McLennan County
Waco, Texas Roofing & Property Protection
Roofing guidance, storm damage documentation, gutters, painting, and repairs for Waco homeowners in McLennan County, from The Roof Shepherd, based in Round Rock.
Updated November 1, 2026
Read This First
The short version
- Waco, in McLennan County, is about 86 miles and 1 hour 39 minutes by road from our Round Rock base.
- Hail 1.75 inches or larger was reported 36 times near Waco from 2000 to 2026, 64th of the 207 cities on this site.
- 2011 was the worst season here from 2006 to 2025: 6 reports of hail 1.75 inches or larger, the largest 2.75 inches on April 26.
- The median home in Waco was built in 1977, and 65 percent of homes here were built before 1990.
- None of its three nearest neighbors had more large hail.
Call or text 512-575-5052 or use Get Help to start with a documented inspection in Waco, McLennan County.
Short version: 6 min. Full page: 18 min. Want the detail? Each section below opens with a tap, or switch to Full at the top to open them all.
Waco At A Glance
What homeowners in Waco should know
How Waco ranks for large hail and home age, and who sets permit rules here.
Waco, in McLennan County, is about 86 miles and 1 hour 39 minutes by road from our Round Rock base. Roofing permit rules are set locally, and Texas has no statewide roofing license, so we confirm the rules for your address before work starts.
Roofing Insight
Waco’s McLennan County location puts it at the northern boundary of the Central Texas hail corridor, storm cells moving northeast from the Hill Country consistently pass through this market before reaching DFW.
Hail & Storm Exposure
Hail 1.75 inches or larger, golf ball size, was reported 36 times within ten miles of Waco from 2000 to 2026. That ranks 64th of the 207 Texas cities on this site.
Exterior & Painting Note
Waco’s Magnolia-driven renovation boom has created strong demand for exterior painting on older craftsman and Victorian homes in Hillcrest and Sanger Heights, lead paint testing is required on pre-1978 structures.
Common Roofing Issues
The common problems in Waco are the same as across Central Texas. Sun wears off granules. Hail dents vents and gutters. Pipe boots fail. Older attics vent poorly. The specific soil and humidity conditions in McLennan County add local nuance to each.
Waco Snapshot
Weather history & local facts
Hail and wind on record near Waco, in McLennan County, plus a few local facts worth knowing.
Hail and wind on record here
Waco’s verified NOAA record since 2018 includes 4.5 inch hail in Waco on April 26, 2023, 2 inch hail in Waco on April 13, 2018, and 1.75 inch hail at Robinson on June 16, 2023. 33 thunderstorm wind events and 3 tornado reports sit inside the same 10 mile window. Peak hail months here: April and May.
Worth Knowing
Waco is home to Baylor University and has become synonymous with Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia brand, the Magnolia Market at the Silos has transformed downtown Waco’s retail and tourism economy.
What the storm record means locally
After major hail events, out-of-state contractors arrive quickly. A written record of visible conditions before any repair decision protects your position, whether you file a claim or not. The Roof Shepherd documents first. Decisions come after.
Local Note
Waco experienced one of Texas’s most destructive tornadoes in May 1953, an F5 event that killed 114 people and prompted major advances in weather radar and tornado warning systems across Texas and beyond.
Sources behind these numbers
Hail data sourced from NOAA SPC filtered reports, 1″ or larger within 10 miles of city center. Not a formal risk assessment.
On record
What has actually fallen on Waco
132 hail events are on record within ten miles of Waco, the largest 4.50 inches on April 26, 2023.
Reading the public storm record
To see the days radar recorded hail near your own address, use our hail history lookup.
| Hail events on record | 132 |
|---|---|
| Reached 1.75 in or larger | 36 |
| Largest stone recorded | 4.50 in · April 26, 2023 |
| Busiest year | 2011 · 14 events |
| Most common months | April and May |
| Strongest gust in the archive | 81 mph · February 10, 2009 |
| Radar hail days, 1 in or larger | 200 days · 2000-2026 · largest signature 4.00 in |
| Preliminary reports, last 12 months | 1 report of 1 in or larger · largest 1.50 in on April 28, 2026 |
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database · McLennan County · 2000-2026 · within 10 miles of the Waco centroid. Counts are reported events, so they undercount: a stone that fell where nobody reported it is not in the record.
