Hail Damaged Second Story Windows Claim — Access, Photos, Lift Line
The ground-floor windows are on the adjuster's list. The ones over the garage roof and up the gable end are not, because nobody got close enough to look.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
On a hail damaged second story windows claim, the upper sashes, frames and screens are the openings most often missed, because nobody can see them well from the lawn. JMB Builders photographs each upper window up close, from a ladder or from inside, with a scale reference, numbers it, and writes the access it needs, ladders, walk boards or a rented lift, as its own line. You file the claim; we document and repair.
- Every upper window photographed up close
- Access written as its own line on the scope
- Priced per window, access listed separately
Hail hits the second floor as hard as the first. The difference is who looks at it. From the lawn a dented clad sash, a split vinyl corner or a torn screen twenty feet up looks like nothing. A fogged pane shows only on a cold morning from inside. On a two story house that means half the windows can be missing from the first scope, and adding them later means a supplement.
So the upper openings get the same treatment as the lower ones, only closer. Each one is photographed from a ladder or through the open sash from inside, wide and close, with a tape or a coin for scale, and given a number on a sketch of the house. Screens come down and get photographed on the ground. The note for each window says what is wrong and what the repair is: glass, sash, screen or the whole unit.
Then the access. A second story window replaced from inside still needs someone outside to set it, flash it and trim it. Over a walkout, a deck or a steep slope that can mean walk boards, staging or a rented lift instead of a ladder. That is real work and a real cost, so it goes on the scope as its own line, priced on the wall it belongs to. You file the claim and talk to your insurer; we document the damage, meet the adjuster when you want us there, and do the repair.
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, storm date and any photos you took that day
- Access to every upstairs room, with furniture pulled back from the windows
- A clear spot on the lawn or driveway if a lift is needed on that wall
- Decisions on glass, color and grilles before the order goes in
- One person we call during the job, and the adjuster's appointment time
What JMB supplies
- Close photos of every upper window with a scale reference, numbered on a sketch
- A line-item scope by opening, with ladders, staging or lift listed as access lines
- A walk of the upper floor with the adjuster when you want us there
- One in-person measure of every opening before anything is ordered
- Floor and furniture protection in each room, and the room closed up the same day
- Install, flashing, exterior trim and interior trim; painting quoted as its own line
How it is priced: per window
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- What each window needs: glass, sash, screen or the whole unit
- Access on each wall: ladder, walk boards, staging or a rented lift
- What is under the wall: deck, walkout, slope, landscaping or a lower roof
- How many upper windows can be reached from one setup
- Exterior wrap and interior trim disturbed by a full-unit replacement
- Upgrades you choose beyond like kind, on their own lines
Send a photo of each side of the house and any close photos of upper windows. We reply within one business day and say which walls need more than a ladder.
How long it takes
Documenting the upper floor: part of one visit. Install after approval and delivery; lead time depends on the brand and is written on the quote. Most upper rooms are done room by room, one or two a day.
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.
Situations and options
From a ladder
Most upper windows over flat ground. Close photos of glass, sash corners and capping, screens pulled and photographed on the lawn.
From inside
Through the open sash, for walls over a deck or slope. Shows glass, seals and the inside of the sash, with the exterior read from photos taken through the opening.
Walk boards or staging
Windows over a lower roof or a walkout. Staging is written as its own access line on the wall that needs it.
Rented lift
Tall gable walls and walkout backs where a ladder is unsafe. The lift is a line on the scope, tied to the openings it reaches, not spread across the job.
Hail Damaged Second Story Windows Claim — Access, Photos, Lift Line: questions, answered
How do I know if hail damaged my second story windows if I can't see them?
Look from inside first: fog between the panes, a crack in the glass, a sash that will not lock tight. Then have someone look close from a ladder or through the open sash at the corners, the capping and the screen. Damage that does not show from the lawn often shows at arm's length. We photograph each upper window up close with a scale reference so it can go on the claim.
Will insurance pay for a lift to replace second story windows?
Access is often written as its own line when the window cannot be reached safely from a ladder, but what your policy and adjuster allow is between you and your insurer. We list the access each wall needs, with the reason, so the adjuster can see it. Check your policy and ask your agent if it is questioned.
Should the adjuster go upstairs to look at the windows?
Ask them to. Inside, they can open the sash, test the lock and see the glass and seals. If they inspect from the ground only, show them close photos of each upper window and ask that the photos be used or a re-inspection be set. We come along when you want us there.
Are second story replacement windows installed from inside or outside?
Most insert windows come out and go in from inside, with someone outside to seal, flash and trim. Full-frame replacements and windows with exterior capping need outside access too. Either way the outside work is what sets the access line on the scope.
Does it cost more to replace a second story window after hail?
The window itself is priced the same. The access is what changes: ladders, walk boards, staging or a lift, depending on the wall and what is under it. We list it as its own line by wall, so you and the adjuster can see what it is for.
How long does a two story house hail window claim take?
Documenting is part of one visit. Then the adjuster's estimate, approval and the window order; lead time depends on the brand and is written on the quote. Once windows arrive, we work room by room so no room is left open overnight. Send photos for a reply within one business day, or book a free in-home estimate.
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.
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Read morePage reviewed October 9, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All insurance repairs pages
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