April showed the storm was real. May showed how much work was coming behind it.
Last month we flagged 235 roofing permits through April 28 and called it a busy month. Through May 27th, Madison had pulled 1,256 roofing permits, representing about $25.77 million in estimated work.
That is not normal spring replacement volume. That is storm work moving through the system.
The Numbers
| Metric | May 1-27, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Roofing permits | 1,256 |
| Estimated permitted roofing work | $25.77M |
| Average project value | $20,514 |
| Median project value | $18,099 |
| Unique contractors | 144 |
The April hail did not fully show up in the permit data until May. Once inspections, scopes, and approvals started turning into jobs, the permit count moved fast.
Where the Work Is Happening
The heaviest activity is in northeast Madison, especially 53704 and 53714.
| ZIP Code | Permits | Estimated Work |
|---|---|---|
| 53704 | 448 | $9.23M |
| 53714 | 249 | $4.30M |
| 53717 | 101 | $2.61M |
| 53718 | 92 | $1.77M |
| 53562 | 65 | $1.99M |
| 53703 | 38 | $759K |
| 53711 | 25 | $388K |
53704 by itself had 448 roofing permits in May. For context, the entire city pulled 220 roofing permits over the same window in April.
If you are trying to understand where the market is busiest, that is the first place I would look.
Who's Pulling the Permits
Top contractors by Madison roofing permit count, May 1-27:
| Contractor | Permits | Estimated Work |
|---|---|---|
| Ridge Top Exteriors Inc | 146 | $3,086,571 |
| BE Heins Contracting LLC | 129 | $3,282,686 |
| Rhino Exteriors Inc | 47 | $1,122,212 |
| The Exteriors Company | 45 | $1,168,311 |
| Doll House Investments DBA DHI Roofing | 41 | $645,641 |
| Brookens Construction | 40 | $872,652 |
| XYZ Roofco LLC | 37 | $515,666 |
| Isthmus Roofing | 32 | $584,800 |
| Infinity Exteriors | 30 | $724,000 |
| Total Exteriors LLC | 24 | $551,382 |
The top ten contractors pulled 571 permits, about 45% of the permits in this pull.
The rest is a long tail. In total, 144 different contractors pulled at least one Madison roofing permit in May.
See all 144 contractors and their permit counts →
More Work, More Competition
A storm this size brings more than extra roof volume. It brings more companies into the market.
| Window | Unique Contractors |
|---|---|
| April 1-27, 2026 | 85 |
| May 1-27, 2026 | 144 |
That means more yard signs, more knocks, more inspection offers, and more homeowners trying to figure out who is actually local and active.
Permit history will not tell a homeowner who to hire. But it does show who is actively pulling work in Madison, where they are working, and whether a contractor's local presence is backed up by the public record.
April vs. May
Same 27-day window, the 1st through the 27th, one month apart:
| Window | Permits | Estimated Work | Avg. Project Value | Median Project Value | Unique Contractors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1-27, 2026 | 220 | $3.73M | $16,962 | $15,047 | 85 |
| May 1-27, 2026 | 1,256 | $25.77M | $20,514 | $18,099 | 144 |
The average job value moved up, but not enough to explain the jump. The real change is the number of permits:
| Comparison | Change |
|---|---|
| Roofing permits | +471% |
| Estimated permitted work | +591% |
| Unique contractors | +69% |
The Pace Held All Month
May was not one busy batch of permits. The volume held week after week.
| Window | Permits | Estimated Work |
|---|---|---|
| May 1-7 | 302 | $5.82M |
| May 8-14 | 329 | $6.92M |
| May 15-21 | 382 | $7.89M |
| May 22-27 | 243 | $5.15M |
That last bucket only covers six days, not a full week, so the lower count is just a shorter window, not the work drying up.
About the data: this pull uses Madison permit records for roofing-related work under $60,000, which keeps the focus on residential jobs. Madison generally requires permits for roofing, siding, and window replacement. Source: City of Madison - Storm Damage
We'll keep watching the feed as the rest of 2026 comes in.