At the south end of Hail Alley
The Insurance Bureau of Canada says Alberta’s Hail Alley “unofficially runs from High River, which is just south of Calgary, and extends north to central Alberta.” High River is about 68 km south of Calgary, at the junction of Highways 2 and 23, so it sits at the start of that corridor.
Insured-loss figures are reported for the Calgary area as a whole, so there is no official street-by-street count for High River. That is why we inspect slope by slope and photograph every hit. Your claim depends on what is on your roof, not on a headline.
High River homes and roofs
High River mixes older and newer housing, and each has its own roof issues:
- Established neighbourhoods. The Town describes the southwest and central, southeast, northwest and northeast areas as established, with single-family, heritage, semi-detached and townhouse homes. Older roofs here are more likely to be on a second or third set of shingles, to have mixed-age decking, and to be brittle after years of sun and freeze-thaw.
- Newer communities. Montrose, Monteith and Red Tail Rise, which was annexed into the Town on January 1, 2021, have mostly newer two-storey homes with builder-grade architectural shingles. Young roofs can still be fully damaged by large hail, and because they have little depreciation, a claim tends to cover more of the cost.
- Downtown. Mixed-use buildings, some with apartments above, often have low-slope sections that need membrane roofing rather than shingles.
Older homes and the Highwood River
The Highwood River runs through High River, and the town was hit by the major 2013 flood. Many older homes have had work done since then, which means additions, repairs and roof sections of different ages. When we inspect, we check each roof plane separately and list tear-off layers and any deck replacement as separate lines in writing, so the price is clear before work starts.
Wind on the open prairie
High River is close to the foothills and exposed to strong west winds. Wind lifts and creases shingles that are already weakened by hail, and tears off ridge caps. We install to the manufacturer’s high-wind nailing pattern, and we check starter strip and edge details on every roof.
After a storm
Walk around the house and look for dented roof vents and eavestroughs, torn screens and damaged siding. Then book a free hail roof inspection if you see anything. If your neighbours are getting new roofs, it is worth a look even if yours seems fine. Damage can stop at the property line, or be hidden on slopes you can’t see from the street.
How we help High River homeowners
- Free hail roof inspection with a photo report
- Insurance claim support: documentation, adjuster meetings and estimate review
- Hail damage repair when damage is limited
- Roof replacement, including Class 4 impact-resistant options
- Emergency tarping for open roofs and active leaks
Book a High River inspection with the form on this page or call [403-XXX-XXXX].