often left off the first estimate.
Naperville storm claim questions
Do you handle storm damage roof claims in Naperville, IL?
Yes. Naperville homes and businesses are inside the area we cover, which is all of Illinois, and we inspect the roof in person.
Do I need a City permit to replace a storm-damaged roof in Naperville?
Not for an asphalt shingle roof when the existing sheathing stays in place. Metal, wood, slate and sealed membrane roofs need a permit, and so does a re-roof where the sheathing has to be replaced.
Who pays for new sheathing and the permit after a storm?
When the storm damaged the deck, the sheathing, the permit and the inspection are part of the cost of the repair, so they belong in the claim estimate, less your deductible.
My insurer agrees there is storm damage but offers far less than my roofer's quote. What now?
Compare the two estimates line by line first; missing slopes, caps and deck work are common gaps. If the amount is still disputed, the appraisal clause in many policies is the route.
What does a storm claim cost me?
No money at the start. Our fee is a percentage of what the insurer pays on the roof claim, set in our signed contract, so a claim that brings in nothing costs you nothing.