Checked November 1, 2026 against two feeds that do not share the archive's bias: radar hail signatures from the NEXRAD hail detection algorithm (NOAA NCEI Severe Weather Data Inventory, same 10 mile radius, 2000-2026), counted as days with a signature of one inch or larger, and the Storm Prediction Center's preliminary reports for the last 12 months, which are unreviewed and never a competing total. A radar day and a reported event are different units and are not expected to match: the archive needs a witness and undercounts, radar needs none and can flag hail that melted before it landed. What fell on one roof is settled by a documented inspection, not by any of these counts.
Year by year
Hail in Waco, 2006 to 2025
One row per year of hail reports one inch or larger near Waco, newest first, from the weather archive.
Twenty seasons, one row each
One row per year, newest first. Each row counts the hail reports of one inch or larger within ten miles of Waco, from the National Weather Service archive. 81 reports from 2006 to 2025, 30 of them at or above 1.75 inches, golf ball size. Counting only stones of one inch or larger, the busiest year in this table was 2023. If you owned your roof through any of these dates, the row is the reason to know what it took.
| Year | Reports 1 in+ | 1.75 in+ | Largest stone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 0 | 1.00 in · May 2 |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 1.00 in · May 22 |
| 2023 | 11 | 5 | 4.50 in · April 26 |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 1.00 in · May 21 |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 1.00 in · April 8 |
Show all 20 years (2006 to 2025)
| Year | Reports 1 in+ | 1.75 in+ | Largest stone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5 | 2 | 1.75 in · May 27 |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | 1.00 in · April 13 |
| 2018 | 4 | 3 | 2.00 in · April 13 |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 1.25 in · May 21 |
| 2016 | 3 | 1 | 1.75 in · June 12 |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 1.00 in · May 25 |
| 2014 | 6 | 1 | 1.75 in · October 2 |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 1.00 in · October 26 |
| 2012 | 5 | 3 | 1.75 in · April 3 |
| 2011 | 10 | 6 | 2.75 in · April 26 |
| 2010 | 8 | 3 | 1.75 in · May 20 |
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | 1.75 in · April 16 |
| 2008 | 5 | 2 | 1.75 in · April 25 |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | none reported |
| 2006 | 6 | 3 | 1.75 in · April 25 |
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, hail events 2006 through 2025 within 10 miles of the Waco centroid. Reports are observer-driven, so a stone that fell where nobody reported it is not in the record, and small towns are undercounted relative to cities. Full calendar years only; the current year is not shown until it is complete.
McLennan County Storm Record
Documented storm exposure in Waco
The worst hail seasons near Waco from 2006 to 2025, year by year.
Hail Frequency
NOAA storm records log 46 hail events within 10 miles of Waco since 2018, 20 of them inside the city’s immediate 6 mile ring. Inside that ring, the largest verified stone measured 4.5 inches on April 26, 2023. Since 2018, hail here peaks in April and May.
Largest Recorded
McLennan County’s benchmark is the 1953 Waco F5 tornado, the deadliest in Texas history; county records since 1880 also include another F5 and two F4 tornadoes, alongside recurring large hail along the I-35 corridor (NWS Fort Worth).
The worst hail seasons near Waco, 2006 to 2025
- 2011: 6 reports of hail 1.75 inches or larger, largest 2.75 inches on April 26
- 2023: 5 reports of hail 1.75 inches or larger, largest 4.5 inches on April 26
- 2018: 3 reports of hail 1.75 inches or larger, largest 2 inches on April 13
Neighborhood Exposure
McLennan County sits at the northern end of the I-35 Central Texas hail corridor. Waco’s position on the Brazos River bottomlands means storm cells track through with significant frequency, 128 severe hail days recorded in McLennan County since 2000 (NOAA SPC).
How these figures are corroborated
Hail data sourced from NOAA Storm Prediction Center (SPC) filtered reports. Reports reflect spotter-confirmed events within 10 miles of city center. Not a formal risk assessment.
