Wind damage roof claims in Elmhurst, IL
Elmhurst asks for no permit to re-roof a house, so no City inspector ever writes down what the wind did to your shingles. The siding and windows the same storm hits do need permits. We build the roof claim from evidence and price the wall work at the City's own fees.
Licensed Illinois public adjusters, open seven days a week. $0 upfront, fee from the recovery only.
From the City of Elmhurst FAQ and its Residential Permit Fees, effective May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027.
No permit on the roof means no City record of the damage
In Geneva and other Illinois towns a new roof needs a permit, and the permit brings an inspector. In Elmhurst that visit does not happen for a house, so the claim rests on what was photographed and measured before the tear-off.
The roof: proved by you and by us
Creased tabs, broken seals and shingles that slid out of line are the marks wind leaves. Once a roofer strips the deck, they are gone, and the carrier's adjuster may have spent a short visit looking from a ladder.
We walk every slope, lift tabs by hand and photograph each mark with its location, so the file shows a pattern a single storm made. More on how wind ruins shingles that still lie flat on our wind damage claims page.
The siding and windows: on the City's books
Replacement siding and replacement windows need a permit through the City's Citizen Self-Service Portal, and the permit is good for one year from the day it is issued.
The fee is a cost of doing the repair, the same as the nails. We list it in the estimate we send the carrier. Where new siding cannot match the old walls, see roof and siding matching in Illinois.
What we mark on an Elmhurst roof before anyone tears it off
The order matters less than the place. Each mark is photographed close up and then from far enough back to show where it sits on the roof.
- The slopes that faced the gusts. Lifted and creased tabs gather on the side the storm came from, and along the edges where wind gets under the first course.
- Ridge and hip caps. They sit highest and catch the most wind, and missing caps leave the nails open to rain.
- Rakes and eaves. Starter strips and edge metal pulled loose here let water run behind the gutters.
- Seals you can only feel. A shingle that lifts freely by hand has lost its bond, even when it looks flat from the yard.
- The ceiling under each slope. A fresh stain after a windy night ties the opening in the roof to the water inside.
If water came in, the carrier will ask whether the wind made an opening first. Our guide to the wind-driven rain opening test explains why that question decides the interior part of the claim.
One storm, priced at the City's fees
Take a house where a single storm tears vinyl siding off the west wall, cracks seven windows on that side and the front, and pushes over a run of fence. The roof is replaced too.
The receipt beside this text adds up only the City's charges for that work, from its fee schedule. It does not include labor or materials.
Each of these fees is a real cost of putting the house back, and none of them shows up unless someone writes it into the estimate. A permit for the fence falls under the other structures part of the policy, as our guide to detached structures coverage explains.
Your deductible still applies to the whole loss. If your policy carries a percentage deductible for wind and hail, see how a percentage wind deductible works before you compare any figure with your estimate.
| Re-roof, houseNo permit required | $0 |
| Siding replacementWest wall | $173 |
| Window replacement7 windows, 6 and over | $177 |
| FenceOne run along the lot line | $88 |
| DumpsterWhere the City requires a permit for one | $82 |
| City fees in this example | $520 |
Fees from the City of Elmhurst Residential Permit Fees, Community Development, 209 N. York St., 630-530-3030.
When the house was built before 1978
Federal lead rules apply to every Elmhurst home built before 1978. The City's building page reminds owners to ask for the contractor's certification, and the EPA rule decides what that certification costs on a storm repair.
- Window replacementAlways covered by the EPA rule in a pre-1978 home, whatever its size.
- Siding and trimCovered once the work disturbs more than 20 square feet of painted exterior.
- Certified firmEvery company paid to do that work must hold EPA certification, sole traders included.
- Lead-safe workContainment, cleanup and the time they take become part of the repair price.
We ask the carrier to price the repair the way the law lets it be done. Whether the extra cost is paid as part of the repair or under ordinance or law coverage depends on your policy forms, which we read before the estimate goes in. The rule itself is on the EPA's renovation, repair and painting page.
Will the City haul away the branches from my yard?
No. The City of Elmhurst does not chip or pick up limbs and brush from trees on private property, so the cleanup after a windstorm is a bill you pay to a tree service.
Many homeowners policies carry a separate, smaller limit for removing trees and limbs, and the rules change when a limb lands on the house or the garage. Our page on fallen tree damage claims sorts out which line pays which part.
Send us three things from the storm
We read the policy and the carrier's estimate free and tell you plainly whether the claim is worth pursuing. 4.9 from 34 Google reviews, on our reviews page.
- The storm date and your Elmhurst address
- The declarations page, with the wind and hail deductible on it
- Photos of the roof edges, the siding and the windows, taken before any work starts
Already have a roofer's quote that is higher than the insurance estimate? Send both. Comparing them line by line is often where the missing items show up.
Elmhurst wind claim questions
Do you handle wind damage roof claims in Elmhurst, IL?
Yes. Elmhurst homes and businesses are inside the area we cover, which is the whole state of Illinois, and we inspect the roof on site.
Do I need a permit to replace a wind-damaged roof in Elmhurst?
Not for a house. The City’s FAQ says no permit is required for a residential re-roof. Replacement siding and windows do need one.
Who pays the Elmhurst permit fees for new siding and windows after a storm?
They are part of the cost of the repair, so they belong in the claim estimate with the rest of the work, less your deductible.
My Elmhurst house was built before 1978. Does that change the window and siding repair?
Yes. Under the EPA lead rule, window replacement and larger exterior paint work must be done by a certified firm using lead-safe methods, which adds to the price.
What does a wind claim cost me?
You pay us nothing to start. We are paid a percentage of the insurance payment on the claim, written into the contract you sign, and if the carrier pays nothing, you owe us nothing.