Hail and wind do not stop at the roofline. Gutters, downspouts, siding, fascia, soffit, window components, fencing, and exterior finishes take collateral damage in almost every significant North Texas storm, and they need the same documentation and repair quality as the roof. American Prime General Construction is a veteran-led roofing contractor and general contractor in Richardson, and roofing leads every project we run.
Keeping the roof and the envelope in one scope is practical. A homeowner who hires a roofer, a gutter company, a siding installer, a painter and a fence crew separately coordinates five schedules and five warranties. We self-perform the roofing and exterior work as one project with one point of responsibility.
Schedule a Free Roof Inspection Call 469-888-8326
Exterior Restoration Services
- Gutter and downspout repair and replacement
- Siding repair and replacement
- Window component repairs (screens, seals, frames, glazing beads)
- Fencing repair and replacement
- Exterior paint and finish restoration
- Soft-metal and collateral damage documentation
- Fascia, soffit and ventilation component repair
- Exterior door and threshold repair or replacement
Each item is documented in the same file as the roof, alongside our roofing, replacement and storm restoration work.
How Hail and Wind Damage Each Envelope Component
Cladding, as IBHS puts it, primarily protects the wall assembly from rain, snow and wind while shielding the structure from ultraviolet exposure and minor impacts. Each component fails in a characteristic way, so an inspection looks for different evidence on each surface.
| Component | Hail signature | Wind signature |
|---|---|---|
| Siding | Cracked or chipped panels, holes in thin vinyl, dents on metal | Panels unzipped from locking hems, loose courses, bent corner trim |
| Gutters | Dents in trough and face, spatter marks that date the event | Sections pulled from hangers, downspouts detached |
| Fascia and soffit | Punctured soffit panels, split wood fascia | Soffit lifted out of channel, fascia separated at joints |
| Windows and doors | Broken glazing, cracked glazing beads, torn screens | Water forced past seals, flashing displacement |
| Fencing | Splintered pickets, dented metal panels | Sections laid over, posts snapped at grade |
| Soft metals | Dents in vents, valley metal and drip caps | Lifted or missing flashing and vent covers |
Soft metals dent at lower impact energy than shingles, so they help establish that hail struck the property. That evidence feeds our construction documentation for hail damage and wind damage projects.
Siding Materials, Ratings and Matching
Siding is rated, not just chosen. Building codes require vinyl siding to be certified and labeled as conforming to ASTM D3679. Under the standard, a panel must withstand a minimum static test pressure of 15.73 lbf/ft2 (753 Pa), a value established for loading in 110 mph wind-zone areas at elevations of 30 feet or less in exposure category B. The Vinyl Siding Institute certification program requires certified products to carry a label stating at minimum a standard design pressure rating.
Fiber cement is governed by fastening as much as by the board. James Hardie technical guidance prefers blind nailing with fasteners 3/4 to 1 inch from the top edge and no closer than 3/8 inch from the ends, applies face nailing where code or high wind dictates, and states that 11-gauge roofing nails are not approved there.
| Material | Relative durability notes |
|---|---|
| Vinyl | Lowest cost, labeled to ASTM D3679 for a design pressure; thin profiles crack in hail and unzip in wind |
| Insulated vinyl | Backer adds rigidity and impact cushioning; own design pressure rating |
| Fiber cement | Heavy, resists denting; depends on fastening pattern and paint film |
| Steel and aluminum | Steel resists puncture well; aluminum dents readily |
Matching is a constraint, not a preference. Profiles and colors get discontinued and weathered surfaces no longer match a new panel from the same run, so we document the break line and scope each elevation to a natural termination. See our siding and windows work.
Gutters, Downspouts and Drainage
Gutters are a drainage system, not trim. The 2021 IRC, Section R903.4 requires roof drains at each low point unless roofs are sloped to drain over roof edges, and Section R903.4.1 requires secondary overflow drains or scuppers sized per the International Plumbing Code. On a steep-slope house the practical equivalents are trough capacity, downspout count, and discharge away from the foundation.
- Capacity. Larger troughs and downspouts where long planes, steep pitches or valleys concentrate water into one run.
- Pitch and hangers. Continuous fall to the outlet and tight hanger spacing keep a gutter from holding standing water.
- Discharge. Downspouts ending at the slab drive roof-sized volumes against the foundation; extensions carry it away.
- Kickout flashing. A missing kickout where a roof edge meets a wall sends water behind the siding, a wall failure that looks like a gutter issue.
Fascia, Soffit and the Ventilation Link to the Roof
Soffit is where the roof assembly breathes. Section R806.2 of the IRC sets a minimum net free ventilating area of 1/150 of the vented space, reducible to 1/300 where stated conditions are met, with 40 to 50 percent in the upper attic and the balance in the bottom third. Ridge exhaust without eave intake cannot move air, so blocked or damaged soffit vents are a roof performance problem.
