We often think of the time before and during a major storm as the most terrifying. However, once the storm passes, the clouds clear, and everything is quiet — that’s when you should be worried.
Whether you’re facing impact marks from hail, fallen tree branches, or high winds, you’ll need to know what to do in the event that there’s damage to your roof. Consider this article your guide to storm damage roof repair, in which we’ll walk you through what to do if you suspect roof damage.
Storm Damage Roof Repair 101
Whether you have hail damage or water damage, there are certain steps you need to take to address the issue at hand so you can get your roof repaired quickly for your home’s safety and your family’s safety.
As soon as the storm passes, you’ll want to follow these steps:
Locate and Assess the Storm Damage
As the homeowner, it’s up to you to check on your home after a major storm. You’ll want to look for visible signs of damage, such as:
- Missing shingles
- Broken, cracked, curled, or fractured shingles
- Granule loss (which will look like bald spots on asphalt shingles)
- Holes, dents, or tears in shingles and other roofing components
- Pooling water
- Debris collection
- Broken or cracked gutters
- Water spots or leaks on top-floor ceilings and walls
- Broken glass
- Loose weather stripping
Be sure to document everything you see as you walk the perimeter of your home and check the interior. Keep in mind that it’s not recommended to climb on top of your roof, especially after storms, as it’s incredibly dangerous.
Call Your Homeowners Insurance Company
The next critical step is to contact your insurance company directly. Ultimately, you’ll want to ensure you get the right claims form to fill out, but you’ll also want to:
- Review your policy with an insurance agent to determine exactly what it covers and how much you can expect from your payout, and when you can expect it.
- Understand the insurance claims process and what you can expect the timeline to look like.
- Make sure you get the correct claims form to fill out for your storm roof damage and understand how to fill it out.
Once you’ve submitted your claims form, the insurance provider will schedule an appointment with you to send their claims adjuster to assess the damage. Keep in mind that the insurance adjuster is the only person who can approve or deny your claim, so it’s important that you document the storm damage clearly and fill out the claims form with all the right details.
Call a Reliable Roofing Contractor
As soon as you get off the phone with your insurance company, you’ll need to get in touch with a local roofing specialist that provides roof storm damage services. If you don’t know how to find one, you can hop on Google and do some digging.
You’ll want to look for the following in a roofing company:
- More than 10 years of industry experience
- Storm damage services
- Emergency storm damage services (this usually involves 24/7 service in case you need an emergency patch or tarp for severe damage)
- Plenty of positive customer reviews
- Insurance claims assistance
Once you get the right roofing contractor on the phone, they’ll likely schedule a roof inspection immediately. From there, they’ll use their specialized equipment to do a more thorough check and document everything to provide you with a detailed report as well as an estimate for the work. This is important as you’ll want to send this report to your insurance company along with your claim.
It’s also important to note that you’ll want your roofer to come to your home when the adjuster is scheduled to be there. This will prevent the adjuster from making “mistakes” and will give you a better chance of getting your claim approved.
💡 Stay away from storm chasers. Storm chasers are “roofing contractors” that come to your door to “let you know” that you have roof damage. They’ll say whatever they need to get you to sign a contract, and they’ll take your money and do shoddy work or completely disappear.
Schedule Your Roof Repairs
Once your insurance claim is approved, you can get started on the necessary repairs. Since you’ve already been provided with an estimate from your roofer, you won’t have to worry about any price changes. In the event that your claim is denied, it’s a good idea to inquire about special financing plans that your roofing contractor may offer.
When you have storm damage, don’t hesitate to call the expert roofing team at Montana Roofing Solutions. We can provide you with insurance claims assistance for the best possible outcome as well as endless support until your roof is repaired and ready to go!