Verified Storm Record
Verified hail and wind history across North-Central Texas and the Interstate 35 corridor, the region Waco sits in. Roof condition changes with every storm season, which is why the homeowner should own the documentation.
April 26 softball size hail
NOAA verifies 4.5 inch hail in Waco on April 26, 2023, a softball size stone.
April 13 hen egg size hail
NOAA verifies 2 inch hail in Waco on April 13, 2018, a hen egg size stone.
April 26 golf ball size hail
NOAA verifies 1.75 inch hail in Waco on April 26, 2011, a golf ball size stone.
April 12 golf ball size hail
NOAA verifies 1.75 inch hail in Waco on April 12, 1996, a golf ball size stone.
Where these figures come from
Figures drawn from public NOAA, National Weather Service, U.S. Census, and Texas Department of Insurance records and contemporaneous reporting. Not a formal risk assessment.
Live NOAA record Since September 2024, NOAA has logged 11 hail reports within 10 miles of Waco, 3 of them inside 6 miles. The largest measured 2.5 inches on April 28, 2026, about 7.3 miles away. Damaging wind has been reported 6 times in the same period, most recently 72 mph on April 28, 2026. These are NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary reports covering September 30, 2024 to October 29, 2026. A report near a property confirms hail fell nearby. It does not confirm that any particular roof was damaged, and it is not a coverage determination.
About Waco
Local ground truth for Waco properties
Waco sits in McLennan County in Central Texas, home to roughly 146,608 residents (Census Bureau estimate, 2024). NOAA storm records log 46 hail events within ten miles since 2018. The largest stone in the full NOAA archive, 2000 to 2026, measured 4.5″ on April 26, 2023.
Roof age, by the census
How old the roofs in Waco are likely to be
Census figures on when Waco homes were built, which tells you roughly when their first roofs went on.
When the houses went up
Waco has 60,256 housing units in the Census Bureau's latest five-year estimate. The median home was built in 1977. 73 percent were built before 2000 and 65 percent before 1990; 16 percent have been built since 2010. Half or more of the homes here predate 2000. An original asphalt-shingle roof from that era is at or past the 20-to-30-year service life typically cited for asphalt shingles, and many will already be on a second roof, which is worth confirming from a permit or a receipt rather than assuming.
| Year built | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Built 2020 or later | 703 | 1% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8,976 | 15% |
| Built 2000 to 2009 | 6,548 | 11% |
| Built 1990 to 1999 | 4,802 | 8% |
| Built 1980 to 1989 | 6,753 | 11% |
Show all ten brackets (1939 or earlier to 2020 or later)
| Year built | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Built 1970 to 1979 | 8,366 | 14% |
| Built 1960 to 1969 | 7,453 | 12% |
| Built 1950 to 1959 | 9,713 | 16% |
| Built 1940 to 1949 | 3,330 | 6% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 3,612 | 6% |
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates, tables B25034 and B25035, Waco city. ACS figures are estimates with published margins of error; shares are rounded to whole percents. Year built is the structure, not the roof: it says when the first roof went on, not whether it is still there.
Roofer Near Waco
Everything we cover in Waco
All the work we do, in Waco and in all of McLennan County.
What we cover in Waco
Roofing, painting, gutters and home services, in Waco and across McLennan County. Waco, in McLennan County, is about 86 miles and 1 hour 39 minutes by road from our Round Rock base.
Services available in Waco
Every service below is available to Waco homeowners, as it is anywhere in Texas.
All services
Round Rock Extended
How service works in Waco
How far Waco is from our base, and who handles your project from start to finish.
Who runs the inspection
Waco, in McLennan County, is about 86 miles and 1 hour 39 minutes by road from our Round Rock base. David Rodrigues, the founder, looks at your Waco roof and writes down what he sees before anyone talks repair or replacement. If you go ahead, The Roof Shepherd runs the job from contract to walkthrough. Our project delivery page explains who does what.
Local Conditions
What is different about working on Waco homes
Waco side by side with its three nearest neighbors on this site.
