Hail Cracked Window Well Cover — Covers and Egress Well Parts
The clear bubble covers over the basement windows are cracked and crazed after the hail, and the next rain filled one of the wells.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
A hail cracked window well cover lets rain, snow and leaves into the well and onto the basement window, and it is one of the items most often left off a storm scope. JMB Builders in the Twin Cities photographs each cracked cover and dented well with a scale, lists them as their own lines for your adjuster, and replaces them measured to fit, with egress covers that open from inside. Priced per unit.
- Priced per well cover
- Each cover measured to the well
- Egress covers that open from inside
Clear window well covers are usually polycarbonate or acrylic, and they sit flat to the sky, so hail hits them square. Older covers that have yellowed in the sun crack easily. A cracked cover lets water, snow and leaves into the well, and a well full of water is how basement windows leak. Because the wells are low and behind shrubs, they get missed on a lot of storm scopes.
We photograph each cover with a scale, note cracks and crazing, and check the well under it for dents in a galvanized well, a bent egress ladder or a grate cover knocked out of shape. Each item goes on the scope as its own line, numbered by well. Covers are measured to the well: width, how far it sticks out from the foundation and the shape, so the new one sits tight.
Over an egress window the cover is part of the way out of the bedroom, so it has to open from inside without a key or tools, to code. We replace egress covers with ones that do. You file and deal with your insurer; we meet the adjuster if you want us there. Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. 325E.66) bars a contractor from waiving, rebating or paying any part of your deductible, and we do not.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
What you supply
- Your claim number and the adjuster's scope, if you have it
- A photo of each well cover from above and from the side
- Which wells serve a bedroom egress window
- Access around the foundation, with shrubs trimmed back if they block the wells
What JMB supplies
- Photos of each cover and well with a scale, numbered by well
- A line-item scope with each cover, dented well part or ladder on its own line
- Each well measured for width, projection and shape
- New clear covers fastened to the well or foundation
- Egress covers that open from inside without a key or tools
- Leaves and debris cleared out of the well when the cover is changed
How it is priced: per unit
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Number of covers and wells hit
- Size and shape of each well: round, square or tiered egress
- Flat or domed clear cover vs a grate or a cover that hinges open
- Dented galvanized wells or bent ladders replaced too
- Shrubs, decks or patios that make the wells hard to reach
Send a photo of each cover and the well under it, with a tape across the widest point.
How long it takes
Photos and measuring in one visit. Covers made to size take some time to arrive; installing them is quick, often all of them in one visit.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Hail Cracked Window Well Cover — Covers and Egress Well Parts: questions, answered
Will insurance replace a hail cracked window well cover?
It depends on your policy and the adjuster, but window well covers are part of the house and are commonly listed on storm scopes when they are found. They are often missed because they are low and behind shrubs. Photograph each one with the storm date and ask your insurer how to add them.
How do I measure for a replacement window well cover?
Measure the width of the well at its widest point and how far it sticks out from the foundation, and note the shape. Covers are sized to overlap the well's top edge. We measure each well so the new cover sits tight.
Do egress window well covers have to open from inside?
Yes. A cover over a bedroom egress well is part of the way out in a fire, so it has to open from inside without a key, tools or special knowledge, to code. Replacements over egress wells are chosen to do that.
Can hail dent a metal window well?
Yes, a galvanized well can dent, and a bent top edge can keep a cover from sitting tight. Most of the time the cover takes the damage and the well is fine. We check both and photograph what we find.
Why are window well covers left off hail claims?
They sit low against the foundation, often behind shrubs, and are easy to miss on a walk-around focused on the roof and siding. If yours are cracked and not on the scope, photograph them and ask your insurer about adding them.
Can a contractor pay my deductible on a window well cover claim?
No. Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. 325E.66) bars a contractor from waiving, rebating or paying any part of your deductible, and JMB Builders does not do it.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and the builders we work with. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Related jobs we do
Egress Window Installation — Basement Opening Cut, Window and Well
A basement bedroom needs a way out. We cut the wall, set the window and the well, and finish the inside so the room is legal and usable.
Read moreWindow Well Installation and Covers — Wells Replaced, Gravel and Drain
A well rusted through at the bottom, one the snowblower crushed, one that fills with water every spring, or an egress well that needs a ladder and a cover — replaced, drained and covered so the basement stays dry.
Read moreInsurance Adjuster Missed Window Damage — Asking for a Supplement
The check came and the scope lists three windows, but six screens are torn and a sash on the back is cracked. Here is how the missing items get documented and back in front of your insurer.
Read moreHail Damaged Window Screens Replacement — Rescreen or New Frames
Hail shredded the screens on the storm side and dented a few frames. Before anything gets fixed, every screen gets counted, sized and photographed so none is left off the claim.
Read moreBasement Window Replacement — Hopper or Slider, Supplied and Installed
Rusted steel frames, rotted wood bucks, single glass that frosts all winter. We supply the new basement windows and set them right in the concrete.
Read moreActual Cash Value vs Replacement Cost — Why the First Check Is Less
The adjuster's estimate says one number, the check that came says a smaller one, and the letter mentions depreciation. Nothing is wrong. Here is what the numbers are and what has to happen for the rest to arrive.
Read morePage reviewed October 9, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All insurance repairs pages
Where we work
Insurance & Storm Damage Repairs near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: