Appleton and Menasha Storm Repair Estimate Worksheet
If a storm hit your area
Before you sign any repair contract, make sure you can actually compare what each contractor is offering. Here is the fast path.
Free · about 60 seconds · no account or file upload. Or jump to the checklist ↓
What to do right now
- 1Stay clear of downed power lines, unstable walls or trees, sagging ceilings, and anything local officials have closed off. Do not climb on the roof.
- 2Photograph all the damage before any cleanup or temporary repair, and keep every receipt.
- 3Call your insurance company to open a claim. Ask what they need from you and whether they must approve permanent repairs before work starts.
- 4Get emergency work — tarping, board-up, tree removal — priced in writing and kept separate from the permanent repair.
- 5Do not sign a repair contract or an assignment of benefits the same day someone knocks on your door. Compare at least two written estimates first.
- 6Verify the contractor in the Wisconsin DSPS license lookup — including Dwelling Contractor certification if they will pull the permit — and confirm insurance, before you sign.
The rest of this page explains how to compare the written estimates once the immediate danger is handled.
Pre-signing checklist below · 10 items
If the July 27 storms damaged your home in the Appleton or Menasha area, you will be weighing repair estimates and roofers soon — this guide is about comparing them before you sign. The facts: severe storms crossed northern and eastern Wisconsin on July 27, 2026, and in its July 28 update the National Weather Service reported a preliminary EF-3 tornado rating with estimated peak winds of 140 mph in the Appleton and Menasha area, along with very large hail elsewhere in the region. The survey remains preliminary. If your home was affected, handle immediate safety first, then slow the repair decision down enough to separate emergency work from the permanent job and compare every written estimate on the same scope.
Local estimate guides near Appleton and Menasha, WI
Free printable resource
Printable storm-repair estimate comparison worksheet
Compare three bids side by side: contractor credentials, deposits, roof scope, permits, warranties, change orders, payment milestones, and lien waivers.
Download the free 2-page worksheetNo email, account, or file upload required.
Handle safety and documentation before the sales pressure
Stay away from downed lines, unstable walls, sagging ceilings, and any area local officials say is unsafe. This guide starts after immediate life-safety needs. Wisconsin's Office of the Commissioner of Insurance advises homeowners to notify their insurer promptly, photograph damage, make a written list, and keep receipts for emergency work.
Do not discard damaged materials before checking with the adjuster unless officials require removal for safety. When something must be moved or covered, take clear photos first and save receipts. That record helps distinguish storm damage, temporary protection, and the permanent repair later.
Separate emergency stabilization from the permanent repair
A tarp, tree removal, board-up, or temporary patch solves a different problem than a full roof or structural repair. Ask for separate written prices and descriptions. The emergency line should say what was made safe today; the permanent estimate should say what will be removed, inspected, replaced, permitted, and warranted.
Avoid turning an emergency authorization into an open-ended replacement contract. If hidden roof decking or framing may be found later, the estimate can state a unit price or written change-order process instead of leaving the amount unlimited.
Verify the Wisconsin contractor before signing
Wisconsin DATCP warns that aggressive door-to-door repair crews often appear after severe weather. A visitor is not automatically untrustworthy, but pressure to sign immediately is a reason to pause, verify the business, and compare another written bid.
For work where the contractor will pull a permit on a one- or two-family home, Wisconsin requires a Dwelling Contractor certification and a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier. Check credentials through the Wisconsin DSPS license-verification service rather than relying only on a number printed on the estimate.
Make each roof estimate describe the same job
Compare roof area and waste, tear-off layers, decking or sheathing repair, underlayment, ice-and-water protection, flashing, drip edge, ventilation, shingles, fastening, gutters, permits, cleanup, and separate material and workmanship warranties. A lower total may simply leave out work another bid includes.
For tree or structural damage, make the estimate identify framing, truss, decking, electrical, insulation, drywall, and water-intrusion work separately. Ask who is responsible for engineering or other specialist inspections when structural damage is suspected.
Keep the insurance scope and contractor scope understandable
The insurer's estimate and the contractor's estimate may use different line-item names or quantities. Put them side by side and mark what appears in only one document. Ask each party to explain the differences in writing before permanent work begins or money moves.
ScopeCheck can translate and compare the documents for you, but it is educational only. It does not inspect structural safety, adjust a claim, negotiate with an insurer, or represent you. Use licensed contractors, engineers, adjusters, or attorneys for the work only those professionals can perform.
Protect each payment with a written milestone
Wisconsin DATCP says home-improvement contracts should identify the contractor, start and completion dates, full work description, materials, total price, and warranties. Tie payments to work you can verify rather than a vague calendar date.
Wisconsin homeowners can request lien waivers from the contractor, subcontractors, and material suppliers when payments are made. Ask for the required notice about that right before signing, and keep the signed contract, change orders, invoices, waivers, photos, and receipts together.
Before signing an Appleton-area storm-repair estimate
- ✓Immediate hazards are handled and the damage is photographed
- ✓The insurer has been notified and emergency-work receipts are saved
- ✓Emergency stabilization and permanent repairs are priced separately
- ✓The contractor and required Wisconsin credentials are independently verified
- ✓Roof area, tear-off, decking, materials, flashing, ventilation, and cleanup are itemized
- ✓Structural, electrical, interior, and water-damage work are separated when applicable
- ✓Permit and inspection responsibility is written down
- ✓Hidden-damage pricing uses unit prices or a written change-order process
- ✓Payments follow completed milestones and lien waivers are requested
- ✓Material and workmanship warranties are both stated in writing
Free - no account - no upload
Check the quote you have
Choose the project type and answer one simple question at a time.
Appleton roofing estimate guide
Review the Wisconsin credential, permit, material, warranty, and storm-scope items a complete Appleton roofing estimate should name.
Check the Appleton guideMenasha roofing estimate guide
Use the same local checklist for a Menasha roof-repair estimate before you sign or pay.
Check the Menasha guideFree 60-second roofing quote check
Answer seven simple questions about scope, materials, permits, warranties, deposits, and pressure to sign.
Check the quote freePlain-English answers
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first after tornado or severe-storm damage in Wisconsin?
Handle immediate safety and follow local emergency instructions. Wisconsin OCI advises notifying your insurer promptly, photographing the damage, making a written list, and keeping receipts. Use temporary protection when needed to prevent more damage, but coordinate permanent repairs with the insurer and qualified professionals.
Do I need to sign a roof-repair contract immediately after the storm?
No. Emergency stabilization may be urgent, but the permanent repair deserves a verified contractor and a complete written scope. Wisconsin DATCP specifically warns homeowners about aggressive post-storm sales pressure and recommends researching contractors rather than rushing into a door-to-door offer.
How do I verify a Wisconsin storm-repair contractor?
Search the business and required credentials through Wisconsin DSPS, confirm insurance independently, and check complaint information through DATCP. If the contractor will pull a permit for a one- or two-family home, confirm the required Dwelling Contractor and Dwelling Contractor Qualifier credentials.
What if the contractor estimate and insurance estimate do not match?
List the quantities and work that appear in only one document, then ask both sides to explain those differences in writing. ScopeCheck can provide an educational comparison, but it does not adjust, negotiate, or submit an insurance claim.