Roof and storm inspections for Wabasha, Minnesota's oldest city
Repair King serves Wabasha, the Wabasha County seat at the foot of Lake Pepin, where more than a third of the homes were built before 1940. After 1.5-inch hail was reported at the north edge of town on April 13, 2026, older roofs here deserve a close look. Our nearest finished landmark job is up the river in Lake City, where we re-roofed and re-sided Valley View Assembly of God, and we bring the same photo-documented inspections to Wabasha homes, churches and downtown buildings.
Pastor Orin Sandberg on Valley View's new roof and siding
They did a great job both times. Our siding still looks great now. The roof still looks great. Mike just really helped us out and has become a good friend.
Read the transcript
Hi, my name is Orin Sandberg. I'm the pastor here at Valley View Assembly of God in Lake City, Minnesota. And I just wanna tell you that a few years ago, I met Mike Holmes. Now, he's the owner of Repair King, and they came to our church, and we needed some work done. Our roof was in bad shape, and the siding wasn't very good either. And with Mike's help, we got new roof and new siding on our entire building. And so it was just really wonderful. But there's something else. A couple years later, we had a little problem with the siding. I contacted Mike, and together, we talked to the siding company, and they actually came through, and we got all new siding again because there was a problem with the manufacturing of a batch of siding. And so I'm just telling you that they did a great job both times, and so we now have, as you can see, our siding still looks great now. The roof still looks great, and so the work has been done, and I also made a friend in Mike. We've become friends for the last few years. So I'm giving my testimony for what we've got here. Mike just really helped us out and has become a good friend. So if you need somebody to look at something, you need some repair done, maybe even some construction, something, give Mike a call because he can help you out.
Why do so many Wabasha roofs need a closer look?
Because Wabasha's houses are old. About 452 of Wabasha's roughly 1,265 homes were built in 1939 or earlier, and many sit on the original 1854 street grid near the river. Old roofs hide old decking, past layers and tired flashing, so a storm inspection here has to go deeper than counting hail hits.
Wabasha has been occupied continuously since 1826 and calls itself the oldest city in Minnesota. By the 1880s it had steamboat landings, a railroad roundhouse, two brickyards, flour and feed mills, lumberyards and eight hotels, and much of that brick downtown still stands: the Wabasha Commercial Historic District has more than 50 buildings on the National Register. The 1856 Hurd House, now the Anderson House at Main and Bridge streets, was built of locally made red brick and expanded with a three-story section in 1887.
The homes behind downtown follow the same timeline: steep gables, porches tied into the main roof, brick chimneys and the kind of board decking that was standard before plywood. Wabasha also sits where Lake Pepin narrows back into the river, and the bluffs funnel wind along the valley. We photograph every slope, chimney and flashing detail, and when a house or storefront is in the historic district we give you the current photos the Heritage Preservation Commission asks for with its design review application.
Look what we did for your neighbors in Lake City
Valley View Assembly of God is in Lake City, about 13 miles up US-61 from Wabasha. Repair King replaced the roof and siding on the entire church, and Pastor Orin Sandberg tells the story in the video above.
Valley View Assembly of God, Lake City
New roof and new siding on the whole church building, and all-new siding again a couple of years later when the manufacturer found a defect in a batch, worked out with the pastor and the siding company. In April 2026 we walked the roof again after the Lake Pepin hail and chalk-marked what we found, right down to the gutter line.
Gutters and siding at Valley View
Our April 2026 check covered the soft metals too: gutters, hangers and the siding under the eaves. Gutters dent before shingles do, so they're one of the first things we photograph on a church or a house.
What are Wabasha homes built like?
Wabasha is a small, old river town: 36% of its homes predate 1940, about 72% are single-family houses, and the downtown is a National Register district of brick commercial buildings. Newer homes came in steadily from the 1980s through the early 2010s. That mix calls for different inspections on different blocks.
| Local factor | What we see in Wabasha | Why it matters for repairs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing age | 452 of 1,265 homes built in 1939 or earlier (about 36%); 138 built 2000-2009 and 68 from 2010-2013 (Census ACS 2017-2021) | Pre-1940 roofs often have board decking and old layers under the shingles; we check the deck edge and attic where we can |
| Historic downtown | Wabasha Commercial Historic District: a four-block downtown with more than 50 National Register buildings, including the 1856 Hurd House (Anderson House) | Brick buildings with low-slope roofs behind parapets show wear at seams, drains and wall flashing first |
| River and bluffs | Wabasha sits just south of the foot of Lake Pepin, across from the Nelson Bottoms wildlife area, with bluffs along the valley | Valley wind lifts shingle tabs and ridge caps; we check seal strips as well as hail hits |
| Housing mix | About 72% single-family detached, 105 attached units and 50 units in buildings of 20+; about 73% owner-occupied | Townhome and apartment owners need a written condition report they can share |
| Churches | Grace Memorial Episcopal Church, built in 1900 to a Cass Gilbert design, with a Tiffany Studios chancel window | Steep church roofs with stone and stained glass need rigging and careful flashing work |
| Flood history | The Mississippi crested 8 feet over flood stage at Wabasha on April 19, 1965, and flooded about a third of the city | Older homes near the river may have had past water damage; we note what we see at the foundation, siding and trim |
When did hail last hit Wabasha?
