What to Do After a Storm Damages Your Roof

Wind, hail, and fallen branches can do serious damage to a roof in minutes. What you do in the days right after matters almost as much as the storm itself — it affects whether your insurance claim goes smoothly, whether temporary damage turns into a much bigger repair, and whether you end up working with a legitimate local contractor or a storm-chasing crew that's gone by the time something goes wrong.

Here's the order we recommend, based on what actually protects your home and your claim.

1. Stay Off the Roof

This is the most important step and the one homeowners are most tempted to skip. A storm-damaged roof can have weakened decking, loose shingles, or hidden structural issues that aren't obvious from a quick look, and wet or icy surfaces make a fall far more likely. Assess what you can see from the ground and from inside the attic. Leave the roof itself to a professional with the right safety equipment.

2. Document the Damage Before Anything Is Touched

As soon as it's safe, take photos and video of everything — the roof from multiple ground-level angles, any debris in the yard, water stains inside the house, and damage to gutters, siding, or windows. Insurance adjusters rely heavily on this kind of documentation, and having it from before any tarping or repairs makes your claim much easier to support.

  • Photograph the full roofline from each side of the house, not just the damaged section
  • Photograph any shingles, granules, or debris that landed in the yard or gutters
  • Note the date and approximate time of the storm
  • Photograph interior water stains or active leaks immediately, since they can dry and become harder to document later

3. Get Temporary Protection in Place

If there's an active leak or exposed decking, temporary protection — usually a tarp — can prevent a bad situation from becoming a much worse one before permanent repairs happen. This is a job for a professional roofer, not a homeowner on a ladder in storm aftermath. A properly secured tarp keeps water out without causing additional damage to the roof.

4. Contact Your Insurance Company

Start your claim as soon as you've documented the damage. Most homeowners insurance policies cover roof damage from wind, hail, and fallen debris, though coverage details vary by policy, so it's worth reading yours or asking your agent directly. The sooner you file, the sooner an adjuster can be scheduled to inspect the damage.

5. Get a Professional Roof Inspection — From a Local, Licensed Contractor

After a major storm, it's common for out-of-town crews to go door to door offering fast repairs, sometimes called storm chasers. Some are legitimate, but many disappear before a warranty means anything, and a few pressure homeowners into signing contracts before insurance has even been contacted. A licensed, locally based contractor with a real address and a track record in your community is a safer bet, and one you can actually reach again if something needs attention down the road.

We offer free roof inspections after storm damage and work directly with your insurance adjuster — documenting what's wrong, communicating on the technical details of the damage, and helping the claims process move without you having to manage all of it yourself. That's not a substitute for filing the claim, but it takes a lot of the back-and-forth off your plate.

6. Understand What Happens Next

Once an adjuster approves the claim, you'll typically get an estimate for the covered repair or replacement, minus your deductible. From there, a licensed contractor can schedule the work. Timelines vary based on the scope of damage and material availability, but a reputable contractor will walk you through what to expect before work begins, not after.