Hugo more than doubled between 2000 and 2020, so most of its roofs are young. Young isn't the same as storm-proof, though. We've documented hail on a Hugo acreage home, from the shingles down to the pole buildings, and just up the road we replaced the flat roof on Forest Lake Chrysler Jeep Dodge with Duro-Last PVC. We pull the Hugo re-roof permit, photograph every slope, and give you a dated photo report.
They cleaned up every night after work and finished the roof job in three days. I would certainly recommend that you give Mike Holmes a call and give Repair King the opportunity to look at your job.
My name is Gary Frantz, and we just recently had a major roof repair done by Repair King and Mike Holmes, the manager and owner of Repair King. And I will say that working with Mike has been a very significant pleasure. We found ourselves having to get a complete re-roof of our home because of hail storm damage, and Mike and his crew came in. They did a very good job. They did what they committed to. And for us personally, it was a significant thing because we have a dog that runs our property, and we were a little concerned about scrap and nails and what have you that might be dangerous. They cleaned up every night after work and finished the roof job in three days. And we were very mindful of the fact that we were still living here, taking care of our property and our lives, and they were trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. And Mike was able to work with us in terms of some special needs that we had and some interests that we had in getting a unique style of shingle, and was very supportive. So I highly recommend Repair King and Mike Holmes if you need roofing or siding at your home. When we were informed and recognized that we had damage to our roof from a hail storm back in June of 2015, we realized that we needed to talk to various contractors. There were some that knocked on our door right away, so we were very open to hear what various people had to say. Mike was in the neighborhood and had left a flyer on our door regarding his willingness to discuss our storm damage with us. And when we were at that point of having to make a decision, we were very concerned about working with somebody that was local, and Mike was able to provide some references for us to follow up with as to other work that he'd done in the area. Local for us wasn't necessarily in the neighborhood or in the same town, but it was to understand and be a part of the Minnesota economy and to know what the general building codes and requirements are for doing work in Minnesota. So when Mike identified himself as being from the Roseville area and knowledgeable on construction projects all over the area, we felt very comfortable doing business with Mike after we had conversations with him. So in conclusion, I would say that if you have any need for siding and/or roof repair or roof replacement, I would certainly recommend that you give Mike Holmes a call and give Repair King the opportunity to look at your job.
We've dealt with a lot of companies over the years, and this company has done an exceptional job, from customer service to follow-through. We trust our business, we trust our time, we trust our space to them, and they've never once disappointed.
Yeah, the guys at Repair King are incredible. If you're looking to do any roofing business, they're definitely the company to go with. We've dealt with a lot of companies over the years, and this company has done an exceptional job, from customer service to follow-through. So if you're looking for someone to do your roofing, you know, we trust our business, we trust our time, we trust our space to them, and they've never once disappointed. So go ahead and use them if you're looking at anything roof. Repair King.
Most Hugo homes were built after 2000, but a 20-year-old shingle roof is at the age where hail bruises and wind-lifted tabs start turning into leaks. Hugo also knows what severe weather can do: the National Weather Service rated the May 25, 2008 tornado that crossed the city an EF-3, and NOAA counts 27 homes destroyed and 794 affected. A dated inspection after each storm is the simplest way to know where your roof stands.
The 2008 tornado touched down on the east shore of Peltier Lake in Lino Lakes at 4:55 p.m., crossed I-35E, and did its worst damage in a subdivision about two miles north of downtown Hugo, with estimated winds of 136 to 165 mph. It lifted near Irish Avenue and 140th Street after a six-mile path. Homes rebuilt after that storm are now close to 20 years old themselves.
The bigger story is growth. Census data shows 2,552 of Hugo's 6,671 homes were built from 2000 to 2009 and another 1,582 since 2010. Hugo also has 1,834 attached townhomes, more than a quarter of its housing, so a lot of roof decisions go through an association. On a townhome building, one hail report can mean one roof plan for several owners, and the board wants a written record of every slope.
