The Storm Lead Checklist: 14 Things to Do in the First 6 Hours After Hail

The roofing contractors who book the most work after a storm aren't the ones with the biggest crews or the largest marketing budgets. They're the ones with a process. This checklist is that process — used by top contractors to consistently book $50k–$140k off a single hail event.

Before the Storm Even Passes

The most effective storm response starts before a single hailstone hits the ground. If you're scrambling to figure out where to go after the storm, you're already behind.

• 1. Have a scored client database ready. Every client you've ever worked with should be in a system that can be filtered by address, roof age, roof type, and last service date. When a storm hits, you need to cross-reference that list against damage zones in minutes — not hours. If your client list lives in a spreadsheet or text messages, this step is your biggest bottleneck.
• 2. Set up storm monitoring alerts. Don't wait for a neighbor to call. Real-time hail tracking (available inside RafterCore's storm scoring system) alerts you the moment a weather event registers in your area — with damage severity, affected zip codes, and estimated impact radius.
• 3. Pre-write your outreach messages. Have 3 outreach templates ready: one for existing clients, one for neighbors of existing clients, one for cold neighborhoods. The first 2 hours after a storm are worth 10× more than hours 5–6. If you're writing messages from scratch when the storm clears, you're wasting that window.

Hours 1–2: Score and Prioritize

The storm has cleared. Here's what the best contractors do before anyone else is even on the road.

1. Score your client list by damage probability. Cross-reference your clients against the storm path. Prioritize: homes directly in the hail band, roofs over 12 years old, properties with no permit activity since the last storm, and high-equity owners (more likely to approve out-of-pocket work).
2. Check for filed insurance claims. Some homeowners file within hours of a storm. RafterCore's Lead Scanner detects new claim activity in your radius — these are the warmest leads possible. Someone who already filed wants a contractor. They just haven't found one yet.
3. Monitor social media for signals. Search Facebook, Nextdoor, and Twitter/X for your city + "roof damage," "hail," or "roofer." Posts asking for roofer recommendations within hours of a storm are the easiest conversions you'll ever close. First contractor to respond almost always gets the job.
4. Pull a Roof Intel scan on your top 10 targets. Before you call anyone, pull a property report for each priority address — dimensions, estimated age, material, RCV value, and hail vulnerability score. Walk into every conversation knowing more about their roof than they do.
5. Check competitor activity. Are your competitors already running ads? Knocking certain streets? Knowing where they're focusing tells you where to go first and where to avoid.

Hours 3–4: Outreach and Booking

Now you have a scored, prioritized list. Time to make contact — and to do it in a way that books appointments, not just awareness.

1. Call your top 5 existing clients first. They already trust you. "Hi [Name], I'm reaching out because we had a significant hail event in your area this morning. I want to make sure your roof is okay — can I stop by for a free inspection?" This call takes 90 seconds. Conversion rate on warm existing clients after a storm: typically 60–80%.
2. Send SMS to the next tier. Text converts 3× better than email in the first few hours. Keep it short: "Hi [Name] — RafterCore here. Hail hit [neighborhood] this morning. We'd like to offer you a free roof inspection today. Reply YES and we'll confirm a time." Don't write an essay.
3. Respond to every social post you found in step 3. On Nextdoor and Facebook: comment publicly, then follow up with a direct message with your name, company, and a specific offer. Speed is everything here — the first contractor to respond with a real offer usually wins the DM thread.
4. Book appointments, not calls. Don't say "I'll give you a call to discuss." Offer a specific time slot: "Are you free at 2pm or 4pm today?" People cancel vague follow-ups. People show up for specific appointments.

Hours 5–6: On the Ground

1. Show up with your Roof Intel PDF. Print or pull up the property report on your tablet before you knock. When you can say "Your roof is 17 years old, approximately 32 squares of architectural shingle, with an estimated RCV of $21,400 and a high hail vulnerability score for this zip code" — you've already won the trust conversation.
2. Document every property you visit. Take timestamped photos before you say a word about damage. This protects you in claim disputes and gives the homeowner something concrete to submit to their insurer.
3. Leave a door hanger at every house where nobody answers. Pre-printed with your name, company, the storm date, and a QR code to your homeowner booking portal. At least 20% of these generate a callback within 48 hours.
4. Enter every contact into your pipeline immediately — not when you get back to the office, not tonight. On-site, on your phone, into RafterCore. Stage, notes, next action. If it's not in the system, it doesn't exist.

The Tools That Make This Possible

This checklist describes what top contractors do. But doing it manually — tracking weather, scoring clients, pulling property reports, monitoring social, managing the pipeline — takes a team and a full morning. The contractors booking $140k off a single storm aren't doing all of this by hand.

RafterCore automates steps 1–5 and 7 from this list automatically the moment a storm is detected in your area:

• Storm alerts fire within minutes of a weather event
• Your client list scores automatically by damage probability
• The Lead Scanner monitors insurance claim filings, social media, and permit activity in your radius
• Roof Intel pulls a full property report for any address in 5 seconds
• Outreach messages are drafted with each homeowner's specific details pre-filled