Roofing in Waukee, where the subdivisions meet open prairie
Waukee is one of the fastest-growing places in Iowa, and its newest streets sit right at the edge of the fields. Storms coming across open country hit those roofs with nothing to slow them down.
Research puts typical Waukee home values around $320,000, the highest of the suburbs we track, on houses that are mostly young. Young doesn't mean safe. A three-year-old roof that took a direct hit from hail is damaged the same as a twenty-year-old one, and a home on the western edge of town takes wind straight off open ground.
Questions we hear from Waukee owners
"The house is new. Isn't the roof under warranty?" The shingle warranty covers manufacturing defects, and the builder's warranty covers workmanship for a limited time. Neither covers hail or wind; that's your homeowner's insurance.
"I only see a few shingles in the yard." Wind tends to break seal strips across a whole slope even when only a few shingles blow off. We check the rest of the slope by hand.
"Our builder's crew is gone. Who fixes it?" We do, with matching shingles where they're available, and we'll tell you if a repair will show.
Built for the open edge
On replacements and big repairs out here, we pay extra attention to wind: starter strips with sealant at the eaves and rakes, nailing to the manufacturer's high-wind pattern, and hip and ridge caps rated for wind. On homes near the trail corridor and the fields, we also suggest gutter guards against the seed fluff and leaves that blow in. Permits come from the City of Waukee.
