In August 2026, Prime Roofing & Restoration replaced the hail-damaged roof on a farmhouse-style home with a wraparound porch in the Columbiana area of Shelby County, Alabama. The July 29 inspection documented the hail hits with chalk and a test square, and the new roof went on August 24.
Project at a glance
- Location: Columbiana area, Shelby County, AL
- Inspection: July 29, 2026
- Installed: August 24, 2026
- Home: Two-story farmhouse-style home with a covered porch
- Service: storm damage roof repair
- Roof: New architectural shingles over synthetic underlayment
About Columbiana
Columbiana is the county seat of Shelby County, a small city of about 4,500 people. Homes out here are often on larger rural lots, which means more trees and more exposure to the hail that comes through central Alabama in spring and summer. Nearby, we also serve Chelsea and Alabaster.
Before: what the inspection found
The challenge: a big roof with porches on several sides
The inspection found hail hits across the main roof, marked with chalk and counted in a test square. The porch roofs and the long eaves meant a lot of edge work and careful protection of the porch below.
Once the claim was approved, the crew tore off and replaced the whole roof, with a dump trailer on site to keep the yard clear.
What we did
- Inspected the roof, marked a hail test square and circled the hits.
- Photographed the damage for the insurance claim.
- Staged the materials and a dump trailer on site.
- Tore off the old roof, including the porch sections.
- Installed synthetic underlayment.
- Installed new architectural shingles and edge metal.
- Cleaned up the yard and porch.
During the job
The finished roof
Why these materials
Architectural (dimensional) shingles are made from two laminated layers, so they are thicker and heavier than the old flat 3-tab shingles many Birmingham-area homes started with. Prime Roofing is an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor and also installs other major brands; see our asphalt shingle roofs page for the options.
Synthetic underlayment goes over the whole deck under the shingles. It is lighter and more tear-resistant than old felt paper, it lies flat in the heat, and it gives the roof a second layer of water protection if a shingle is ever damaged.
Keeping your roof in good shape
- Check the roof from the ground after every hailstorm or strong wind. The National Weather Service office in Birmingham, which is based at the Shelby County Airport in Calera, issues the severe thunderstorm and hail warnings for this part of central Alabama.
- Keep gutters and downspouts clear, especially in fall, so water does not back up under the first row of shingles.
- Trim tree limbs back at least 6 to 10 feet from the roof. Limbs that rub the shingles wear off the granules that protect them.
- Look at pipe boots and roof vents once a year. Rubber pipe boots dry out in the Alabama sun long before the shingles do.
- If you see a ceiling stain, call right away. A small leak at a flashing is a quick fix, while wet decking left for months is not.
Frequently asked questions
We walk the roof and circle each hail hit in chalk, usually on a 10 by 10 foot test square on every slope, and photograph the dents in vents and metal flashing. Those photos are what the insurance adjuster sees, so we take them before anything is touched.
It depends on your policy and on how much damage the adjuster finds. Prime Roofing documents the damage with photos, meets the adjuster at the house and walks the roof with them, but the decision is your insurance company’s.
Most homes Prime Roofing re-roofs are torn off and covered in one day, with cleanup and a final check the same day or the next morning. Bigger or steeper roofs can take a second day.
Yes. Columbiana is about 20 minutes from our Alabaster office. See our areas served.
Hail damage near Columbiana?
Book a free roof inspection, read about storm damage roof repair, or see our areas served.