Cold Spring roofing after a summer of back-to-back storms
Repair King serves Cold Spring, the granite and brewery town on the Sauk River at the gateway to the Sauk River Chain of Lakes. In July 2025, storm reports put 1-inch hail in Cold Spring on the 18th and trees down across southern Stearns County, including Cold Spring, just ten days later. We roofed the Coyote Moon Grille clubhouse in St. Cloud with shingles and Duro-Last flat sections, and we inspect roofs across the area. In Cold Spring we pull the re-roof permit and give you a dated photo report.
Hail, then wind ten days later: does a Cold Spring roof need two inspections?
Often, yes. In July 2025, NOAA logged 1-inch hail in Cold Spring on July 18, then reports of trees down across southern Stearns County, including Cold Spring, on July 28. Hail bruises shingles and dents metal; wind lifts weakened shingles and drops limbs. A roof that passed after the first storm can have new damage after the second, so we date every inspection and compare.
Back-to-back storms are part of Cold Spring's record. On June 9, 2015, the storm data near the city center shows both 1-inch hail and a 60 mph gust on the same day. In June 2016, 1.75-inch hail on June 17 was followed by a 60 mph gust on June 19. When storms come that close together, the order of the damage matters, and a dated photo report from each visit is the simplest way to keep it straight.
The town knows what wind can do. Cold Spring's Assumption Chapel, the Grasshopper Chapel on the hill off Highway 23, was first built of wood in 1877. A tornado on June 28, 1894 picked it up and smashed it into the trees. When it was rebuilt in 1952, it was built of rough granite, much of it donated by the Cold Spring Granite Company.
Houses here are mostly newer. The median home in Cold Spring was built in 1992, and 482 homes went up from 2000 to 2009. Newer architectural shingles hold up well, but they still bruise under 1-inch hail, and trees along the Sauk River drop limbs in wind. We check both.
Look what we did for your neighbors in St. Cloud
We serve Cold Spring, and these are two of the best-known roofs we've worked on in the St. Cloud area. Each card names the city the building is actually in.
Coyote Moon Grille clubhouse, St. Cloud
The Coyote Moon Grille clubhouse at Territory Golf Club is a two-level, 12,000-square-foot lodge-style building on St. Cloud's southeast side. Repair King installed new shingles on its steep roofs and a white Duro-Last membrane on the flat sections. The drone video at the top of this page is from that job.
Washington Place, St. Cloud
Washington Place in St. Cloud has a large, multi-level black rubber roof behind brick parapet walls. Our inspection photos show ponded water in several low spots, the kind of standing water that speeds up wear on a flat roof.
What are Cold Spring homes built like?
Cold Spring is mostly 1970s-2000s housing with a small historic core. The median home was built in 1992, 482 homes date to 2000-2009 and 308 to the 1970s, and 155 were built in 1939 or earlier. About 67% of households own their home.
| Local factor | What we see in Cold Spring | Why it matters for repairs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing age | Median year built 1992; 482 of 1,878 homes built 2000-2009, 308 in the 1970s, 155 before 1940 (Census ACS 2020-2024) | 2000s roofs are nearing the end of their first shingles; pre-1940 homes near downtown can hide board decking |
| Housing mix | 1,167 single-family detached homes, 152 townhomes, 236 homes in buildings of 50+ units | Large apartment and senior buildings usually have low-slope roofs that need seam and drain checks |
| River and lakes | The Sauk River bisects the city; Cold Spring is the gateway to the 14-lake Sauk River Chain of Lakes | Mature river trees mean limb damage and clogged gutters after wind |
| Granite town | Coldspring (the former Cold Spring Granite Company) moved here from Rockville; its plant opened in 1921 | Stone and brick buildings downtown often pair masonry walls with flat roofs and parapet flashing |
| Industry | Cold Spring Brewing Company (founded 1874) and other large employers | Industrial and commercial flat roofs need membrane, rooftop unit and drain inspections |
| Storm pattern | Hail and wind on close dates in 2015, 2016 and 2025 near the city center | Separate, dated inspections show which storm caused which damage |
When did hail last hit Cold Spring?
NOAA storm reports within 3 miles of Cold Spring's city center show 1-inch hail in Cold Spring on July 18, 2025, and 1-inch hail on June 2, 2020. The largest hail near Cold Spring since 2015 was 1.75 inches, on June 17, 2016. On July 28, 2025, law enforcement reported multiple trees down across the southern part of Stearns County, including Cold Spring. Earlier wind reports include a 58 mph gust on July 19, 2023, 60 mph on May 12, 2022 and 69 mph on June 11, 2017.
| Date | Type | What was reported | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 28, 2025 | Wind | Damaging wind reported (trees/limbs down) | Missing or creased shingles, ridge caps, flashing, siding |
| Jul 18, 2025 | Hail | 1" hail reported | Shingles, roof vents, gutters, siding, window screens |
| Jul 19, 2023 | Wind | 58 mph wind gust measured | Missing or creased shingles, ridge caps, flashing, siding |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports within 3 miles of Cold Spring's city center, through September 2026. Reports are from trained spotters and the public; hail can hit a street without a report.
