James Merritt
Creator, HailIndex · Denver, CO · james@hailindex.com
I'm a software developer based in Denver. I built HailIndex after getting caught flat-footed on a hail claim — I had no independent way to evaluate whether the contractor estimate was reasonable or the adjuster's number was fair. Every resource I found was either produced by someone with a financial stake in the outcome or too vague to be useful.
The problem turned out to be a data problem. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes roofing labor rates by metro area. NOAA maintains a detailed record of every documented hail event by county going back decades. Neither of these datasets was being used to produce city-level repair cost estimates for homeowners. So I built the pipeline to do it.
HailIndex is now live across Colorado, Texas, and Kansas, with the rest of the hail belt in progress. Every cost figure on the site is calculated from public government data — BLS OEWS wage indices, BLS Producer Price Index for roofing materials, and NOAA Storm Events records. Nothing is sourced from contractor quotes, insurer data, or paid partnerships.
Not a roofing contractor — no financial relationship with any contractor on this site.
Not an insurance adjuster. Nothing here is insurance advice.
Not a contractor directory. The referral network connects homeowners with local roofers for independent vetting — HailIndex does not rank or endorse specific contractors.
Contact
If you spot an error or an outdated source, email with the city, the field, and the correct public source. Reviewed monthly.
Roofing contractors interested in the referral network can reach out by email. See also: how HailIndex makes money.