Southern Minnesota roofing, from St. James to Northfield
Repair King documents and repairs roofs across nine Southern Minnesota communities, from the Watonwan County seat of St. James to the Cannon River town of Northfield. Our highest-profile job in the region is a full re-roof of St. Paul Lutheran Church in St. James, and we've also worked on homes, a farm property near Northfield and a Market Avenue business address in Belle Plaine. Every job gets a dated photo report covering the roof, gutters, siding and windows.
Commercial work in the region
A landmark building doesn't get a second chance at a leak. We plan commercial and institutional roof work around the property's schedule and document every stage with dated photos.
St. Paul Lutheran Church, St. James
In July 2023 our crew tore off and replaced the steep, stone-gabled roof at St. Paul Lutheran Church on 4th Ave S, working from scaffolding around the bell tower and stained-glass windows. We photographed the job from bare decking to finished shingle while keeping the historic stonework protected.
James Forberg Architects, Belle Plaine
We inspected the roof, siding, windows and gutters at this Market Avenue business address in Belle Plaine in August 2023, working from an aerial vantage point to check every slope for hail and wind wear before writing up our findings.
Nine Southern Minnesota communities we've worked in
From a county seat to lake towns and farm country, here's what we've seen and done in each of these communities.
St. James
St. James is the Watonwan County seat, and our biggest project here has been the full re-roof of St. Paul Lutheran Church, a stone landmark with a bell tower visible from downtown. We tore off and replaced the original roof over the church's steep gables and dormers in 2023. A trained-spotter report to NOAA in June 2026 noted 8-to-10-inch tree limbs down and roof damage in town, a reminder that St. James sees serious wind as well as hail.
Last hail report nearby: Jun 20, 2019 (1.75")New Prague
New Prague sits on the Scott-Le Sueur county line, split at Main Street (Highway 13/19), and its Czech heritage still shows at the annual Dozinky Festival and the twin-spired Church of St. Wenceslaus. We worked on a two-story home near downtown in 2021, on one of the older lots close to that county line, and we confirm which county's building department covers the permit before scheduling any New Prague job.
Last hail report nearby: May 27, 2024 (0.88")Owatonna
Owatonna is the Steele County seat, home to the 1891 Romanesque Revival courthouse and the Louis Sullivan-designed National Farmers Bank, one of the architect's celebrated "jewel box" bank buildings. Our Owatonna work has included a Highway 14 hotel roof, where we checked shingle vents, roof turbines and metal coping for hail dents. Owatonna requires a roofing permit for every re-roof, with inspections at both the underlayment and final stage.
Last hail report nearby: Apr 13, 2026 (1")Northfield
Northfield grew up around the Cannon River sawmills built in the 1850s, and the town is still known for the September 1876 Jesse James-Younger gang bank raid, remembered every year at Defeat of Jesse James Days. Outside town, we've worked on a red pole barn and outbuildings on a farm property, chalk-marking and photographing hail hits on the metal roof panels the same way we would asphalt shingles. Northfield issues its own building permits rather than routing through the county.
Last hail report nearby: Jul 31, 2024 (2")Lonsdale
Lonsdale's restored 1908 schoolhouse, now the Historic 3R Landmark School, is on the National Register of Historic Places and still anchors the town's historic core. We've inspected and photographed shingle damage on a Lonsdale home, including lifted tabs along a ridge from wind. Like Northfield, Lonsdale administers its own building permits instead of going through Rice County.
Last hail report nearby: Jul 10, 2023 (0.88")Madison Lake
Madison Lake grew up on the lake of the same name, with a history that includes a 1923 barnstorming flight and a 1911 whistle-stop visit from President Taft at the old depot. Lake homes here take more wind off open water, and we've inspected a Madison Lake property's roof and outbuildings for hail and wind damage. Blue Earth and Le Sueur county lines meet near town, so we confirm which office has jurisdiction before scheduling.
Last hail report nearby: Aug 13, 2019 (1.75")Kasota
Kasota grew up around its sandstone and limestone quarries, and Kasota stone from local quarries has gone into buildings across the state; the old quarry site downtown is now a city park. We've documented interior ceiling staining tied to roof-level water intrusion on a Kasota home along Cherry Street. Le Sueur County does not require a permit to reshingle a roof outside city limits, and we confirm the rule that applies inside Kasota before starting.
Last hail report nearby: Apr 17, 2026 (1")Belle Plaine
Judge James Chatfield named Belle Plaine — French for "beautiful prairie" — when he surveyed the townsite along the Minnesota River in 1853, and the city has since grown past 7,600 residents. We've worked on a Market Avenue business property here, documenting the roof, siding, windows and gutters with a full photo report after our inspection.
