Roof Damage After Storm

To check for roof damage after a storm, stay on the ground. Walk around the house once it is safe, look at the roof from every side and from a distance, check the yard and gutters for pieces of roof, and look at the ceilings inside for stains. That tells you most of what you can safely learn. The rest needs a licensed roofer on the roof, and it is not worth climbing up yourself, however small the damage looks.

First, make sure it is safe to look

Before you go outside, check the basics:

• Wait until the storm has fully passed and the wind has dropped. The calm of an eye or a lull is not the end.
• Look for downed power lines from a window first. Treat every fallen line as live, keep well away, and report it to the utility.
• If you smell gas, leave the house and call the gas utility or 911 from outside.
• Watch for standing water, which can hide debris and may be in contact with live wiring.
• Wear sturdy shoes and gloves. The yard will have nails, broken tile and sharp metal.

What you can see from the ground

Walk slowly around the whole house, and step back far enough to see the full roof on each side. A phone camera’s zoom or a pair of binoculars helps a great deal. Take photos as you go.

On a tile roof, look for:

• Gaps where tiles are missing, or tiles sitting out of line with their neighbours
• Broken or cracked tiles, especially along the edges
• Ridge and hip tiles that have lifted or moved
• Pieces of tile in the yard, the gutters or on lower roofs

On a shingle roof, look for:

• Missing shingles, which show as a different colour where the underlayment or deck is exposed
• Shingles that are creased, folded back or torn along a line
• Lifted edges along the rakes and ridges
• Piles of granules at the bottom of downspouts, or shingle pieces on the ground

On a flat or low-slope roof:

• Membrane flapping or peeled back at the edges
• Ponding water that was not there before
• Damaged edge metal or roof drains blocked by debris

On every roof, check:

• Metal flashing that is bent, lifted or hanging loose
• Gutters that are bent, pulled away or full of debris
• Soffit panels and fascia that are missing, loose or hanging
• Vent caps, turbines and pipe boots that are missing or damaged
• Branches or limbs resting on the roof
• Any roof line that looks wavy or sagging, which can point to damage to the structure

Note what you find on which side of the house. That helps the roofer and the insurer.

What to check from inside

Inside, roof damage after a storm often shows up before it is visible outside:

1. Look at every ceiling, especially near exterior walls, for new stains, bubbling paint or drips.
2. Check the tops of closets and around ceiling fixtures, vents and skylights.
3. Look at the walls under windows and near the roofline for damp patches.
4. If your attic has a hatch you can reach safely from a stable ladder indoors, look in with a torch without climbing in. Look for daylight through the roof deck, wet insulation or water on the framing.
5. Notice any new musty smell in a room.

Do not walk across the attic. Many attics have no floor, and a step between the framing goes through the ceiling.

What is not worth climbing for

There is no part of a post-storm roof check that is worth the risk of climbing up yourself.

• Wet roofs are slippery. Tile, shingle and metal all lose grip when wet, and roofs stay damp long after the rain stops.
• Tiles break underfoot. Walking on a tile roof cracks tiles, which can add to the damage you are trying to assess.
• Damage can hide weakness. A storm-damaged section of decking may not carry your weight.
• Power lines and debris. Lines near the roof edge and loose debris on the roof are both real hazards.
• The view from up there is not much better. Underlayment damage under tile is not visible from the surface anyway. A roofer finds it by lifting tiles and looking from the attic.

Even reaching a gutter from a ladder is risky after a storm, when the ground is soft and the gutter may be loose.

The order to do things in

Once you have looked from the ground and inside, the order matters.

1. Make the house safe. Keep people away from sagging ceilings, and turn off power to any area where water is near lights, fans or outlets.
2. Limit the water from inside. Move furniture and valuables, put containers under drips and towels around them.
3. Document everything. Photograph the roof from the ground, the debris, and every sign of damage inside, with the date. Keep broken pieces of roof.
4. Report the claim. Contact your insurer and get a claim number. Check your policy’s hurricane deductible.
5. Arrange a temporary cover. If water is getting in, a roofer can put a temporary cover or tarp over the damaged area to stop more coming through.
6. Get a roofer’s inspection. A licensed roofer inspects the roof itself, documents roof damage after a storm in writing with photos, and explains what needs repairing.
7. Meet the adjuster. Share your photos and the roofer’s report.
8. Have the permanent repair done. Once the claim is settled, the roofer carries out the repair or a re-roof, with a permit where one is needed.

If water is already coming through a ceiling, the roof leak guide sets out what to do inside while you wait.

Damage you cannot see

Some storm damage leaves no sign from the ground. Wind can loosen tiles without moving them visibly, break the seal under shingles without lifting them far, and tear underlayment beneath tiles that look intact. These problems often show up later, as a leak in the next heavy rain.

That is why an inspection is worth having after a major storm even when the roof looks fine from the ground. Hidden roof damage after a storm is still storm damage, and it is easier to connect to the storm if it is found and recorded soon after.

Checking who works on the roof

After a large storm, many people offer roof work door to door. Before anyone goes on your roof, check their Florida roofing licence through the state’s online licence search, ask for proof of insurance and get the scope in writing. Read anything you sign, especially anything that mentions your insurance claim.

How One Call fits in

One Call Home Pros is a connector, not a roofing company. Tell us what you can see from the ground and inside, and whether you have opened a claim, and we match you with a vetted, licensed, insured local roofer. The roofer can put on a temporary cover, inspect and document the roof damage after the storm, and do the repair or a full re-roof. If your homeowners’ or condo association needs the roofer’s insurance certificate or approval paperwork, One Call can send it for you. You pay One Call, and One Call pays the roofer. Financing is available for larger roof work; ask about it when you call.

Get the roof checked

Look from the ground, document what you see and stay off the roof. Then tell One Call what you found, and we connect you with a vetted, licensed local roofer.