Central Texas storm season runs roughly March through October, with the most active hail and severe wind period concentrated in April, May, and June. That gives you a clear window — January and February — when the weather is mild, contractors have more availability, and you can address whatever you find without competing with the post-storm rush for appointments.
The steps below aren't complicated, and most of them don't require getting on your roof. What they require is doing them before a storm rather than after one. The difference in cost between finding a problem now and finding it after a major hail event — when every roofing company in Austin has a full schedule — is usually significant. If a storm has already hit and you're past the prevention window, our hail and storm damage guide covers what to do next.
When to do this: the Central Texas storm calendar
Most homeowners think about their roof in one of two moments: when something goes wrong, or when they're selling the house. Neither is ideal from a prevention standpoint.
The practical window for pre-storm preparation in Austin is January through mid-February. Storm season proper begins in March. By late February, roofing companies start filling up with inspection requests from homeowners who noticed something during the winter. If you want good scheduling availability, competitive pricing, and time to address what you find before the first major storm, January or early February is your target.
If you missed that window and it's already spring — do it anyway. A pre-storm inspection in April that catches a failing sealant strip or loose flashing is still worth doing. The worst time to find a vulnerability is when rain is already falling through it.
Start with a ground-level inspection
You don't need to get on your roof to do a useful pre-storm assessment. A pair of binoculars and a slow walk around the perimeter will surface most of the issues worth knowing about.
What to look for from the ground
- Shingles that are visibly curling at the edges or lifting at the tabs — these have lost their sealant bond and are the most likely to blow off in a significant wind event
- Missing or displaced ridge caps along the peak — ridge caps are the first things wind attacks and among the most important to have intact going into storm season
- Darker patches or discoloration on a slope — can indicate granule loss or algae, both worth investigating
- Gutters pulling away from the fascia — suggests the fascia board behind them may be deteriorating, and gutters that fail during a storm cause water damage along the foundation and siding
- Any visible daylight or gaps around chimney flashing, skylights, or vent boots
Check your attic before storm season
An attic inspection takes ten minutes and can save you from discovering a slow leak after it's already damaged your insulation and framing. Look for:
- Water staining or rust marks on rafters or trusses — indicates a past or ongoing leak that may worsen under storm conditions
- Daylight visible through the roof deck — any pinpoint of light is a potential water entry point
- Soft or discolored insulation, particularly near the eaves or around penetrations
- Rust on any metal fasteners or connectors — a sign of sustained moisture exposure
If you find any of these, you want a professional assessment before storm season rather than during it. A small repair now is typically a fraction of what the same problem costs after water has been working its way through the structure.
If a storm has already caused active water entry through failed flashing, our article on emergency storm damage repair covers the immediate response.
Address loose or failing roof components
Wind damage almost always starts somewhere — a lifted tab edge, a loose piece of flashing, a ridge cap that's already partially detached. Once wind finds a gap, the failure often spreads quickly from that initial point. Addressing these vulnerabilities before storm season is the most cost-effective form of storm preparation there is.
Shingle sealant
Asphalt shingles have a thermal sealant strip along the lower edge of each tab that bonds each course to the one below it. In Central Texas heat this sealant degrades over time — typically around 12 to 15 years for standard shingles. Once it's gone, shingles rely on nails alone to resist uplift, which is often not enough in a significant wind event. A professional can assess sealant condition across the roof and hand-seal vulnerable areas — particularly the windward edges — as a targeted pre-storm measure.
Flashing
Flashing is the metal that seals the joints between your roof and any vertical surface — chimneys, skylights, dormers, and walls. It's also where most residential roof leaks originate. Flashing that's lifted, cracked, or showing rust is already compromised under normal rain conditions. Under storm-driven rain — which hits the roof at a significantly steeper angle than ordinary rain — a marginal flashing installation can fail completely. If your flashing shows any of these signs, re-bedding or replacing it before storm season is straightforward and inexpensive relative to the water damage it prevents.
Gutters and drainage
Clogged or improperly pitched gutters cause water to back up under shingles at the eaves — a failure mode that's entirely preventable. Clean gutters before storm season and check that downspouts are directing water well away from your foundation. If gutters are pulling away from the fascia at any point, that section needs to be re-secured before the weight of storm water makes the separation worse.
