State to replace South Dakota Capitol roof following summer hail storms

New material touted as more durable, better able to withstand elements

The South Dakota State Capitol. (Austin Goss/The Dakota Scout)

*Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story said the amount to replace the roof was $600k. That was only to repair the peaked portions of the roof damaged by hail, the actual cost for the full repair has not been disclosed.

PIERRE — Roofers in the Pierre area have been busy since a barrage of hail storms wreaked havoc on the Capital City this summer. But the biggest repair job of them all is yet to come.

A panel charged with managing capital projects on the grounds of the state Capitol this week authorized more than a half-million repair to commence on the roof of the state Capitol building, damaged in July as storms brought baseball and softball-sized hailstones into the area.

Baseball size hail hit the Pierre area in July. (Austin Goss/The Dakota Scout)

While a roof replacement had already been planned due to some water leakage that had been occurring before the summer storms, Deputy State Engineer Kristine Day told the Capitol Complex and Beautification Commission the hailstorms escalated the urgency of the project. She provided photographs showing hail dents across the roof of the Capitol.

Hail dents on the roof of the South Dakota State Capitol. (Zach Nelson/KCCR)

The price tag of the project is significant, but ensures the state won’t have to do another replacement for a half-century or more, she said. That’s because the chosen roofing material for the replacement, called EPDM, is a durable rubber that can better withstand the elements. The rubber shingles will also replace the lower pitches of the roof that cover the chambers of the state Senate and the House of Representatives.

“It has a 50- to 60-year lifespan, which is a big deal,” Day said. “It also is virtually hail-resistant.”

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