What a contractor should do the week after a big storm

The phone starts ringing before the wind even dies down. Every roofer and remodeler in Waukesha County gets the same flood of calls, and the week you handle it says more about your business than any ad ever will.

Triage the calls first

You can't get to everyone on day one. Sort calls into three piles: real damage that needs a tarp today, damage that can wait a week, and people who just want a look because a neighbor got one, with no damage of their own.

• Active leaks or missing shingles go first. Water inside a house gets worse by the hour.
• Cosmetic hail damage can wait a few days without harm.
• Curious homeowners with no visible damage go on a callback list.

Tell people the truth on the first call. If you're two weeks out, say two weeks. A homeowner who knows the wait is fine. One who gets ignored calls the next name on the list.

Price the same job the same way

Storm weeks tempt everyone to charge more because demand is high. Don't. Use the same price sheet you used last month. If your costs went up because materials are short, say that plainly and show the number. A contractor who holds a fair price during chaos earns the kind of trust that turns into referrals for years.

Keep a simple log of what you quoted and why. If a customer's insurance adjuster asks questions later, you want your numbers to match what you told the homeowner in week one.

Spot a storm chaser before your name gets tied to one

Storm chasers roll into Lake Country every time hail hits, knock on doors, take a deposit, and leave town before the job starts. Homeowners often can't tell them apart from a local crew, and that confusion can drag your reputation down along with the chaser's.

A few signs of a chaser:

• Out of state plates and a phone number that isn't local.
• No permanent address they can point to on a map.
• Pressure to sign today, before the adjuster even visits.
• A logo and truck wrap that looks brand new.

If a neighbor asks you to check out a bid from someone they don't recognize, look the company up. A real Wisconsin roofer has a paper trail: a business address, past jobs, a license if the trade needs one. You can check your own address history against past storms with the storm history tool, and it's a good thing to point curious homeowners toward too, so they can see what actually hit their street and when.

Document everything as you go

Take photos before you touch anything. Hail dents, torn flashing, a cracked window screen: shoot it all before cleanup starts. Insurance claims move faster when the paperwork already has proof attached. Keep photos organized by address and date so you're not digging through your phone at 9pm trying to remember which house had the bent gutter.

A simple habit: one folder per job, named with the address and the date of the storm. Drop photos in as you take them. It takes ten seconds and saves you an hour later.

Take care of your crew

Storm weeks run long. Twelve hour days on a roof in September heat wear a crew down fast, and tired workers make mistakes. Build in a real lunch break and stop the day at a set time, even when three more calls are waiting. A crew member who gets hurt or burns out costs you more than the job you turned down.

Rotate who's on the roof and who's doing ground work if you can. It keeps everyone fresher and it means nobody's doing the riskiest task for ten hours straight.

Follow up after the rush

Once the first wave of calls slows down, go back through your callback list. The homeowners who weren't urgent in week one still need an answer. A short text goes a long way: "Hi, this is [name] from [company]. We're caught up from the storm and can take a look at your place this week if you're still interested."

This is also the moment to ask happy customers for a review. Storm season creates a lot of interactions in a short time, and a handful of honest reviews from that stretch will help you the next time a storm hits and homeowners are searching for someone to trust.