What roofs face in this market
Nearby, from 2000 to 2026: Hewitt 27, McGregor 13 and Hillsboro 13 reports of hail 1.75 inches or larger, against 36 for Waco. Of the other cities on this site, 88 percent have newer homes than Waco.
| City | Hail 1.75 in+, biggest stone |
|---|---|
| Waco | 36, 4.5 in |
| Hewitt (7 mi) | 27, 4.5 in |
| McGregor (17 mi) | 13, 3 in |
| Hillsboro (31 mi) | 13, 4.5 in |
Severe hail: reports of 1.75 inches or larger, 2000 to 2026, within ten miles of each city center (NOAA NCEI Storm Events). Miles are straight-line between city centers.
The largest hail recorded near Waco, by date:
| Date | Largest stone |
|---|---|
| April 26, 2023 | 4.5″ |
| April 26, 2011 | 2.75″ |
Useful locally: City of Waco official site for permit and inspection rules; NWS forecast for Waco before scheduling work.
Storm figures: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events within a 10 mile radius, 2000 to 2026. Windstorm territory per Texas Windstorm Insurance Association county designations.
The rules here
Roof permits and code in Waco
What the city's own documents say about a re-roof permit and code here, and the date they were read.
What the city's own documents say
Waco requires a roofing permit to replace shingles, felt, flashing and up to 32 square feet of decking. Replacing more decking requires a repairs and alterations permit. The city lists the residential roofing fee at $125.
Waco adopted the 2024 International Residential Code, most recently amended by Ordinance 2025-813 on November 4, 2025.
Read at the city's own pages and code on October 14, 2026. The city's current document governs if it changes, so we confirm the rule for your address before work starts. Our permits and codes by city page explains how Texas cities set these rules.
Exterior & Painting
What Waco homeowners should know about exterior work
Get the roof documented first, since a roof visit often turns up fascia, gutter and trim damage.
Local Paint & Exterior Note
Some HOAs have approval rules for roofing materials and colors. Inside city limits, the City of Waco issues the roofing permit; outside the city, the rules depend on the address, so we confirm them before work starts.
Sequence Matters
Waco’s mix of postwar bungalows and newer Magnolia-influenced builds requires different documentation approaches. Original wood-frame homes in older neighborhoods show paint failure and wood deterioration alongside any storm damage. A condition baseline separates pre-existing issues from event-specific damage. Get the roof documented first. Painting and exterior repairs come after. Condition notes from a roof visit often surface fascia rot, gutter separation, and trim damage that affect painting scope and cost.
Google Reviews
Homeowner Reviews
These are verified Google reviews from Texas homeowners we’ve served.
The Roof Shepherd LLC, came to my rescued in time when I was struggling to find help with my damaged roof. My home insurance at the time refused to provide help or pay for the damage to my roof at the time unless I pay the substantial amount they requested up front of ($28,500). I felt so lost, confused and helpless worrying on how to pay this and keep my home safe and prevent the roof from worse leaks due to bad weather and heavy rain our area was receiving at the time. Three months in praying asking God for help. On May 10th 2026, Saturday morning my doorbell rang. When I open the door I was met with a brighter smile of a man whom introduced himself as David Rodriguez and he wanted to speak with me about my roof. And that's when this beautiful blessed "Roof Shepherd" enter my heart ❤️, and my home. I praise God for His blessings and prayers answered. David the "Roof Shepherd" stuck with me and promise me that he will help me with my problems. He pray with, walked me through every difficult steps I needed to go through. From May 10th through November 7th we finally received the financial help I needed. I had also asked David to help me search for a new home insurance and yes, he came through that for me as well. God answered my prayers in time when I needed help and I could not thank Him enough. I thank you David for your service, you've never given up on me when I was struggling along the way. It was a long depressed and difficult 6 months but you were still there for me till end. I'm very proud to say, I now have a beautiful strong Roof on my house, and a reasonable well managed Home/Auto insurance. Yes I will and do recommend "The Roof Shepherd" 💯 to anyone and everyone who are struggling and are experiencing the same problem and difficult I've gone through with my Roof and home insurance. Please open your mind and give them a chance. They will answer all your questions and help you find the answers and solutions they see fit and helpful for you. They are very professional with their work. The whole staff are very friendly well manner respectful and hard working people . Thank you David "Roof Shepherd LLC" God bless you, your family and your work
Owner Response
Noela, thank you for taking the time to write such a heartfelt review. It truly means a lot. This was not a quick or simple situation, and I know it took months of patience, coordination, decision-making, and trust to finally get your roof completed. I'm grateful you allowed me to walk with you through the process, explain the roofing system, discuss your options clearly, and help you make informed decisions for your home. I'm especially thankful that your Copperas Cove, Texas roof is now completed and that your home is better protected moving forward. You and your family were patient through a difficult season, and I'm glad The Roof Shepherd LLC could be part of helping bring this project to the finish line. Thank you again for trusting me, for your prayers, and for your kind words. God bless you and your family.