Then there's the country side of Hugo: wooded acreages around Oneka Lake and Rice Lake with long ranch roofs, detached garages and steel pole buildings. On the Hugo acreage in our photos we checked the shingles, the windows, the garage door and the metal-roofed outbuildings, because hail doesn't stop at the house.
Head north on Highway 61 or I-35 and you'll pass it: Forest Lake Chrysler Jeep Dodge, in Forest Lake. Repair King tore the old gravel roof off the dealership and installed a white Duro-Last PVC membrane. The manager's video on this page says how that went.
The dealership's showroom and service building sits under one large flat roof. We replaced the old gravel-surfaced roof with a heat-welded Duro-Last PVC membrane, flashing every rooftop unit and skylight into the new sheet.
Our photos show the gravel stripped back to the old roof surface, with new equipment crated and staged on the roof while the crew worked around the rooftop units.
Hugo is mostly 2000s housing: the median home was built in 2003, and nearly nine in ten households own their home. Around that newer core are older farmhouses, townhome rows, a few hundred manufactured homes and wooded acreages with outbuildings, and each needs a different kind of roof inspection.
| Local factor | What we see in Hugo | Why it matters for repairs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing age | Median year built 2003. 2,552 of 6,671 homes built 2000-2009, 1,582 since 2010, and 433 before 1960 (Census ACS 2020-2024) | Many first roofs from the 2000s boom are reaching 20+ years, the age when hail bruises and failed seal strips start to leak |
| Townhomes | 1,834 attached single-family homes, about 27% of Hugo's housing | Association roofs need one scope for the whole building and a written record the board can share with owners |
| Mobile homes | 269 mobile and manufactured homes | Hugo's re-roof permit says no overlay is allowed on manufactured homes, and metal needs city-approved metal roofing |
| Acreages | Wooded lots near Oneka Lake and Rice Lake with detached garages and steel pole buildings | We check metal-roofed outbuildings, garage doors and windows along with the house after hail |
| Ownership | 89.5% of Hugo households own their home (Census 2020-2024) | Most roof decisions are made by the people who live there, so a clear photo report helps them compare options |
| Storm history | EF-3 tornado on May 25, 2008 (NWS); 1.25-inch hail on June 29, 2015, the largest near Hugo since 2015 in NOAA reports | Tornado-era rebuilds and 2000s roofs are now the same age, so many Hugo streets have roofs that wear out together |
A Hugo job from our own photo album. We describe only what the photos show, and we don't list claim results or dollar amounts.
NOAA storm reports put 0.88-inch hail near Hugo on April 12, 2022, and 1-inch hail on June 11, 2017. The largest hail reported near Hugo since 2015 was 1.25 inches, on June 29, 2015. Before that, 1.75-inch hail was reported on July 7, 2013. Wind is the more frequent problem here: 60 mph gusts were measured on June 18, 2024 and 64 mph gusts on July 18, 2015, and on June 9, 2026 a downburst knocked down many trees in neighboring Centerville, under 3 miles from Hugo.
| Date | Type | What was reported | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 2026 | Wind | Damaging wind reported (trees/limbs down) | Missing or creased shingles, ridge caps, flashing, siding |
| Jun 18, 2024 | Wind | 60 mph wind gust measured | Missing or creased shingles, ridge caps, flashing, siding |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports within 3 miles of two reference points in Hugo (downtown and the Oneka Lake area), through September 2026. Reports are from trained spotters and the public; hail can hit a street without a report.
Our free Roof & Storm Report looks up hail and wind history for your exact address, not just the city.
Hugo photos come from Repair King's job album for a Hugo acreage home. Dealership photos are from our Forest Lake Chrysler Jeep Dodge job album, in Forest Lake.
Yes. Hugo requires a Re-Roof Residential Permit for single-family homes, twin homes, townhomes and accessory buildings like detached garages and pole buildings. The application lists a fixed permit fee of $73.50 plus a $1.00 state surcharge and a $2.00 technology fee, for $76.50 total, and a permit is also needed for roof repairs over 100 square feet.
