You wake up at 5 a.m. to your phone buzzing — severe thunderstorm warning, Fayette County. By the time you get to the kitchen window, it's already over. Tree limbs across the driveway. Shingles scattered in the yard like playing cards. Your neighbor in Hamburg is standing in his bathrobe staring at a gutter hanging off his soffit.
I'm Manny, and I've been on the other end of that phone call more times than I can count. Every April and May, Lexington gets hammered — straight-line winds, hail the size of quarters, sometimes worse. I've tarped roofs in Chevy Chase at midnight. I've documented damage in Beaumont at 6 a.m. so the homeowner could file their claim before lunch. This is what we do.
If a storm just hit your house, here's exactly what I'd tell you if you were my neighbor.
The First 24 Hours Matter More Than You Think
The biggest mistake I see homeowners make is waiting. You look at the roof from the ground, don't see anything obvious, and figure you'll deal with it later. Two weeks go by. Then you notice a water stain on the ceiling. Now you've got interior damage on top of the roof damage, and your insurance company is asking why you didn't report it sooner.
Here's what to do right away:
- Don't get on the roof. Wet shingles, loose flashing, weakened decking — it's not safe. That's my job.
- Walk the perimeter. Look for missing shingles, dented gutters, cracked siding, broken windows. Take photos of everything with your phone. Timestamp matters.
- Cover what you can. If you've got a tarp and can safely reach a leak from inside the attic, do it. Otherwise, call us — we do emergency tarping within hours, not days.
- Call your insurance company. File the claim the same day if possible. The sooner the claim is open, the smoother everything goes.
- Call a licensed contractor. Not your buddy with a truck. Not the guys who show up knocking on doors the day after a storm. A licensed, insured contractor who knows how to document damage the way adjusters need to see it.
That last point is where most people lose money. Let me explain why.
Why a Licensed Contractor — Not Just a Roofer
After every big storm in Lexington, you'll see trucks with out-of-state plates rolling through neighborhoods. They'll knock on your door in Hartland, Masterson Station, or Palomar and offer a "free roof inspection." Some of them are fine. A lot of them aren't.
Here's the difference: a roofer looks at your roof. A general contractor looks at your entire house. Storm damage rarely stops at the shingles. I've seen hail damage crack vinyl siding, dent HVAC units, break skylights, and punch holes in aluminum fascia — all on the same house. If your contractor only documents the roof, your insurance only pays for the roof. You eat the rest.
Handy Manny's is a licensed general contractor, not just a roofing company. When I walk a property after a storm, I'm checking the roof, the siding, the gutters, the windows, the trim, the fence, the outbuildings — everything. And I document all of it with photos, measurements, and notes that match what the adjuster needs to write the estimate.
That's the difference between a $4,500 claim and a $14,000 claim on the same house.
How the Insurance Claim Process Actually Works
Most homeowners have never filed a storm damage claim before. It feels overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Here's how I walk my clients through it:
Step 1: You call me, I come out same day. I do a full inspection — roof to foundation. No charge for the inspection. I document everything with photos and detailed notes.
Step 2: You file the claim. I'll tell you exactly what to say and what damage to reference. Some clients want me on the phone with them when they call. That's fine.
Step 3: The adjuster comes out. I meet them at your property. This is critical — most homeowners don't know that you can (and should) have your contractor present when the adjuster inspects. I walk the roof with them, point out every item I documented, and make sure nothing gets missed.
Step 4: We compare estimates. If the adjuster's estimate is lower than mine, we supplement. That means I send additional documentation to the insurance company showing the work that needs to be done. I do this constantly — it's part of the job.
Step 5: We do the work. Once the claim is approved, we handle everything — roofing, siding, gutters, interior water damage, whatever the storm touched. One contractor, one project, one point of contact.
Most storm damage repairs in Lexington run between $8,000 and $25,000 depending on the scope. A typical roof replacement after hail damage is $10,000–$18,000 for most homes in the 1,800–2,800 sq ft range. Your out-of-pocket is usually just your deductible — $1,000 to $2,500 for most policies.
What Makes Handy Manny's Different
I'm not going to oversell this. Here's what we bring to the table:
- Emergency tarping and board-up — we respond within hours, not days
- Full damage documentation — photos, measurements, and written reports that match insurance standards
- We work directly with your adjuster — I've done this hundreds of times and know what they need to see
- Licensed general contractor — we handle the whole project, not just the roof
- Davis-Bacon certified, $2M liability insurance, BBB A+ rated
- 5.0 stars on Google with 56 reviews from homeowners right here in Lexington
I've worked storm damage jobs from Tates Creek to Masterson Station, from downtown to Hamburg. Every neighborhood, every roof type, every insurance company. There's nothing we haven't seen.
Don't Wait — Storm Season Is Here
April through June is when Lexington gets hit the hardest. If your home took damage in last night's storm — or last week's — don't sit on it. The longer you wait, the harder it gets to prove the damage was storm-related, and the more likely you'll end up with secondary damage like mold or rot.
Call me at (859) 551-5302 or get a free estimate at handymannyky.com/contact. I'll come out, inspect everything, and tell you straight — if it's something insurance should cover, I'll walk you through every step. If it's minor and you can handle it yourself, I'll tell you that too.
That's just how we do things at Handy Manny's.