Sinton: county seat, farm town and new steel town
Sinton is the county seat of San Patricio County, with 5,504 residents at the 2020 Census. The town grew up around the railroad in 1886, was named the county seat by 1894 and was incorporated in 1916. US 77 and US 181 both serve the town, which sits about 31 miles north of Corpus Christi.
For most of its history Sinton has been a farming, petroleum and petrochemical center. Oil was discovered nearby in 1935, and after World War II sorghum, cotton and corn became the main crops. A large grain elevator is still one of the first things you see coming into town. The Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation, established in 1954, sits about seven miles northeast of Sinton on a 7,800-acre grant.
The biggest change in generations is the Steel Dynamics Southwest-Sinton flat roll steel mill. The company held its ribbon-cutting on February 9, 2022, after a roughly $1.9 billion investment, with a designed capacity of 3 million tons a year, a galvanizing line and a paint line. The mill is served by Union Pacific and BNSF. Company leaders told KRIS 6 they expected about 1,000 employees within two to three years, and local leaders expected new housing and apartments to follow.
For roofs, that means Sinton has a little of everything: the county courthouse and government offices, Sinton ISD schools, churches, apartment complexes, shops and restaurants, farm and grain buildings, and the industrial and warehouse buildings that support a growing industrial base. Many of them carry metal or low-slope roofs.
What inland heat, hail and heavy rain do to Sinton roofs
Sinton is inland from Corpus Christi Bay, so salt air is less of a factor than on the island or the bay front. The stressors here are different, and a maintenance plan should reflect that.
Hail. San Patricio County's hail record, 2.75 inches, was set in Sinton on May 10, 2006, according to records compiled by KRIS 6. Hail that size can dent metal panels, crack aging membranes and crush insulation under a single-ply roof.
Heavy rain and ponding. On June 1, 2020, parts of San Patricio County around Sinton received up to 10 inches of rain, and water stood a foot deep in some yards. Big low-slope roofs need drains, scuppers and gutters that can move that much water. Ponding adds weight and finds every weak seam.
Wind. Sinton is in a first-tier coastal county, and hurricanes that come ashore on the Coastal Bend can still bring strong wind inland. Metal roof fasteners, edge metal and rooftop equipment need to stay tight.
Sun and heat. South Texas summers wear down sealants, caulk and coatings. On metal roofs, heat cycling works fasteners loose over time.
Dust and farm debris. Field dust, grain chaff and wind-blown debris collect in gutters and around drains on buildings near farm and industrial operations.
Sinton and San Patricio County storm history that matters for roofs
Hurricane Celia, August 3, 1970. Celia came ashore near Aransas Pass as a Category 4 hurricane. The National Weather Service lists San Patricio County among the counties with the most significant damage, and estimated gusts of 160 mph at Portland and Odem, in the same county.
Hail, May 10, 2006. Hail up to 2.75 inches fell in Sinton, the largest on record for San Patricio County in the KRIS 6 compilation. Storm reports list a second round of 1.75-inch hail in Sinton the same evening.
Hurricane Harvey, August 25, 2017. San Patricio County was under evacuation orders and an extreme wind warning as Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 storm near Rockport. The NWS reported the worst damage in the eastern half of the county, around Aransas Pass and Ingleside, and a 90 mph gust five miles north-northeast of Taft. In Sinton, the Windridge Apartments were damaged, and repairs were funded by the Texas General Land Office and completed in 2022.
Flooding rain, June 1, 2020. On the first day of hurricane season, up to 10 inches of rain fell in parts of San Patricio County, flooding properties around Sinton.
Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and hail season comes in spring. A Sinton roof plan should cover both.
What a Sinton commercial roof maintenance program covers
A commercial roof maintenance program is a written, repeating plan of inspection and upkeep for one roof. In Sinton, we build it around hail, water and wind.
Inspection with photos and written findings. Every visit ends with photos and a plain report, so the owner, the facility manager or the county office has a record.
Hail checks. After spring storms, we look for dented metal panels, cracked or bruised membrane, damaged flashings and broken skylights or vents, and we photograph what we find.
Drainage on big flat roofs. We clear drains, scuppers and gutters and look for ponding, so a 10-inch rain has somewhere to go.
Metal roof fasteners and panels. We check fasteners, laps, ridge and edge trim for looseness, backed-out screws and corrosion.
