How old are the roofs in Ames, IA, and is yours due?
The typical home here was built in 1991, and 40% of homes were built before 1980. Put in your roof’s material and install year to see where it sits.
Not sure? Leave it empty: if the roof was never replaced, it dates from the house, about 1991 in Ames.
The homes under the roofs in Ames
| Median year homes were built | 1991 |
|---|---|
| Homes built before 1980 | 40.0% |
| Housing units | 27,706 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 42.9% |
| Single-family homes | 46.7% |
Among the 8 covered Iowa cities, Ames ranks #8 for the oldest median home (#1 is the oldest).
What the local weather does to a roof here
Ames compared with all 206 covered cities. The percentile is the share of covered cities with a lower value.
| Measure | Ames | Median of covered cities | Higher than |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days with hail of 1 inch or larger (days in 2014 to 2024; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2014–2024) | 23 | 15 | 69% of cities |
| Largest hail reported (inches; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2014–2024) | 2.75 | 2.5 | 53% of cities |
| Freeze-thaw days (days per year; NASA POWER, 2014–2023) | 100 | 65 | 89% of cities |
| Days of 90°F or hotter (days per year; NASA POWER, 2014–2023) | 18 | 40 | 31% of cities |
| Days with 1 inch of rain or more (days per year; NASA POWER, 2014–2023) | 4.7 | 6.8 | 26% of cities |
| Median year homes were built (year; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, ACS 2019–2023 5-year) | 1991 | 1979 | 83% of cities |
Hail reports by month, 2014 to 2024
Most hail reports in Ames’s county fall in May. NOAA counts county reports over eleven years; one storm can produce many.
What this means for your roof
- Hail is a bigger factor here than in most covered cities (23 days with hail of 1 inch or larger). Have a roofer inspect after every large hail day, even if the roof is young, and photograph the roof before and after storm season.
- Freeze-thaw cycles are high here. Water that gets under flashing or shingle edges freezes and widens gaps, so ask the inspector to check flashing, valleys and eaves.
- Material ranges in the calculator are general planning figures. Your shingle manufacturer’s warranty and an in-person inspection decide when a roof needs replacing.
Roofers in Ames · roof replacement cost in Ames · hail history for Ames · hail claim checklist
Where the numbers come from
Housing figures: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019 to 2023, city level. Hail: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2014 to 2024, county level. Temperature and rain: NASA POWER, 2014 to 2023, grid cell near the city center (about 50 km). Method and more: our data sources. This page is general information, not an inspection or a promise about any one roof.