Key numbers
103 verified hail storms with stones of 1.5 inches or larger reached El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs, from 2000 to 2025 in the storm records we keep; the largest measured 4.5 inches (softball size) on July 13, 2011 (NOAA NCEI).
| Hail storms by decade, 2000 to 2025 | 2000s: 35, 2010s: 44, 2020s: 24 Source: Storm library: El Paso County hail history |
|---|---|
| Largest hail | 4.5 in. (softball), July 13, 2011 Source: NOAA NCEI |
| Costliest hail storm | $352.8 million insured losses (2016 dollars), July 28, 2016 Source: RMIIA |
| 296 | Of 344 homes destroyed in Colorado's 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire, only 48 were ignited directly by the wildfire; the other 296 burned from structure-to-structure spread. Source: National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2012 |
| 0 | Fiber cement and brick have a flame spread rating of 0 (Class I), while western red cedar rates 55-73 (Class II). Source: U.S. DOE / Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 2021 |
| About 2.5 million | About 2.5 million people, just under half of Colorado's population, live in the wildland-urban interface (WUI). Source: Colorado State Forest Service, 2023 |
A storm counts when the library lists El Paso County among the areas it hit. Each hail size is the storm's largest report, which may have fallen in a neighboring county, and insured losses cover every area the storm hit.
In the Colorado Springs wildland urban interface (WUI), siding on new or reconstructed homes must be an approved ignition-resistant material. The Colorado Springs Fire Department’s Ignition Resistant Construction Design Manual, under ordinance section K104.1(2), lists fiber-cement board, stucco, masonry and manufactured stone as approved and rules out natural wood, hardboard and vinyl. If your home is in the WUI and you are replacing a large share of its siding, plan on one of the approved materials. James Hardie fiber cement, the siding we mainly install, meets that list. Integrity Roofing and Painting replaces siding on existing homes only.
Is your home in the WUI?
The city drew its WUI boundary after the 2012 Waldo Canyon fire, and it covers much of the west side, where neighborhoods back onto Pikes Peak foothills and open space. Check your address on the Colorado Springs Fire Department’s WUI map or call its wildfire mitigation office. Outside city limits, El Paso County and the state rules apply instead; our Black Forest metal roofing page explains how the county treats exterior work.
When a re-side triggers the rules
Two rule sets can reach a siding job here:
| Rule | Who it covers | What triggers it |
|---|---|---|
| CSFD Ignition Resistant Construction Design Manual | Homes in the city’s WUI | New or reconstructed homes |
| Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (section 101.7) | Mapped moderate and high parcels where adopted | Replacing 25% or more of exterior wall area |
A small repair after a hailstorm usually does not trigger either. A full re-side often does. We ask the officials before pricing, and we put the answer in your written scope. The statewide code is explained in WUI siding, eaves and decks and the wildfire code reroof guide.
Why fiber cement fits
ICC-ES report ESR-2290 lists James Hardie’s lap, panel and shingle siding as noncombustible under ASTM E136, with a flame spread index of 0, and a supplement says they qualify as noncombustible siding under the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code. That gives a building official a document to check, not just a sales claim. More on how we install it is on our fiber cement siding page.
Wall details that matter as much as the siding
Fire-resistant boards on a poorly detailed wall still leave openings. When we re-side in the WUI, we look at:
- Joints and trim. Testing summarized by FIRE SAFE San Mateo, drawing on University of California research, found flames get through lap joints and at corners and trim first. Shiplap and tongue-and-groove joints resist penetration better than plain bevel laps.
- Sheathing. Solid structural sheathing behind the siding adds a lot of protection. We repair or replace damaged sheathing during tear-off.
- The base of the wall. The IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home standard calls for 6 inches of noncombustible material at the base of walls and above attached decks.
- Vents and eaves. Embers enter through vents more easily than through siding. See ember-resistant vents.
- Gutters. Dry needles in gutters catch embers right at the roof edge; see gutters and wildfire embers.
- Windows. Wildfire codes generally call for tempered or multi-pane glass where they apply.
Even noncombustible lap siding can fail under long, direct flame contact, but a wildfire front usually passes in 5 to 10 minutes, according to the same summary. That is why the whole wall assembly, and the 5 feet around the house, matter more than any one product. The Colorado wildfire home hardening guide covers the rest of the house.
Re-siding with a reroof
On WUI homes we often replace roof and siding together, so the Class A roof, roof-to-wall flashing and new siding are planned as one assembly. See our siding replacement page, the hail-damaged siding and insurance guide if the job is storm related, and Class A roofs for wildfire areas.
Plan a WUI siding replacement
Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred roofing contractor with 650+ Google reviews. Call (719) 488-2800 or book a free inspection; we respond the same business day.
Sources: Colorado Springs Fire Department, Ignition Resistant Construction Design Manual (March 2020); Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code, section 101.7 (DFPC); ICC-ES, ESR-2290; FIRE SAFE San Mateo, Siding (home hardening guidance); Washington OIC, IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home designations.