Last hail report nearby: May 28, 2011 (1.75")Randolph
Randolph was named for the Virginia statesman John Randolph of Roanoke when it incorporated in 1857, and the small Dakota County town still sits surrounded by farm fields. We've worked on two Randolph properties, chalk-marking and photographing hail hits on asphalt shingle roofs and checking gutters, vents and flashing on each visit. The City of Randolph, not the county, issues the building permit for a re-roof here.
Last hail report nearby: Jun 17, 2021 (2")When storms last hit Southern Minnesota
Storms don't spare any of these towns. NOAA storm reports show 2.75-inch hail near our Kasota job site on April 13, 2026, 2.5-inch hail near Lonsdale on June 17, 2021 — the same day 2-inch hail hit Randolph — and a trained-spotter report of 8-to-10-inch tree limbs down and roof damage in St. James on June 29, 2026. Hail and wind at that scale bruises shingles, dents soft metals and can crack decking, even when a roof looks fine from the ground.
| Date | Type | What was reported |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2026 | Hail | 1" hail reported |
| Apr 13, 2026 | Hail | 2.75" hail reported |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports within 3 miles of the St. James, Kasota, Lonsdale and Randolph properties Repair King has worked on, through September 2026. Reports are from trained spotters and the public; hail can hit a street without a report.
What our inspection covers
- Every shingle slope or metal roof panel walked, with hits chalk-marked and photographed
- Soft metals checked: vent caps, gutters, downspouts, window wraps, AC fins
- Siding, window screens and outbuildings checked where present
- Dated, GPS-tagged photo report you keep
Check your own address
Our free Roof & Storm Report looks up hail and wind history for your exact address, not just the city.
Real Southern Minnesota jobs, from our job camera
Photos taken by Repair King crews at Southern Minnesota properties. Dates are the capture dates from our job camera.
Permits across nine cities and several counties
Most of these communities issue their own city building permit for a re-roof rather than routing through the county. Owatonna requires a permit for every residential or commercial re-roof with an underlayment and a final inspection; St. James has a dedicated roofing and siding permit application; Northfield, Lonsdale and Randolph each administer their own permits rather than going through Rice or Dakota County. Repair King pulls the permit under our Minnesota contractor license (BC695228).
New Prague sits on the Scott/Le Sueur county line at Main Street, so an address there can fall under either county depending which side of Highway 13/19 it's on. Kasota and Madison Lake are close to the Le Sueur/Blue Earth county line, and Le Sueur County does not require a permit to reshingle outside city limits. We confirm jurisdiction from the property address before scheduling any of these jobs.
Farm buildings and outbuildings near Northfield and Randolph sometimes fall under township or county rules even when the house itself is inside city limits. Tell us the parcel address and we'll confirm which office to file with before work starts.
Around Southern Minnesota
This part of the state is Minnesota River farm country stitched together by small lake towns and county seats, from the sandstone quarries around Kasota to the Cannon River mills that built Northfield. The roofs we see range from century-old farmhouses near New Prague and Randolph to lake cabins at Madison Lake and steel pole barns outside Northfield. Whether it's a church, a Main Street business or a house on a gravel road, we document it with dated photos and call or text you back after a storm.
Southern Minnesota roofing questions
Does Repair King do commercial and church roofing in St. James?
Yes. Our largest project in St. James was a full re-roof of St. Paul Lutheran Church, including tear-off and replacement over the church's steep stone gables and bell tower.
Which county handles my building permit in New Prague?
It depends which side of Main Street (Highway 13/19) your address is on: north is Scott County, south is Le Sueur County. We confirm this before pulling your permit.
When did hail last hit this part of Southern Minnesota?
NOAA storm reports show 2.75-inch hail near Kasota on April 13, 2026, and 2.5-inch hail near Lonsdale and 2-inch hail near Randolph on the same day, June 17, 2021. Run a free Roof & Storm Report to see the history for your exact address.
Do you inspect farm buildings and pole barns near Northfield and Randolph?
Yes. We've chalk-marked and photographed hail hits on a metal pole barn roof near Northfield and on asphalt shingle roofs on Randolph properties, in addition to the houses themselves.
Do I need a permit to reshingle a roof near Kasota or Madison Lake?
Le Sueur County does not require a permit to reshingle outside city limits, but rules differ inside Kasota or Madison Lake city limits. We check the exact address before scheduling.
What do I get from a Repair King inspection?
A dated photo report covering roof slopes, vents, flashing, gutters, siding and windows, so you have a clear record of your property's condition.
Book a free roof inspection
No cost, no pressure. You get photos of everything we find.