Roof leaking after a storm: what to do
Get water off the interior and cover the opening from below or from a safe vantage point, then photograph the outside of the house and the inside damage together. Speed matters because the next rain adds damage that is hard to separate from the storm. Do not climb a wet or damaged roof. Note the date of the storm while it is fresh.
Do this now
- 1
Stay off a wet, steep or damaged roof.
Photograph from the ground, a window, or ask a contractor to document it.
- 2
Protect the inside from the water that is already coming in.
Buckets, plastic over furniture, and power off in any room where water is near fixtures.
- 3
Arrange temporary cover for the opening.
Tarping is normally treated as preventing further damage. Keep the invoice.
- 4
Photograph the storm damage outside and the water damage inside.
Include the roof line, gutters, siding, screens, fence and any debris.
- 5
Write down the date and time of the storm, then review your policy's notice requirements.
Your situation
A few quick questions
Answer what you know. Not sure is a real answer.
Is water still coming in?
Is the damage from a specific storm?
Can you stay in the home?
Why your policy matters
Different provisions in your own policy may apply to a situation like this, and they are not all in the same place in the document.
After reads the documents you upload and shows you the wording, word for word, with the page it came from.
After does not decide coverage. Your policy, the facts of the loss, applicable law and your insurer decide how a claim is handled.
- How the water entered, including wording about an opening made by wind or hail.
- Wind, hail and named storm provisions, which are often written separately.
- Your deductible, including any separate wind or named storm deductible stated as a percentage.
- Roof surfacing wording, which can be paid on a different basis than the rest of the house.
- Loss of Use, the wording about living somewhere else.
- Duties after loss, meaning prompt notice, records and receipts.
Free to start. Private policy analysis. No insurance jargon.
Questions people ask
Should I let a roofer inspect it for free?
An inspection is information. Read anything you are asked to sign, especially wording that assigns your claim or commits you to the repair. Ask for photos of what they found and keep a copy.
Can I get a tarp put on before the adjuster sees it?
Policies normally ask you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. Photograph the damage before the tarp goes on when it is practical, and keep the invoice.
Does my whole roof get replaced if part of it is damaged?
That depends on the wording in your own policy, including any language about matching and about roof surfacing, and on what the inspection finds. After can show you that wording. It does not decide the outcome.
What if I only noticed the leak weeks after the storm?
Write down when you first noticed it and what you observed. Read your notice language and report what you know. Do not guess about when the damage started.
Keep reading
Informational only. Not legal or insurance advice. After never states what your insurer will decide.