The First 72 Hours After a Hail Storm: Your Complete Checklist

A hail storm hits your zone at 6:42 PM Tuesday. By 9 AM Wednesday there are 8 roofing trucks on every major street. By Friday, half the deals are already signed. If you are not in the zone by Wednesday morning, you are competing for the leftovers. The shops that win storm season win the first 72 hours.

Hour 0 to 12: Monitor and Decide

Before the storm even ends, your systems should be watching:

• NOAA NWS severe weather warnings by county
• HailTrace or HailStrike for storm size and path
• Twitter / X for on-the-ground hail photos
• Local news for damage reports
• Insurance claims volume through your carrier contacts

The go/no-go decision needs to happen within 12 hours. Metrics that matter:

1. Hail size 1.25 inches or larger (guaranteed claims)
2. Path width at least 2 miles (enough density to work)
3. Path length at least 10 miles (enough volume)
4. Population density at least 500 homes per square mile
5. Median home value over $150,000 (supports full replacements)

If all 5 are green, deploy. If 3 are green, deploy with reduced crew. If fewer than 3, stand down.

Hour 12 to 24: Logistics Lock

You have 12 hours to lock the logistics that make or break your storm chase:

Crew Mobilization

• Confirm availability of every rep and crew lead
• Book hotels for out-of-town deployments (this gets expensive fast: $120 to $180 per night)
• Arrange transport and vehicles
• Stock trucks with inspection tools, samples, door hangers, yard signs

Material Pipeline

• Call your preferred suppliers in the zone (ABC Supply, SRS, Beacon, Lowes) and confirm inventory
• Reserve volume pricing before every other shop does the same call
• Identify 2 backup suppliers within 60 miles
• Confirm shingle color availability (runs out fast in storm zones)

Insurance Contacts

• Confirm adjuster contacts at top 5 carriers (State Farm, Allstate, Farmers, USAA, Nationwide)
• Know catastrophe (CAT) team deployment for the zone
• Understand regional claim processing times (typically 2 to 6 weeks in storm zones)

Licensing

• Confirm your contractor license is valid in the state you are entering
• File any required storm-specific registrations (some states require within 72 hours)
• Verify insurance coverage for out-of-state work

Hour 24 to 48: First Knocks

Crews roll at 7 AM the day after the storm. Knocking strategy:

Pick the Right Neighborhoods First

• Work from the storm's center outward
• Prioritize streets with visible damage (bent gutters, shredded leaves, dented cars)
• Target homes built 1995-2015 (old enough for full replacements, new enough that owners are still there)
• Skip apartment complexes and HOA-heavy areas initially

Door Knocking Checklist

Business card___ Storm report / hail map printout___ Inspection form___ Ladder (24 or 28 ft)___ Phone with charged camera___ Chalk for hit marks___ Hail gauge for measurement___ Door hangers for no-answer___ Yard signs for closed deals___ Contingency contracts___ Business license + insurance copy___

Opening Line

Hi, I am Mike with [Company]. We have been in the area since yesterday checking on damage from Tuesday's storm. I noticed some hail marks on your gutters. Mind if I take a quick look at the roof? No cost, no obligation.

Specific storm date, specific observation, specific ask. Homeowners respond to specifics.

Hour 48 to 72: Volume Period

By hour 48, every competitor is in the zone. Your differentiator is process, not presence:

• Follow up same-day on every inspection done yesterday
• Schedule adjuster meetings for claims in process
• Plant yard signs on every closed job immediately
• Process contingency contracts nightly into your CRM

The 72-hour point is where shops start to separate. The ones who closed 30 deals in 72 hours will close 100 in two weeks. The ones who closed 5 will close 15.

Storm Zone KPIs

Track these daily during deployment:

• Doors knocked per rep per day (target 80 to 150)
• Inspections completed per rep per day (target 5 to 12)
• Contingency contracts signed per rep per day (target 2 to 5)
• Inspection to contract conversion (target 40 to 60 percent)
• Zone penetration (homes inspected / total homes in zone)

RoofKnockers has storm overlays that show your canvassing coverage against the actual hail path, so you know which streets you have knocked and which you missed.

Logistics That Kill Chasers

Things that sink storm chases more often than weather:

• Running out of crew housing during peak deployment
• Not securing material pricing before the surge
• Licensing issues in new states (a 2-week delay kills the chase)
• Rep burnout after 14 straight days of 12-hour shifts
• Cash flow gap between contracts signed and deposits collected

FAQ

Is it worth chasing every storm?

No. Roughly 60 percent of hail storms do not meet the 5-criteria test above. Chase the 40 percent that do and skip the rest. The math does not work on low-density or light hail zones.

How far out of state is too far?

Under 4 hours of driving is easy. 4 to 8 hours requires crew housing and local supplier relationships. Over 8 hours requires full deployment infrastructure and only makes sense on a 5-green-lights storm.

What if my state license does not cover the storm state?

Most states offer storm-specific or non-resident contractor licenses with 30 to 90 day turnaround. Texas, Colorado, Missouri, and Kansas have reciprocal paths. Some states (Florida, Louisiana) are harder. Pre-file before storm season.

How do I keep reps motivated past day 7?

Daily cash spiffs, clear end date, rotating days off, and premium food/lodging. A rep who closes 15 deals in a 10-day deployment on a $300 to $500 per-deal bonus will come back for every storm.