Manage the trees around your home
Tree damage is one of the most expensive and most preventable causes of storm damage we see. A limb that's been visibly dead for two years doesn't become a hazard in the storm — it was already one. The storm just makes it move.
The trees that cause the most roof damage aren't necessarily the largest ones. They're the ones with dead or weakened limbs hanging over the roofline, or trees with significant lean toward the house. What to look for:
- Any limb within ten feet of the roof surface — in a significant wind event, even a living limb this close can whip into contact with shingles and cause damage
- Dead limbs anywhere in the canopy above the house — these are unpredictable in wind and don't require a major storm to fall
- Trees with cracks or splits at major branch junctions — a signal of structural weakness that wind can exploit
- Any tree that's been recently topped or heavily pruned — these often produce fast-growing, weakly attached new growth that is particularly vulnerable to wind
Tree trimming is worth scheduling in January or February as well — the same timing logic applies. Arborists are easier to schedule before storm season, and removing a dead limb in February costs a fraction of what repairing the roof it falls through in May will cost.
For a detailed look at how high winds damage roofs in Central Texas and what to look for after a storm, see our article on wind damage.
Consider impact-resistant shingles if you're due for replacement
If your roof is approaching 15 years or older, the pre-storm inspection conversation may lead naturally to a replacement discussion rather than a repair one. If that's where you land, it's worth knowing that impact-resistant shingles — Class 4 rated products like the Owens Corning Duration Storm that we install — are specifically tested to withstand hailstones up to two inches in diameter without cracking.
Beyond the performance benefit, many Texas homeowners insurance carriers offer premium discounts for homes with Class 3 or Class 4 impact-resistant shingles. The discount varies by carrier, but it's worth asking your agent about before you choose a product for a replacement. In some cases the insurance savings over several years meaningfully offset the cost difference between standard and impact-resistant shingles.
We're an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor and can walk you through which products make sense for your roof, your budget, and your insurance situation.
→ Is it time to replace? Our article on roof repair vs. replacementcovers how to evaluate whether your roof is a repair or replacement candidate — including how insurance payouts, shingle age, and damage extent factor into that decision.
Schedule a pre-storm season inspection
The best time to find out what your roof needs is before you need it to perform in a storm. We offer free inspections across Austin, Pflugerville, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, and the surrounding Central Texas communities. We'll give you an honest assessment of what we find — what's worth addressing now, what can wait, and what a repair or replacement would involve.
No down payment. No pressure. Estimates within 24 to 48 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Once a year is a reasonable cadence for a roof that's under 15 years old and hasn't had any notable events. For older roofs or ones that have had previous repairs, twice a year — before storm season and again in the fall to catch anything the summer storms left behind — gives you better coverage. The inspection itself is free, and catching a failing sealant strip or lifted flashing before a storm is almost always cheaper than finding the same problem through a ceiling stain.
Yes — measurably. Class 4 shingles are tested by firing 2-inch steel balls at the surface at 90 mph without cracking. That's roughly equivalent to large hail in a significant storm. Standard three-tab or architectural shingles aren't tested to that standard. We've inspected roofs side by side after the same storm where one had impact-resistant shingles and the neighbor's didn't — the difference is often dramatic. That said, impact-resistant shingles don't eliminate hail damage, and they don't change the importance of getting an inspection after a major storm. They reduce the severity of damage, not the need for attention.
The main things to check on a newer roof are installation quality — proper nail placement, full sealant activation, complete flashing seals — and any damage from previous storms that may not have been addressed. A roof that was installed during cool weather may have shingles that never fully bonded. One that took a minor hail hit two years ago may have granule loss that's accelerating UV degradation. Age isn't the only risk factor — condition is. An inspection tells you what you're actually working with.
The ground-level and attic inspection — yes, absolutely. Binoculars, a flashlight, and an hour of your time will surface most of the issues worth knowing about. Tree trimming, if you're comfortable with it and the limbs are accessible. Gutter cleaning is straightforward for most homeowners. What we'd recommend leaving to a professional: anything on the roof surface itself, flashing work, and sealant application. The cost of a professional doing it right is usually modest, and an improperly sealed flashing or a tarp nail through a shingle creates more problems than it solves.