Key numbers
77 verified hail storms with stones of 1.75 inches or larger reached Travis County, which includes Austin, from 1984 to 2025 in the storm records we keep; the largest measured 5 inches (softball size) on May 20, 2011 (NOAA NCEI).
| Hail storms by decade, 1984 to 2025 | 1980s: 8, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 24, 2010s: 13, 2020s: 16 Source: NOAA NCEI |
|---|---|
| Largest hail | 5 in. (softball), May 20, 2011 Source: NOAA NCEI |
| Costliest hail storm | $160 million insured losses (2006 dollars), April 20, 2006 Source: Insurance Journal |
A storm counts when NOAA lists a report in Travis County. Each hail size is the storm's largest report in the seven Austin-area counties, which may have fallen in a neighboring county, and insured losses cover every area the storm hit.
Residential roofing in Austin comes down to five materials (asphalt shingles, metal, clay or concrete tile, slate, and synthetic cedar) and four questions: your budget, how long you plan to stay, what your HOA allows (HOA roof rules in Texas), and whether your framing can carry a heavier roof. Every one of them can handle Central Texas heat when it is installed to the manufacturer’s specifications. The difference is how they age, what they cost, and what your city requires when the old roof comes off.
Pick by situation, not by brochure
| Your situation | Usually the best fit | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest cost to replace, most color choices | Architectural asphalt shingles | Asphalt shingle roofing |
| Staying 15+ years, want fewer replacements | Standing seam or stone-coated steel | Metal roofing |
| Spanish, Mediterranean or Hill Country style | Clay, concrete or synthetic tile | Tile roofing |
| Want a slate look on a custom or historic home | Natural or synthetic slate | Slate roofing |
| Want the wood look without wood upkeep | Synthetic cedar shake | Synthetic cedar roofing |
What changes from one Austin suburb to the next
The roof is the same; the paperwork is not. Inside City of Austin limits, replacing asphalt shingles with asphalt shingles is generally exempt from a building permit unless the home is in the Wildland-Urban Interface area and half or more of the roof is replaced; our Austin roof permit guide has the details. Around Austin:
- Round Rock does not require a permit for a residential re-roof, but requires drip edge.
- Leander lists re-roofing among the exterior work that needs no permit.
- Georgetown requires a permit for every re-roof inside city limits.
- Pflugerville uses a re-roof inspection certificate signed by a third-party inspector.
- Lakeway requires a permit when the re-roof changes the roof’s material, design or slope.
The full list is on our Austin service areas page.
Repair, replace or wait?
Not every old roof needs replacing. A few lifted shingles or a leaking pipe boot is a roof repair. Widespread granule loss, curling, or repeated leaks point to a roof replacement. Hail or wind damage after a storm belongs on the storm damage repair page, because the claim timing matters. Our article on reasons to replace a roof in Austin goes deeper.
What to expect from the roofer you hire
Ask any roofer for a written scope that names the materials, the underlayment and flashing, who handles any permit, and how the site is cleaned up. Ask whether they have a local office you can visit; why a local Austin roofer matters lists the Texas rules to check. Ours is at 13341 W US Hwy 290, Building 2, Suite 246. We are veteran-owned, family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor, and have 650+ Google reviews. Our guide to choosing the best roof for your Austin home covers color and style. Call (512) 610-5897 or book a free Austin roof inspection; we reply the same business day.
Sources: City of Austin, Work Exempt from Building Permits; City of Round Rock, Other Building Permits; City of Leander, Permits and Building Inspection; City of Georgetown, Re-Roofing Permits; City of Bee Cave, Building; City of Lakeway Code, Section 24.02.081.
Photos From Our Projects