NOAA storm reports show 1.5-inch hail 1 mile north-northeast of Wabasha on April 13, 2026, the largest hail reported near town since 2015, with 1-inch hail in town and 2 miles southeast the same day. That was the storm that brought 2-inch hail to Lake City. Earlier, 1-inch hail fell near Wabasha on May 6, 2023 and June 17, 2021. The most recent damaging wind report was a 64 mph gust on July 28, 2023.
| Date | Type | What was reported | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2026 | Hail | 1.5" hail reported | Shingles, roof vents, gutters, siding, window screens |
| Jul 28, 2023 | Wind | 64 mph wind gust measured | Missing or creased shingles, ridge caps, flashing, siding |
| May 6, 2023 | Hail | 1" hail reported | Shingles, roof vents, gutters, siding, window screens |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports within 3 miles of the center of Wabasha, 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 photographed, hail hits chalk-marked
- Chimneys, valleys and porch-roof tie-ins checked on older houses
- Gutters, vents and siding checked as part of the same visit
- Dated photo report, including the current photos a design review asks for
Check your own address
Our free Roof & Storm Report looks up hail and wind history for your exact address, not just the city.
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Wabasha?
Yes. Replacing shingles in Wabasha falls under the city's maintenance permit, one of its flat-fee permits for re-roofing, re-siding, doors and windows. Construction Management Services (CMS) acts as the city's building inspector and handles inspections.
The City of Wabasha's permit page sorts work into maintenance permits (replacing or repairing existing items such as shingles and same-size windows), non-maintenance permits and plan-review permits. Repair King files the maintenance permit under our Minnesota license, BC695228, and schedules the final inspection with CMS. Properties outside city limits go through Wabasha County's permitting instead.
Downtown and other designated properties add one more step. Wabasha's Heritage Preservation Commission, set up by the City Council in 1990 and a Certified Local Government since 1992, reviews exterior work in the historic district. Its design review application asks for current photos, an illustration of the work and material samples, and the Commission has 60 days to act, so we build that into the schedule.
What should Wabasha property owners know about the town?
Wabasha is the Wabasha County seat, platted in 1854 and named for the Mdewakanton Dakota chiefs Wapasha. It sits halfway between Red Wing and Winona and is home to the National Eagle Center on the riverfront.
Bald eagles nest across the river in the Nelson Bottoms and fish the open water below Lake Pepin all winter, which is why the National Eagle Center sits at the end of Pembroke Avenue. Wabasha is also the setting of the movies Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men, and a sign at the city limits says so. Grace Memorial Episcopal Church, the oldest Episcopal church in Minnesota, was designed by Cass Gilbert and built in 1900. Around those landmarks are the homes and storefronts Repair King inspects: century-old houses, newer ranches and brick buildings with low-slope roofs.
Storm damage in Wabasha: 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.
Wabasha property owner resources
Official links worth bookmarking, whether or not you ever hire us.
- Wabasha building permitsMaintenance, non-maintenance and plan-review permit forms; CMS inspections
- Wabasha Heritage Preservation CommissionHistoric district design review and meeting minutes
- HPC design review application (PDF)What the Commission asks for: photos, drawings, samples
- Wabasha County property search (Beacon)Parcel, tax and ownership records
- MN DLI contractor license lookupCheck any roofer's Minnesota license before you sign
- NWS La CrosseThe National Weather Service office that issues warnings for Wabasha
- Wabasha County CodeRED alertsEmergency notifications by phone or text
- Wabasha history & heritageThe city's own history of Minnesota's oldest town
Wabasha roofing questions
When did hail last hit Wabasha?
NOAA storm reports show 1.5-inch hail just north-northeast of Wabasha on April 13, 2026, the largest near town since 2015, plus 1-inch reports in town the same day. Before that, 1-inch hail fell on May 6, 2023. Run a free Roof & Storm Report for your exact address.
Do I need a permit to re-shingle my house in Wabasha?
Yes. Shingle replacement is a maintenance permit in Wabasha, a flat-fee permit category, with inspections by Construction Management Services (CMS). We file it and schedule the final inspection.
My building is downtown. Does the Heritage Preservation Commission need to see my roof plans?
If the property is in Wabasha's historic district, plan on design review. The Commission asks for current photos, an illustration of the work and material samples, and it has 60 days to review. We confirm with City Hall and assemble the package.
My house was built before 1940. What should I expect on a new roof?
Expect us to check the decking closely. About 36% of Wabasha homes predate 1940, and many have board decking, past layers or old chimney flashing under the shingles. We photograph it all before we write an estimate.
Has Repair King worked near Wabasha?
Yes. Up the river in Lake City we replaced the roof and siding on Valley View Assembly of God, and we inspected Lake City roofs after the April 2026 hail. We serve Wabasha with the same crews and the same photo reports.
Is a storm inspection the same as filing a claim?
No. An inspection is a record of what's on your roof. We document what we find; coverage questions go to your insurer.
Who issues storm warnings for Wabasha?
The National Weather Service office in La Crosse covers Wabasha and Wabasha County. Wabasha County also offers CodeRED alerts by phone or text.
Book a free roof inspection
No cost, no pressure. You get photos of everything we find.