Storm-Season Roofing Costs 2026: What a Roof Costs Where Storms Hit Hardest
When a hailstorm or hurricane damages a neighborhood, repair quotes arrive fast — and demand pushes them up for weeks. The number that protects a homeowner is the one nobody quotes in the moment: what the same roof cost before the storm. This study sets out that pre-storm benchmark for the 14 large US metros that FEMA's National Risk Index rates very high for hail or for damaging wind, and for the 31 more it rates high.
In the 14 large US metros FEMA rates most exposed to hail or damaging wind, a new roof ranges from $9,780 in Wichita to $12,560 in Miami — and on the hurricane coast the typical roof costs 9% more than in the hail belt while taking a bigger share of local income (7.6 weeks of median household income against 6.8).
Key findings
- Two storm belts, two price levels. The very-high-wind metros — Miami, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Charleston, Melbourne, Pensacola and New Orleans — have a median roof replacement of $11,110. The very-high-hail metros — Denver, Dallas, Colorado Springs, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Wichita — sit at $10,180. That is a 9% premium on the coast for the same roof.
- The coast also feels it more. Measured against local median household income, the typical coastal roof costs 7.6 weeks of income; in the hail belt, 6.8.
- Exposure is not the same as expense. 6 of the 14 most-exposed metros price below the national average — a new roof in Wichita, KS runs $9,780, while Miami, FL is the most expensive at $12,560.
- The repair benchmark. For damage short of a full replacement, a typical roof repair runs $1,020 to $1,310 across the most-exposed metros at normal-market prices.
Blue: very high wind (Gulf & Atlantic coast). Orange: very high hail.
The most-exposed metros
Normal-market figures — the benchmark to measure a post-storm quote against. “vs US” is the local price level against the national average; “weeks” is the roof as weeks of median household income.
| # | Metro | FEMA exposure | Roof replacement | Roof repair | vs US | Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami, FL | Very high wind (Gulf & Atlantic coast) | $12,560 | $1,310 | +14% | 8.9 |
| 2 | Denver, CO | Very high hail | $11,640 | $1,220 | +6% | 5.9 |
| 3 | Dallas, TX | Very high hail | $11,340 | $1,190 | +3% | 6.8 |
| 4 | Sarasota, FL | Very high wind (Gulf & Atlantic coast) | $11,260 | $1,180 | +2% | 7.5 |
| 5 | Fort Myers, FL | Very high wind (Gulf & Atlantic coast) | $11,250 | $1,180 | +2% | 8 |
| 6 | Charleston, SC | Very high wind (Gulf & Atlantic coast) | $11,110 | $1,160 | +1% | 7 |
| 7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Very high hail | $11,080 | $1,160 | +1% | 6.6 |
| 8 | Melbourne, FL | Very high wind (Gulf & Atlantic coast) | $11,000 | $1,150 | level | 7.5 |
| 9 | Pensacola, FL | Very high wind (Gulf & Atlantic coast) | $10,750 | $1,120 | -2% | 7.6 |
| 10 | New Orleans, LA | Very high wind (Gulf & Atlantic coast) | $10,190 | $1,060 | -7% | 8.5 |
| 11 | Kansas City, MO | Very high hail | $10,180 | $1,060 | -7% | 6.5 |
| 12 | Oklahoma City, OK | Very high hail and wind | $9,940 | $1,040 | -10% | 7.3 |
| 13 | Tulsa, OK | Very high hail | $9,810 | $1,030 | -11% | 7.5 |
| 14 | Wichita, KS | Very high hail | $9,780 | $1,020 | -11% | 7.4 |
Rated high: 31 more metros
These metros carry a “high” FEMA rating for wind or hail — most of the Atlantic seaboard, the Great Lakes and the southern plains.
