After Storm Damage to Your Roof: Emergency Tarp, Inspection, and Claim Steps

Phase 1: Safety and emergency tarp (within 24 hours)

Do not climb the roof yourself unless you are trained and equipped. Storm damage often leaves a roof structurally compromised in ways that are not visible from the surface. Hire a licensed roofer or restoration contractor with rigging.

Emergency tarping uses heavy poly tarps mechanically fastened with 1x3 battens screwed into the deck, with the tarp wrapped over the ridge to shed water down both slopes. Sandbags and bricks holding a tarp in place are a temporary stopgap that will fail in the next storm.

Phase 2: Documented inspection

Get a written, photographed inspection from a roofer who is not the one trying to sell you the new roof. Independent inspections cost $200 to $500 and pay for themselves several times over on a claim.

Inspection should cover: shingle condition, granule loss, hail bruising, wind lift (look for shingles where the seal has broken), flashing condition around penetrations, ridge and hip caps, gutters and downspouts, fascia and soffit damage, and any deck damage visible from the attic.

Phase 3: File the claim — quickly

Use the NOAA Storm Events database (or the local NWS office's storm reports for DC/Baltimore) to identify the specific storm that caused damage. Note the date, peak wind gust, and any hail size reported. Carriers will tie the claim to a specific weather event.

File within 30 days when possible. Some carriers in Maryland and Virginia have shortened wind/hail notice windows to 6 months. Late notice is the easiest reason to deny a claim.

Phase 4: Adjuster meeting

Your independent inspector should walk the roof with the carrier's adjuster. This single meeting is where most claim disputes are decided. Disagreements not resolved on the roof become months-long correspondence battles later.

If the adjuster denies damage you believe is present, your options include reinspection, an engineering report, appraisal, and the carrier's internal appeal process. Document every step.

Phase 5: Selecting the contractor

The right contractor for storm work has all of these:

• A local office and license in your jurisdiction (DC, MD county, or VA locality).
• Manufacturer certification from at least one major shingle maker (GAF Master Elite, Owens Corning Platinum, CertainTeed SELECT).
• General liability and workers' comp insurance — verify directly with the carrier, not just a certificate.
• Written warranty separate from the manufacturer warranty.
• Willingness to put their scope on paper before any deposit.

Matching, code upgrades, and supplemental claims

Maryland and Virginia both have matching statutes for property insurance — if a damaged slope cannot be matched to undamaged slopes, the carrier may owe for the full roof. Discuss this with your contractor before accepting a single-slope settlement.

Code upgrade coverage (Ordinance or Law endorsement) pays the cost of bringing your roof up to current code during repair — new underlayment requirements, drip edge, ice and water shield. Many older DMV homes need significant code upgrades that are not covered without this endorsement.