Topeka, KS · Shawnee County
Roof inspections in Topeka.
Topeka is the Kansas capital and the Shawnee County seat, and more than half of its housing was built before 1970, according to Census Bureau estimates.
The short answer
Roofers need a City of Topeka contractor license, and the city won’t issue one without a Kansas Attorney General roofer registration number. The city says all trades must be licensed and pull permits, so check with Development Services before any roof work.
See how many significant storms are on record near your Topeka address, free in about 30 seconds; add your contact details to see each storm’s date and hail size. If you want a closer look, one local roofing partner can inspect the roof for free, with no obligation.
The median year built is 1967, and the Potwin Place Historic District has houses dating to the 19th century. A home’s age doesn’t tell you its roof’s age, so read the storm history at your address alongside when your roof was last replaced.
Roof Inspectors starts with your address: see how many significant storms are on record near your home, then decide whether you want a free inspection from one local roofing partner. Being near a storm isn’t the same as roof damage — only an inspection shows a roof’s condition.
Storm record for Topeka since 2016
Since 2016, National Weather Service storm reports show hail 1 inch or larger within 6 miles of downtown Topeka on 17 days, and wind gusts of 58 mph or more on 39 days, through November 10, 2026.
The largest hail reported in that area was 1.75 in (golf ball) on April 26, 2026 (a preliminary report).
These are records for the wider area, not for your address. A storm on record doesn’t mean your roof was damaged, and it doesn’t mean your insurance company will accept that storm or date. That’s why an inspection is worth having: a roofing professional looks at the roof itself.
- Hail-report days
- 17
- 1 in+, since 2016
- Wind-report days
- 39
- 58 mph+, since 2016
- Radar hail days
- 12
- 1 in+, since 2021
Severe-weather days per year
- Days with hail 1 in+
- Days with only wind 58 mph+
* Year to date, through November 10, 2026.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Hail days | Wind days | Radar days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 | 5 | — |
| 2017 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 2018 | 2 | 4 | — |
| 2019 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 2020 | 2 | 2 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 2023 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 2024 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2026to Nov 10preliminary | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Hail days: Weather Service reports of 1 inch or larger. Wind days: gusts of 58 mph or more. Radar days: radar estimates of 1 inch or larger, from 2021.
Biggest storm days within 6 miles of downtown Topeka
Ranked by the largest hail reported, then the strongest wind.
April 26, 2026(preliminary)
Hail 1.75 in (golf ball)Wind 70 mph10 severe reports
May 26, 2016
Hail 1.75 in (golf ball)Wind 70 mph2 severe reports
April 11, 2020
Hail 1.75 in (golf ball)11 severe reports
August 15, 2019
Hail 1.75 in (golf ball)2 severe reports
May 14, 2018
Hail 1.75 in (golf ball)2 severe reports
How we count. A hail day is a day with at least one National Weather Service hail report of 1 inch or larger within 6 miles of downtown Topeka; a wind day has a measured or estimated gust of 58 mph or more. Data through November 10, 2026.
The full method and source
Several reports on the same day count once.
Our storm records come from NOAA radar estimates and National Weather Service reports. Radar can miss or misjudge hail, and a report marks a single spot, so records can be incomplete. Treat them as a starting point, not a verdict about your roof.
Radar hail days use NOAA’s radar estimates (MRMS) of 1 inch or larger over the same area, counted only when the Weather Service also logged hail within 15 miles that day. 2026 numbers come from preliminary reports and can change.
Source: NOAA / National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center storm reports and NOAA MRMS radar hail estimates, retrieved November 11, 2026. Data through November 10, 2026; 2026 reports are preliminary and can still change. Compiled by Roof Inspectors from public-domain NOAA data. How storm data works.
On our hail-by-place comparison (5-mile circles, 2016–2025), Topeka is in the higher band. This record uses 6 miles, so its counts differ.
Your own street can differ. Check the storm history for your address or see Kansas City hail history by year.
Was hail recorded near your street?
Hail falls in narrow swaths — see what the records show at or near your address.
- Doesn’t file an insurance claim
- One local partner, never a pile-on
Storms in and around Topeka
- SPC storm reports, August 14, 2024 (opens in a new tab)
Severe thunderstorm winds swept across Topeka late on August 14, 2024. A report logged by the National Weather Service described widespread tree damage, with some trees one to two feet in diameter down around the Oakland neighborhood and power lines down on multiple roadways.
A 65 mph gust was reported 7 miles west-southwest of Topeka, and the KTOP automated weather station in Topeka measured 59 mph. WIBW reported winds of up to 90 mph in central Topeka and NOTO.
- NWS Topeka: May 2011 Topeka tornadoes and hail (opens in a new tab)
A rotating supercell crossed Topeka on May 21, 2011, and weak tornadoes touched down in southwestern and southeastern Topeka. The National Weather Service noted a couple of reports of hail as large as 5¼ inches in the city.
NWS surveys estimated the tornadoes’ winds at 65 to 85 mph.
- NWS Topeka: the 1966 Topeka tornado (opens in a new tab)
The June 8, 1966 Topeka tornado formed about 7 p.m. west of Auburn and cut a 22-mile path, at times half a mile wide, across the heart of the city. It was rated F5, the top of the Fujita scale, with winds estimated at over 250 mph.
It crossed Burnetts Mound in southwest Topeka, and every building on the Washburn University campus was destroyed or heavily damaged.
Before you hire a roofer in Topeka
- The City of Topeka’s Development Services Division issues contractor and trade licenses, and the city says all trades must be licensed and pull permits to work in Topeka. Roofers must include their Kansas Attorney General roofer registration certificate number on the application before the city will license them. KS
- Kansas requires roofing contractors to register with the Kansas Attorney General before doing residential or commercial roofing work for pay. Ask any roofer for their registration number — and look it up. KS
- City of Topeka — Contractor information (opens in a new tab)KS
- Kansas Attorney General — Roofing Registration (opens in a new tab)KS
Rules change; confirm current requirements with the city before work begins. This isn’t legal advice.
ZIP codes we serve in Topeka
- 66603
- 66604
- 66605
- 66606
- 66607
- 66608
- 66609
- 66610
- 66611
- 66612
- 66614
- 66615
- 66616
- 66617
- 66618
- 66619
Not listed? Enter your address — we confirm service for your exact location.
Topeka roof inspection questions
Does a roof replacement in Topeka need a permit?
What credentials should a Topeka roofer have?
Is Topeka in your service area, and what does the inspection cost?
If you file a claim, even after an inspection, your insurance company decides what’s covered and what it pays. Roof Inspectors and our roofing partners can’t make that decision or promise an outcome.
Nearby communities
Topeka is in our service area, which covers homes within about 60 miles of Overland Park, Kansas. For every community we serve in Kansas and Missouri, see roof inspection in the Kansas City area.
See the storms on record near your Topeka home.
Start with a free storm count for your address. It takes about 30 seconds.
Checking storm history doesn’t file an insurance claim, and no roofer gets your details unless you book an inspection.