The May hailstorm in Amarillo was the 10th costliest storm in the history of the state of Texas with an estimated price tag of $500 million. With most of 2013 in the rear view mirror, the good news is that construction in Amarillo is up, and repairs from the spring storm is a significant part of the pie. As a matter of fact, 43 percent of construction projects in the city are roofing according to the Amarillo Globe-News.
As of September 30, 13,919 roofing permits were issued totally $153.3 million. That compares with $6.9 million during the same period last year.
While residential activity is leveling off, commercial building repair is ramping up said city of Amarillo Building Official Scott McDonald. He went on to say the reason for the difference is time frames is the commercial insurance claim process, verification of damage, and estimates for repair take longer for commercial buildings. He also noted the jobs are often more expensive.
“It’s not uncommon for a (large) commercial roof to be a million (dollars) or greater,” he said.