Hugo's application asks whether the job is an overlay (recovering) or a tear-off and prints the building code's tear-off rules: no new layer over a roof that is water-soaked or deteriorated, over wood shake, slate or tile, or over a roof that already has two layers. Manufactured homes get a stricter rule: no overlay at all, and metal roofing has to be city-approved. We usually recommend a tear-off anyway, so the decking can be checked.
The city's roofing handout covers what inspectors look for: sheathing checked and replaced if rotted, no asphalt shingles below a 2:12 pitch, at least four 12-gauge nails per shingle, 26-gauge valley flashing where the old flashing isn't serviceable, and attic ventilation of 1 square foot for every 300 square feet of attic, with 50 to 80 percent of it high on the roof. Inspections are scheduled with the Hugo Building Department at 651-762-6300.
Commercial re-roofs in Hugo are valuation-based permits under the city's building fee table. Repair King pulls permits under our Minnesota contractor license (BC695228).
Hugo is a Washington County city about 18 miles north of downtown St. Paul, with 15,766 residents at the 2020 census. It started as a French-Canadian railroad stop, became the Village of Hugo in 1906, and absorbed Oneka Township in 1972.
The village was first called Centerville Station, after the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad bypassed Centerville three miles west. In 1906 its 258 residents incorporated as Hugo, because the post office wanted a name that wouldn't be confused with Centerville. The surrounding Oneka Township took its name from Oneka Lake, from the Dakota word onakan, meaning to knock wild rice into a canoe. Nearby Rice Lake was where Dakota families from Mendota came each summer to gather rice. Today Oneka Lake Park and Rice Lake Park are city parks, and every June the Hugo Lions hold Good Neighbor Days at Lions Volunteer Park, a tradition since 1976 that marked its 50th year in 2026.
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.
Official links worth bookmarking, whether or not you ever hire us.
$76.50 for a residential re-roof. Hugo's Re-Roof Residential Permit lists a fixed $73.50 fee, a $1.00 state surcharge and a $2.00 technology fee. We pull it for you.
Sometimes, but not on a manufactured home. Hugo's permit form allows an overlay only where the building code does (no more than one existing layer, no water-soaked or deteriorated roof, no shake or tile), and says overlays aren't allowed on manufactured homes. We usually recommend a tear-off so the decking gets checked.
Yes, if the repair is over 100 square feet. Hugo's re-roof permit form covers both full replacements and repairs over 100 square feet.
NOAA reports show 0.88-inch hail near Hugo on April 12, 2022. The largest hail near Hugo since 2015 was 1.25 inches, on June 29, 2015. Run a free Roof & Storm Report for your exact address.
Yes. On Hugo acreages we check steel pole buildings, garage doors, windows and gutters along with the house, and Hugo's re-roof permit covers accessory buildings too.
Yes. We replaced the gravel roof on Forest Lake Chrysler Jeep Dodge, in Forest Lake, with a white Duro-Last PVC membrane, and the dealership's management recorded a video about the work.
It may be getting close. Hugo's median home was built in 2003, and many original shingle roofs are now past 20 years. An inspection tells you whether you're looking at repairs, replacement or just keeping an eye on it.
Yes, if hail or high wind was reported near you. Hail bruises rarely show from the ground. We document what we find with dated photos; coverage questions go to your insurer.
No cost, no pressure. You get photos of everything we find.
The #1 complaint about contractors is "they stopped calling me back." Our system texts and emails you at every step, from the moment you book to the final walkthrough.
Text and email confirmation the moment you book, plus a reminder before we arrive.
"You're booked for Tue 10 AM ✓"A heads-up text when your inspector or crew is headed to your home. No waiting around.
"On our way, 20 min out"You see what we see: a photo report of every finding, yours to keep.
"Your photo report is ready"Materials ordered, crew scheduled, install day, final walkthrough. You hear about each step as it happens.
"Materials delivered for Thursday"Questions? Call or text and talk to our team, not a phone tree.
"Got it, we'll check and text you back"Informed at every step. That's the Repair King standard.
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