Contractor urges Wallsburg to file insurance claims after October hail; recommends full tear-off if approved

Jeremy Key, a contractor with Bartlett Roofing (speaker 5), told the Wallsburg council he has inspected more than 50 local properties since the October hailstorm and has helped homeowners secure approval for roof replacements from insurers.

"When the adjuster gets assigned, they'll schedule a time to come out and actually do a full inspection on the property," he said. Key described his inspection method (10-by-10 test squares and counting impacts) and said anything above an adjuster threshold (often around eight impacts in a test square) is likely to meet insurance criteria. He advised the town to notify its insurer within a year of the storm date to preserve its claim rights and offered to meet the adjuster and advocate for the town during inspection.

Key said that if the insurer approves a claim, the typical result for widespread hail damage is a full tear-off and replacement, not shingle-over. He emphasized that once approval is obtained the town generally has a year to complete the work. Councilors discussed next steps: identifying the town's insurer, confirming deductibles and estimated costs, and arranging key meetings between town representatives, adjusters and the contractor. No formal council action was taken at the meeting; the contractor left his contact information and an offer to coordinate inspections and paperwork.