Compare · Storm data alternative
Roofbird vs HailTrace: a roofer's honest comparison.
HailTrace gives you meteorologist-verified swath maps of where hail likely fell. Roofbird scores every roof inside the hit area from satellite and Street View, then hands you the owner's name and phone number: the neighborhood vs the door.
The difference that matters
Roofbird reads a satellite image and a Street View of each roof into one AI assessment: a plain-English verdict, ranked against the roofs either side. One credit then opens the homeowner's DNC-scrubbed phones and emails and the full property record. Most tools give you a lead or data. You get both.
HailTrace is one of the best-known storm-data platforms in restoration: meteorologists refine radar swaths into polygons you can trust more than raw radar, and your crew canvasses them on a shared map. It's built for 'storm hits, we blanket the swath.'
Roofbird answers 'which of the 40,000 roofs in that swath should my crew knock first?' AI vision reads each roof from satellite and Street View and ranks every home by replacement likelihood, then adds what no map has: the homeowner's name, DNC-scrubbed mobile and mailing address on unlock.
A swath map still means knocking blind; a ranked list starts your best canvasser at the 94-scored roofs with a phone number in hand. Plenty of teams run both, and the comparison below covers which one moves revenue if you pick one.
Roofbird vs HailTrace — at a glance
| Roofbird | HailTrace | |
|---|---|---|
| Core output | Ranked list of specific roofs, scored by AI vision | Meteorologist-verified hail/wind swath maps |
| Resolution | Per-roof (each home scored individually) | Per-swath (polygon over the hit area) |
| Homeowner unlock | DNC-scrubbed phones + emails, name, mailing address, owner-occupied vs absentee — plus the full property record (value, year built, last sale, beds/baths, sq ft, tax, lender) | Not included — you source contacts separately |
| Roof condition scoring | Built-in — AI reads damage signals on every roof | None — the map shows weather, not roof condition |
| Canvassing workflow | Ranked door list + door-hanger PDF per lead | Map-based canvassing tools for working the swath |
| Storm verification | NOAA SPC ground reports + storm-recency overlay | Meteorologist-refined radar swaths (their core strength) |
| Pricing model | Free trial, then credit packs from $49 (no subscription) | Tiered subscriptions; team pricing is quote-based |
| Best for | Deciding which doors to knock, and calling the owner | Deciding which neighborhoods took the storm |
Swath accuracy vs roof accuracy
HailTrace's forecasters make the polygon tighter than raw radar, which genuinely reduces wasted territory. But even in a perfect polygon most roofs are fine, so Roofbird scores each roof: a 30-year architectural roof that shrugged off the stones ranks below an 18-year 3-tab showing granule loss.
The contact gap
A swath map ends at the curb; owner data usually means buying lists or per-hit skip tracing, then scrubbing for DNC yourself. Unlock a Roofbird lead and you get the owner's name, mobile, email and mailing address, every phone checked against the federal Do-Not-Call registry.
Where they stack
Some teams use HailTrace for meteorology (especially verified storm evidence for insurance claims) and Roofbird for a ranked, contactable door list. If you must choose: missing storms, buy weather; burning days knocking blind, buy the roof-level list.
Pick Roofbird if
- You want a ranked list of specific roofs, not a polygon to canvass blind
- Owner contacts matter — calling and mailing, not just knocking
- You want one product covering scoring, contacts, and door-hanger collateral, with credits that never expire
- Your team is small and crew-hours are your scarcest resource
Pick HailTrace if
- You need meteorologist-verified swath maps as evidence for insurance conversations
- You run large canvassing teams and your motion is blanketing verified polygons
- You already have a contact-data and lead-ranking stack and only need weather
FAQ
›Is Roofbird a replacement for HailTrace?
For prospecting, yes — Roofbird includes storm awareness (NOAA SPC reports and recency overlays) plus per-roof AI scoring and owner contacts that HailTrace doesn't offer. For meteorologist-verified swath evidence used in insurance supplement arguments, HailTrace's verified maps remain the specialist tool.
›Does HailTrace give homeowner phone numbers?
No. HailTrace is a storm-data and canvassing platform; contact data isn't part of the product. Roofbird includes the owner's DNC-scrubbed phones and emails, name, mailing address, and owner-occupied vs absentee status on every unlocked lead, plus the full property record (value, year built, last sale, beds/baths, sq ft, tax, lender). A lookup that fails is refunded, and a “nobody listed” answer is kept so you never pay for the same address twice.
›Which is more accurate for finding damaged roofs?
They measure different things. HailTrace is more refined at mapping where hail fell. Roofbird is the only one of the two that looks at the roofs themselves — AI vision scores each home's visible condition, which is what determines whether a door is worth knocking.
›What does each cost?
Roofbird has no subscription: credit packs run from $49 for 49 credits to $399 for 800, and bought credits never expire. Ranking every roof in your area is free and unlimited for everyone, including the trial. Credits are only spent on the roofs you act on: 1 per 8 roofs read in bulk, 1 per 2 owner contacts, 1 to open a house completely. HailTrace sells tiered subscriptions with quote-based team pricing; check their site for current numbers.
›Can I use both?
Yes, and larger storm teams often should: HailTrace for verified meteorology and claim evidence, Roofbird for turning each hit ZIP into a ranked, contactable canvassing list.
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