Madison's roofing market spiked after mid-April hail, and the permit data shows it fast.
By April 28, the city had already recorded more roofing permits than the entire month of April in both 2024 and 2025.
HomeHudl compared the same April 1-28 window across 2024, 2025, and 2026 and filtered to roofing-related permits under $60,000 so the analysis stays focused on residential storm-restoration activity.
The City of Madison notes that roofing, siding, and window replacement generally require permits, which makes permit data one of the clearest public signals for understanding local repair activity after a storm.
Source: City of Madison - Storm Damage
For local contractors, this kind of permit data can also be used as a trust signal. After a storm, homeowners may see yard signs, ads, and door knockers from companies they do not recognize. Recent permit history gives contractors a factual way to show documented local activity and gives homeowners a simple question to ask before signing: "Can I verify your recent local permit history?"
Key Takeaways
From April 1-28, 2026, Madison saw:
| Metric | April 1-28, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Roofing permits | 235 |
| Estimated permitted roofing work | $4.00M |
| Average project value | $17,002 |
| Median project value | $15,093 |
| Unique contractors | 87 |
While permit value does not equal insured loss, nearly $4.00M in estimated roofing work by April 28 is a clear sign this was not a small storm for Madison's roofing and insurance market.
Through April 28, Madison has already seen more roofing permit activity than the full month of April in both 2024 and 2025.
The biggest trend is not that roofing jobs became much larger. The biggest trend is volume.
April Roofing Permit Activity Compared to Prior Years
HomeHudl compared Madison roofing permit activity from April 1-28 across 2024, 2025, and 2026.
| Year | Permits | Estimated Work | Avg. Project Value | Median Project Value | Unique Contractors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 135 | $2.27M | $16,814 | $13,900 | 47 |
| 2025 | 103 | $1.80M | $17,450 | $15,700 | 45 |
| 2026 | 235 | $4.00M | $17,002 | $15,093 | 87 |
The average project value stayed relatively consistent across all three years.
That matters because it shows the April 2026 increase is not being driven by a few unusually large projects. It is being driven by a much higher number of roofing permits.
Through April 28, Madison roofing permit volume is:
| Comparison | Permit Volume Change |
|---|---|
| 2026 vs 2024 | +74% |
| 2026 vs 2025 | +128% |
Late-April Permit Surge
The sharpest increase appeared after the mid-April hail event.
From April 20-28, Madison roofing permit activity looked like this:
| Year | Permits (Apr 20-28) | Estimated Work (Apr 20-28) |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 36 | $668K |
| 2025 | 22 | $385K |
| 2026 | 113 | $2.03M |
Nearly half of April 2026 roofing permit activity happened during the final nine days included in this report.
That timing is important because it shows how quickly post-storm repair activity can begin appearing in public permit records.
April 2026 Roofing Permits by ZIP Code
April 2026 roofing permit activity was spread across multiple Madison ZIP codes:
| ZIP Code | Permits | Estimated Work |
|---|---|---|
| 53704 | 41 | $653K |
| 53711 | 34 | $515K |
| 53714 | 31 | $508K |
| 53719 | 24 | $456K |
| 53718 | 22 | $343K |
| 53716 | 21 | $301K |
| 53705 | 20 | $360K |
The data does not show activity isolated to one neighborhood. Instead, roofing permit activity was distributed across several high-volume residential areas in Madison.
For contractors, this can help show where demand is appearing. For insurers, it provides a public signal of where repair activity is starting to move after a storm.
Top Madison Roofing Contractors by Permit Count
The top contractors by Madison roofing permit count from April 1-28, 2026 were:
| Contractor | Permits | Estimated Work |
|---|---|---|
| Ridge Top Exteriors Inc | 29 | $400,822 |
| Brookens Construction | 12 | $211,979 |
| Doll House Investments DBA DHI Roofing | 12 | $203,599 |
| Larson Home Services, LLC | 9 | $187,747 |
| The Exteriors Company | 9 | $170,688 |
| Oliwill Construction Inc | 9 | $128,200 |
| Ace Exterior Solutions LLC | 7 | $164,460 |
| B. E. Heins Contracting LLC | 7 | $129,326 |
| Wisconsin Quality Roofing LLC | 6 | $129,000 |
| Infinity Exteriors | 5 | $94,000 |
These ten contractors accounted for 105 permits, or about 45% of April 2026 roofing permit activity through April 28.
That concentration matters, but so does the long tail.
Madison had 87 unique contractors pull roofing permits during this period. That is nearly double the number seen during the same period in 2024 and 2025.
More Volume, More Contractors
The April 2026 data shows two things happening at once. First, total roofing permit volume increased sharply. Second, the contractor market became more crowded.
| Year | Unique Contractors |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 47 |
| 2025 | 45 |
| 2026 | 87 |
After a larger hail event, more companies become active in the market. Homeowners see more advertising, more inspection offers, and more contractor choices.
Permit data does not tell homeowners which contractor to choose. But it does give the market a factual starting point.
It can show which contractors are actively pulling permits, where work is happening, and how local repair activity compares to prior years.
HomeHudl will continue tracking Madison roofing permit activity as more April and May data becomes available.