| # | Metro | FEMA ratings | Roof replacement | Roof repair | vs US | Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | high wind · low hail | $11,910 | $1,250 | +8% | 5.5 |
| 2 | Bridgeport, CT | high wind · low hail | $11,760 | $1,230 | +7% | 5.5 |
| 3 | New Haven, CT | high wind · low hail | $11,510 | $1,200 | +5% | 6.9 |
| 4 | Chicago, IL | high wind · moderate hail | $11,400 | $1,190 | +4% | 6.7 |
| 5 | Worcester, MA | high wind · low hail | $11,270 | $1,180 | +2% | 6.3 |
| 6 | Providence, RI | high wind · low hail | $11,200 | $1,170 | +2% | 6.8 |
| 7 | Orlando, FL | high wind · low hail | $11,150 | $1,170 | +1% | 7.7 |
| 8 | Tampa, FL | high wind · low hail | $11,100 | $1,160 | +1% | 8.1 |
| 9 | Detroit, MI | high wind · moderate hail | $11,030 | $1,150 | level | 7.6 |
| 10 | Jacksonville, FL | high wind · low hail | $10,950 | $1,140 | -1% | 7.4 |
| 11 | Houston, TX | high wind · moderate hail | $10,850 | $1,130 | -1% | 7 |
| 12 | Austin, TX | high wind · high hail | $10,790 | $1,130 | -2% | 5.7 |
| 13 | Virginia Beach, VA | high wind · low hail | $10,770 | $1,130 | -2% | 7 |
| 14 | Lakeland, FL | high wind · low hail | $10,680 | $1,120 | -3% | 8.7 |
| 15 | Milwaukee, WI | high wind · moderate hail | $10,660 | $1,110 | -3% | 7.3 |
| 16 | Nashville, TN | high wind · moderate hail | $10,590 | $1,110 | -4% | 6.7 |
| 17 | Buffalo, NY | high wind · low hail | $10,540 | $1,100 | -4% | 7.8 |
| 18 | Indianapolis, IN | high wind · moderate hail | $10,530 | $1,100 | -4% | 7.1 |
| 19 | St. Louis, MO | high wind · moderate hail | $10,460 | $1,090 | -5% | 7 |
| 20 | San Antonio, TX | high wind · high hail | $10,420 | $1,090 | -5% | 7.3 |
| 21 | Cleveland, OH | high wind · moderate hail | $10,330 | $1,080 | -6% | 7.8 |
| 22 | Dayton, OH | high wind · moderate hail | $10,200 | $1,070 | -7% | 7.6 |
| 23 | Memphis, TN | high wind · moderate hail | $10,140 | $1,060 | -8% | 8.1 |
| 24 | Omaha, NE | high wind · high hail | $10,110 | $1,060 | -8% | 6.3 |
| 25 | Des Moines, IA | high wind · high hail | $10,090 | $1,050 | -8% | 6.2 |
| 26 | Birmingham, AL | high wind · moderate hail | $10,080 | $1,050 | -8% | 7.5 |
| 27 | Toledo, OH | high wind · moderate hail | $10,070 | $1,050 | -8% | 8.2 |
| 28 | Baton Rouge, LA | high wind · low hail | $9,990 | $1,040 | -9% | 7.5 |
| 29 | Little Rock, AR | high wind · high hail | $9,830 | $1,030 | -11% | 7.8 |
| 30 | Jackson, MS | high wind · moderate hail | $9,790 | $1,020 | -11% | 8.4 |
| 31 | McAllen, TX | high wind · low hail | $9,450 | $990 | -14% | 9.4 |
Using the benchmark after a storm
- Hold every quote against the pre-storm number. After a big event, quotes rise for weeks as demand spikes; the figures above are what the same work cost at normal-market prices.
- Get more than one written estimate, itemized — tear-off, decking, underlayment, flashing and disposal listed separately.
- Know which extras are code and which are choices. On the high-wind coast, wind-rated shingles and correct nailing patterns are code-driven costs, not upsells. In the hail belt, impact-resistant (Class 4) shingles are an optional upgrade that many insurers discount.
- Most storm-belt states have price-gouging rules that apply once an emergency is declared; the state attorney general's office takes complaints. Door-to-door crews that ask for large deposits up front are the classic warning sign.
Methodology
Exposure ratings are FEMA's National Risk Index hazard ratings for hail and for strong wind, as recorded for each metro in our dataset; “most exposed” means either rating is very high. Costs are researched national baselines × BEA Regional Price Parities (2024), the same method as every cost page — see How We Estimate. Income is Census ACS 5-year median household income. These are normal-market estimates, not quotes, and they do not include any post-storm price increase.
Journalists: the figures, tables and chart are free to republish with credit to HomeCostLens and a link. Local cuts for a storm-hit area — by town, by material, or against the state — usually same-day: press@homecostlens.com. See also the 2026 Home Project Cost Index.