What our inspection covers
- Every slope walked, hail hits chalk-marked and photographed
- Ridge caps, seal strips and tree-limb damage checked after wind
- Gutters, vents, siding and window screens inspected
- Dated, GPS-tagged photo report for each storm
Check your own address
Our free Roof & Storm Report looks up hail and wind history for your exact address, not just the city.
Photos from our St. Cloud-area jobs
Photos from Repair King's job albums for the Coyote Moon Grille clubhouse and Washington Place, both in St. Cloud. We have not listed any Cold Spring jobs on this page.
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Cold Spring?
Yes. The City of Cold Spring requires a building permit for shingling and re-siding, along with window replacement, remodeling and other projects. The city contracts with Inspection Services of Central Minnesota, LLC for residential and commercial building inspections.
Completed permit applications can be emailed to City Hall, and the contracted building inspector approves the application and schedules inspections. The city's planning page also lists skylights, sun porches and roof overhang additions as projects that need a permit, so a re-roof that adds or changes any of those needs the same review.
Minnesota code calls for an ice barrier at the eaves on a tear-off and solid decking under asphalt shingles. We photograph both before they're covered, so the inspector and you can see what went under your new roof.
Some homes with a Cold Spring mailing address are in surrounding townships around the Chain of Lakes, where a different office issues permits. We confirm which office covers your address and pull the permit under our Minnesota license, BC695228.
What's it like to own property in Cold Spring?
Cold Spring is a Stearns County city of 4,164 people (2020 census) at the gateway to the Sauk River Chain of Lakes. It was platted in 1856 and named for the many springs near the original town site, and a post office has operated here since 1857.
The Sauk River runs through town from the southwest. Cold Spring Brewing was founded in 1874 by German immigrant Michael Sargl, and the Alexander family's granite company moved here from Rockville, opening its Cold Spring plant in the spring of 1921; its first contract was the Stearns County Courthouse. The company, now called Coldspring, was the largest quarrier in the country by 1930. Cold Spring Bakery, started in 1946, is still owned by the family that founded it. Up on Chapel Hill, the granite Assumption Chapel still draws visitors, with a Mass every August 15. Homes range from older houses near downtown to newer subdivisions and lake places out toward the chain.
Storm damage in Cold Spring: what should you do first?
Start with an inspection, not a decision. A damaged shingle does not automatically mean a roof needs to be replaced. What matters is what the inspection actually finds on the roof, siding, gutters and windows.
Repair King is a licensed Minnesota contractor (BC695228). We are not a public adjuster and do not negotiate insurance claims. Questions about your policy belong with your insurance company.
Cold Spring property owner resources
Official links worth bookmarking, whether or not you ever hire us.
- Cold Spring Planning & ZoningPermit requirements and the contracted building inspector
- Cold Spring building permitsPermit forms and where to send completed applications
- Stearns County property searchParcel and owner details for Cold Spring addresses
- MN DLI contractor license lookupCheck any roofer's Minnesota license before you sign
- NWS Twin CitiesWatches, warnings and storm reports for Stearns County
- Stearns County emergency alertsSign up for county emergency notifications
- Assumption Chapel (city page)The Grasshopper Chapel's history, from 1877 to the 1894 tornado
Cold Spring roofing questions
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Cold Spring?
Yes. Cold Spring requires a building permit for shingling and re-siding. The city contracts with Inspection Services of Central Minnesota, LLC, whose inspector approves applications and schedules inspections. We handle the permit for you.
When did hail last hit Cold Spring?
NOAA reports show 1-inch hail in Cold Spring on July 18, 2025. The largest near the city center since 2015 was 1.75 inches in June 2016. Run a free Roof & Storm Report for your exact address.
Hail hit, then a windstorm a week later. Do I need another inspection?
Usually, yes. That happened in Cold Spring in July 2025. Wind can lift shingles that hail already weakened. We date each inspection so you can see what changed between storms.
My lake place is outside city limits. Who issues the permit?
It depends on where the property sits. Some homes with a Cold Spring mailing address are outside city limits, where a township or the county handles permits. We confirm the right permit office before we schedule.
Why is Assumption Chapel built of granite?
Because a tornado destroyed the first, wooden chapel on June 28, 1894. The chapel was rebuilt in 1952 of rough granite, much of it donated by the Cold Spring Granite Company.
Does Repair King do commercial roofs in the Cold Spring area?
Yes. We installed new shingles and white Duro-Last flat sections on the Coyote Moon Grille clubhouse in St. Cloud, and inspected the large rubber roof at Washington Place in St. Cloud.
Should I get an inspection after hail even if I can't see damage?
Yes, if hail was reported near you. Hail damage often isn't visible from the ground. We document what we find; coverage questions go to your insurer.
Book a free roof inspection
No cost, no pressure. You get photos of everything we find.