Seam, flashing and sealant touch-ups. We reseal penetrations and fix small seam and flashing problems on TPO, PVC, EPDM and Duro-Last roofs before they leak.
Pre- and post-storm checks. A walk before hurricane season and after any named storm or hail event.
For aging metal or single-ply roofs that are still sound, a silicone or metal roof coating may extend service life. When replacement is coming, the program gives you time to plan it.
Sinton commercial roof maintenance schedule
| When | What we check |
|---|---|
| Spring, before June 1 | Full inspection with photos, hail check after spring storms, drains and scuppers cleared, ponding areas marked, metal fasteners and seams checked, sealant and flashing touch-ups |
| Fall, after November 30 | Post-season walk for wind and water damage, coating and sealant wear, gutter and drain clearing, update of the roof file and the replacement budget |
| After any named storm or hail | Post-storm check for dented panels, bruised or cracked membrane, lifted edges, punctures and blocked drains, with photos for your insurance file |
| Every visit | Photos and written findings, drains and gutters cleared, penetrations and equipment curbs checked, lightning protection components looked over |
Roof management as asset management for Sinton's growing building stock
As Sinton grows, more owners are carrying larger roofs on their books. Managing a roof as an asset is standard facility management practice.
Keep a roof file. Roof type, install date, installer, warranty, repairs and inspection reports in one place. It helps with budgets, sales, leases and insurance claims.
Use photo logs. The same views photographed visit after visit show whether hail damage, ponding or loose fasteners are getting worse.
Budget years ahead. Condition reports let owners and public boards plan repairs, coatings or replacement across several budget cycles.
Plan new buildings for maintenance. New industrial, warehouse and apartment roofs start their maintenance history on day one. Starting the file early makes every later decision easier.
Windstorm, TWIA and roof records in San Patricio County
Even though Sinton sits inland, San Patricio County is one of the coastal counties in the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association designated catastrophe area. TWIA rules can apply to Sinton properties.
TWIA states that replacing a roof or repairing a significant portion of a roof requires a windstorm Certificate of Compliance (WPI-8) from the Texas Department of Insurance. TWIA generally requires a certificate on file for a property to be eligible for coverage. Temporary repairs after a storm do not need a certificate.
Keep certificates, inspection reports and invoices in your roof file. This is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Check with your insurance agent about your policy and whether your carrier requires windstorm certification.
How Nelson Roof Contracting manages roofs in Sinton
Nelson Roof Contracting works from 5233 IH 37, Ste. C-15, in Corpus Christi. Sinton is about 27 miles north, a straight run up IH 37 and US 77, roughly 30 minutes.
We bring over 50 years of hands-on roofing experience and more than 30 million square feet of roof systems installed. Every job is supervised, and our crews are 100% in-house. We are a certified Duro-Last installer, and we install TPO, PVC, EPDM and Duro-Last single-ply roofs, metal roofing, silicone and metal roof coatings, and UL-approved lightning protection.
Our services cover inspections and maintenance, repair, replacement, coatings and storm damage. Call the office Monday through Saturday, 8am to 5pm, at (361) 683-1733, or the 24/7 line at (361) 320-3131, answered day or night. Email roofcontract@yahoo.com.
Sources
- Sinton, Texas (Wikipedia)
- Sinton ZIP code and 2020 Census place data (zip-codes.com)
- Sinton, Texas (Texas Escapes)
- Welder Wildlife Foundation (Wikipedia)
- Steel Dynamics Mill Launches in Texas (Railway Age)
- Steel Dynamics ribbon cutting held Wednesday (KRIS 6)
- Steel Dynamics opening will transform Sinton economy (KRIS 6)
- How rare is baseball-sized hail in the Coastal Bend (KRIS 6)
- Sinton hail reports (StormerSite)
- Rain leaves parts of San Patricio County underwater (KRIS 6)
- Repairs completed after Hurricane Harvey damage, Windridge Apartments (KRIS 6)
- Hurricane Celia 1970 (NWS Corpus Christi)
- Hurricane Harvey 2017 (NWS Corpus Christi)
- Effects of Hurricane Harvey in Texas (Wikipedia)
- TWIA overview and coverage area
- TWIA windstorm certification
- NWS Corpus Christi 2026 Hurricane Guide