Fascia carries the gutter. Split or rotted fascia will not hold a hanger screw, so we inspect fascia, soffit and ventilation during the roof inspection and correct them while the roof is open.
Windows and Exterior Doors
Openings are the most leak-prone part of an envelope. IBHS research on wind-driven rain notes that water can enter through the roof, walls, vents, windows and doors or at the interfaces between them, that test units were installed to Fenestration Manufacturers Association and AAMA practices including flashing and caulking, and that the water intrusion criterion allows no entry only below 11 percent of the positive design pressure rating. Detailing and flashing decide real performance.
Where impact performance matters, the relevant test is ASTM E1886, covering windows, curtain walls, doors and impact protective systems struck by missiles and then subjected to cyclic static pressure. We document existing units, repair screens, seals, frames and glazing beads where appropriate, and price replacements by rating when the frame or glazing is compromised.
Fencing After a North Texas Wind Event
Fences fail before roofs do. A wood fence loses sections when posts rot at grade and snap under gust loading, and metal panels rack at the rail. The Texas Department of Insurance lists damage to fences caused by high winds among the losses a homeowners policy may cover, so fencing belongs in the same file as the roof. We photograph each run, count damaged sections and posts, and scope repair to a logical line such as a corner or gate.
Sequencing the Exterior Trades
Sequence is why one contractor means less rework. Under IRC Section R908.3, roof replacement includes removing the existing covering layers down to the deck, so tear-off debris, foot traffic and loading happen above everything else. Anything finished before the roof gets finished twice.
- Roofing: tear-off, deck repair, underlayment, flashing, shingles, vents.
- Wall repairs: sheathing, water-resistive barrier and flashing at openings.
- Siding and trim, then fascia, then gutters hung to finished fascia.
- Windows, doors and any glazing or screen work.
- Exterior paint and finish restoration.
- Fencing and gates last, because they are the access route for crews and debris.
Where interior finishes are affected, the exterior is completed first so the building is weather-tight. On water and fire losses our role is mitigation and remediation partner coordination: we bring licensed mitigation partners on site, then self-perform reconstruction.
One Scope, One Contractor
We document the exterior damage with photographs and measurements, prepare a complete repair scope, and manage the trades so the roofing, exterior systems and any interior build-back finish in the right sequence. See also tornado reconstruction and construction documentation.
TDI advises homeowners to take pictures and video of the damage, get more than one bid, and avoid contractors who offer to waive a deductible, noting that waiving a homeowners deductible is illegal under state law. We work that way. We are not a public insurance adjuster and we do not negotiate claims on your behalf.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you repair storm-damaged gutters, siding, and fencing?
Yes. We inspect, document, and repair exterior systems damaged by hail and wind: gutters, downspouts, siding, fascia, soffit, window components, fencing, and exterior finishes. Roofing is our primary trade, so the roof and the envelope around it are scoped together.
Is exterior damage covered in the same project as my roof?
Storm damage rarely stops at the shingles. We scope the full exterior in one documented project so roofing, gutters, siding, and fencing are repaired in the right sequence by one contractor. Coverage is between you and your carrier; what we control is that nothing goes undocumented.
Do you provide documentation for insurance-related exterior repairs?
We provide construction estimates, photographs, measurements, repair scopes, material specifications, and code documentation for the required work. We are not a public insurance adjuster and we do not negotiate claims on your behalf.
Which siding holds up best to North Texas hail?
There is no hail-proof cladding. IBHS built its 2013 full-scale hailstorm demonstration with vinyl and fiber-cement siding alongside impact-rated and non-impact-rated shingles to show variation in performance. In practice, thicker profiles, fiber cement, and steel resist denting better than thin vinyl.
Why does siding need to be replaced when only a few panels are broken?
Two reasons. Discontinued colors and profiles often cannot be matched, so a patch reads as a repair from the street. And vinyl siding is certified and labeled to ASTM D3679 as a system, so an unrated salvage panel undermines that assembly.
Do gutters have to be replaced if they are only dented?
It depends on function. Dents in the face of an aluminum gutter are cosmetic until the trough holds standing water, the hangers are pulled, or seams have opened. We document pitch, hanger spacing, seam condition, and discharge before recommending repair or replacement.
Will you replace my fence after a wind event?
Yes, fencing is part of the exterior scope. The Texas Department of Insurance lists damage to fences caused by high winds among the losses a homeowners policy may cover, so fence damage belongs in the same documented file as the roof and siding.
In what order does the exterior work happen?
Roofing first, because tear-off and loading damage anything installed below it. Then wall components, water-resistive barrier and flashing, siding, fascia and gutters, paint, and fencing last since it is the access route for crews.
American Prime General Construction, 2100 N Greenville Ave Ste 106, Richardson, TX 75082, telephone (469) 888-8326. We serve the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, including Rowlett, Allen and Carrollton; see all service areas. Start with a roof repair assessment, choose a shingle system, review financing, or contact us.