Emergency Roof Repair: What to Do in the First 24 Hours After Storm Damage

Step 1: Protect the Interior First

Before you do anything else: if water is actively coming in, protect your possessions and the interior of the property. Move furniture away from affected areas, put down towels and buckets, and if the ingress is significant, consider moving valuables out of the room below. Water tracking through a ceiling can travel sideways along joists — the wet patch on the ceiling may not be directly below the damage point on the roof.

Do not attempt to access the roof yourself — call our emergency line, especially in or immediately after a storm. Wet tiles and slates are extremely slippery, and the wind conditions that caused the damage may not have fully abated. Roof falls are one of the most common causes of serious injury to homeowners attempting DIY emergency repairs.

Step 2: Photograph Everything Before Any Work Starts

This is the step most people skip and then regret. Before any repair work is carried out — including any temporary weatherproofing — photograph the damage from every angle accessible from the ground. Photograph any internal damage (wet ceiling, damp walls, water-damaged items). Note the date and time. This documentation is essential for an insurance claim and protects you if there's any dispute about the cause or extent of damage.

If the storm was significant enough to affect other properties in your street, photograph those too — this establishes the event was a weather event rather than pre-existing deterioration, which matters for insurance purposes.

Step 3: Notify Your Insurer Before Major Repairs

Call your insurer before authorising anything beyond emergency temporary weatherproofing. Most policies require prompt notification and give the insurer the right to appoint a loss adjuster to assess the damage before significant repairs are carried out. Authorising a full re-roof before the insurer has seen the damage can complicate your claim — even if the damage clearly warrants the work.

Emergency weatherproofing to prevent further ingress — tarping, temporary tile replacement, strapping loose tiles — is something you're entitled (and usually obliged) to arrange immediately. Keep all receipts.

Step 4: Call a Local Roofer for Emergency Repair

At this point, call a local NFRC-registered roofer for emergency assessment and temporary weatherproofing. Ask them to provide a written damage report describing: what failed, when it likely occurred, whether the failure is consistent with the storm event, and a cost breakdown separating emergency temporary work from permanent repair. This document is invaluable for the insurance claim.

Be wary of contractors who appear at your door unsolicited after a storm. While many are legitimate, the proportion of opportunistic traders is higher in the post-storm period. Use a contractor you can verify independently — check their address, insurance certificate, and NFRC registration — rather than the first person who knocks. Call {PHONE} for emergency response across Aylesbury and Buckinghamshire 24/7.