Right Now
- Do not get on the roof. It is wet, damaged and possibly compromised
- Do not stand under a bulging ceiling. Drywall holding water lets go all at once
- Kill power to affected areas if water is near fixtures or panels
- Move what you can and get containers under active drips
- Photograph everything before you move or clean anything. That documentation is worth real money on a claim and it cannot be recreated
- Call. Tarping comes before estimating
Fallen Trees
A limb through a roof usually means broken rafters or trusses, punctured decking and water straight into the living space. Truss repair is engineered work, not carpentry judgment. A broken truss cannot be sistered by eye, because trusses are designed as a system and a field improvised repair changes the load path. We get the engineering and build to it.
Coverage Gaps
Sudden storm damage is generally covered. The surprises are usually these.
- Tree removal, often limited to a sub-limit, and removal of a tree that hit nothing may not be covered
- Fence damage, which often carries separate treatment
- Code upgrade coverage, which decides whether bringing the rebuild to current code is paid
- Interior damage, frequently underscoped because the roof adjuster is looking at the roof
- Mold, often limited, and the limitation usually turns on whether you mitigated right away, which is the argument for drying immediately
Read your declarations page. We tell you what we see, and your policy is the authority.
Questions
Will you come out during the storm?
As soon as it is safe. Nobody goes on a roof in lightning or high wind, not for a tarp, not for anything.
Should I clean up before the adjuster sees it?
Photograph everything thoroughly first, then mitigate. Most policies require you to prevent further damage, so drying and tarping are expected. What you should not do is throw away damaged property before it is documented.
A tree hit my roof. Do I need an engineer?
If rafters or trusses are broken, yes. Any contractor willing to sister a broken truss without an engineered detail is guessing about your roof structure.
Get it looked at before it gets expensive
Call and you get someone who has been on a roof, not a call center.