The Roof Shepherd, David, did a great job on our roof repair. He was able to upgrade our shingles to a better class. Very polite and professional.
Owner Response
George, thank you for the kind review. I appreciate you trusting me with your roof replacement in Copperas Cove, Texas, and I’m glad we were able to help upgrade your shingles to a better class for your home. Clear communication, professional guidance, and making sure the homeowner understands the roofing options are always important to me. I appreciate the opportunity to help.
Dave was great — he went above and beyond what any company would do. There were major issues with my insurance company, and he was there every step of the way helping me get things done. Dave and his crew were great — they made sure my motorcycle was covered up properly during the work, and they cleaned up beautifully when they were done.
Owner Response
Thank you so much for this review and for trusting me and the crew with your home. I know this project had some difficult moments, especially with the insurance side of the process, and I’m grateful I was able to help with documentation, communication, and support along the way. It also means a lot that you noticed the care the crew took around your property and the cleanup after the roof was completed, because protecting the property matters just as much as the roof itself. I truly appreciate your kind words and your trust.
Nearby
Nearby areas we serve
Nearby cities we also serve
The Roof Shepherd also documents and serves these nearby Texas communities. Distances are straight-line miles from the center of Waco, and each hail figure is the count of NOAA-verified hail events within 10 miles of that city since 2018:
Field Videos
From the field near Waco
Real inspections and real conditions, documented, from Waco and McLennan County.
Field videos from real roofs, each with a short note on what the inspection or the work showed.
Hail Alert on April 18, Austin to Georgetown
Active hail falling across the Austin, Round Rock and Georgetown corridor on April 18, the kind that bruises shingles without leaving a leak.
Watch on YouTubeRound Rock Class 4 Roof Replacement
What a Class 4 impact-resistant shingle upgrade means for Hill Country homes, hail frequency, material performance, and insurance premium context.
Watch on YouTubeWaco FAQs
Common questions in Waco
Does The Roof Shepherd serve Waco regularly?
Yes. Waco is about 86 miles and 1 hour 39 minutes by road from Round Rock, our home base. We work across Texas, and McLennan County is part of that.
How often does large hail hit Waco?
Hail 1.75 inches or larger, golf ball size, was reported 36 times within ten miles of Waco from 2000 to 2026. That ranks 64th of the 207 Texas cities on this site. The largest stone on record within ten miles from 2000 to 2026 measured 4.5 inches, on April 26, 2023.
When is hail season in Waco?
From 2000 to 2026, hail within ten miles of Waco came most often in April and May. The busiest single year in that record was 2011, with 14 reports of every size.
What was the worst recent hail year in Waco?
2011 was the worst season here from 2006 to 2025: 6 reports of hail 1.75 inches or larger, the largest 2.75 inches on April 26. The table on this page lists every year.
How does Waco compare with nearby towns for hail?
Nearby, from 2000 to 2026: Hewitt 27, McGregor 13 and Hillsboro 13 reports of hail 1.75 inches or larger, against 36 for Waco.
How old are the homes in Waco?
The median home in Waco was built in 1977, and 65 percent of homes here were built before 1990. Of the other cities on this site, 88 percent have newer homes than Waco.
What is the strongest wind on record near Waco?
The strongest thunderstorm wind gust reported within ten miles from 2000 to 2026 was 81 mph, on February 10, 2009.
How much does a new roof cost in Waco?
It depends on the roof’s size, pitch, material, decking and vents. We look at your roof in Waco first, so any price you weigh fits its real condition. Our price guides for all four trades are on the RPGs page.
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