What to do after storm roof damage
After a storm, the useful work happens from the ground. This guide is about a roof that was hit by wind or hail or that is letting rain into the attic. It is not about wading into floodwater, and it is not a price for a new roof. Dial Home Help does not install roofs and does not adjust insurance claims.
During posted hours, use the referral call page for this service. This guide does not display a routing number.
Do not climb
A wet, debris-covered, or partly missing roof is not a place to inspect from above. Photograph from the ground, from a window, and from the attic only if the attic floor is sound and you are not walking on wet insulation. If shingles or branches are on power lines, stay back and call the utility. Do not pull a limb off a line.
Interior water from a roof is still water in the house. The EPA drying window, 24-48 hours for wet materials, applies to wet ceilings and insulation. The factors are on water damage restoration cost factors. Stopping the leak and drying the room are related and they are not the same trade.
Rain through a roof is not floodwater
Ready.gov says homeowner's insurance policies do not cover flooding. Flooding there means water that overflows onto land that is normally dry, from rain, surge, or a failed system, not a synonym for every wet ceiling. Whether your policy pays for wind or hail is a question for your insurer and the policy, not for this page. We do not tell you to file or not to file.
Photograph missing shingles, dented metal, a lifted flashing, and the wet spot indoors, with the date. Those photos are for you and for whoever you hire. They are not a claim we submit.
Temporary cover
A tarp is useful only if it can be placed without putting you on a damaged slope. Many homeowners cannot do that safely. Leaving a wet ceiling open to more rain is also a problem. An independent roofer can cover what you should not climb. Ask, before they start, whether the visit is a temporary cover, a repair, or a full replacement, and whether those are separate prices.
Do not pay the full price of a replacement before the work and the materials are on site. A deposit may be normal in your market. This page does not set the percentage. Get the scope in writing first.
What the scope should list
Ask which slopes, whether the old layer comes off, what underlayment and flashing are included, how penetrations and valleys are handled, and who pulls a permit if your city requires one. License rules for roofing differ by state. Check the contractor board in your state rather than trusting a national badge on a flyer. Dial Home Help does not hold itself out as a roofing contractor and does not lend its name to a badge.
Read any assignment of benefits or any form that lets someone else talk to your insurer before you sign it. This site does not explain your state's rule and does not give legal advice. If you do not understand the form, do not sign it on the driveway.
Steps
- Stay on the ground. Photograph from the ground and from indoors. Do not climb a wet or damaged roof. Stay away from limbs on power lines.
- Separate roof rain from floodwater. Ready.gov says homeowners policies do not cover flooding. Wind or hail is a different question for your insurer. We do not answer it.
- Protect the inside only if it is safe. Move belongings off a wet ceiling path. Do not walk on wet insulation in an attic.
- Ask for a written scope. Slopes, tear-off, underlayment, flashing, and permit. Temporary cover is not the same line as replacement.
- Read forms before you sign. Do not sign an assignment you do not understand. Dial Home Help does not give legal advice.
Questions
Should I get on the roof to count missing shingles?
No. Photograph from the ground. A damaged roof is not a safe place to inspect.
Does this page know if insurance will pay?
No. Ready.gov says homeowners policies do not cover flooding. Other storm damage depends on your policy. We do not adjust claims.
Who does the roof work if I call?
An independent provider. Dial Home Help does not install roofs. The provider sets the price and may pay Dial Home Help for the introduction.
What if water is already in the ceiling?
Treat the wet materials as their own problem. Drying has a short window. The roof repair does not by itself dry insulation.
Sources
During posted hours, use the referral call page for this service. This guide does not display a routing number.