Two printed pages for the days after a storm
After hail, wind or a tropical storm, the first few days decide a lot: what gets photographed, whether more water gets in, which contractor you trust, and whether the claim is filed in time.
The checklist puts all of that on two pages you can print and keep in a drawer before the next storm season. Fill in the form and it opens straight away.
What the checklist covers
- Right after the storm. Power line safety, staying off the roof, and writing down the date, time and hail size.
- Documenting the damage. The photos that matter, including gutters, vents, air conditioner fins and screens that show hail size.
- Stopping more damage. Buckets, moving belongings, having a roofer tarp an open roof, and keeping every receipt.
- Your policy. Percentage deductibles, replacement cost versus actual cash value, and reporting deadlines.
- Filing and the adjuster's visit. Why it helps to have the roofer on the roof when the adjuster comes.
- Hiring safely. Insurance certificates, a written scope, deposits, and the Texas rule against waiving deductibles.
- After the work. Invoices, permits, warranties and asking the insurer to release any held-back depreciation.
Print it before the next storm
Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and Houston's spring thunderstorms bring hail and straight-line wind of their own. When a storm hits a whole region, roofers book up quickly and door-knockers arrive within days. A list you read in advance makes those days calmer.
For more depth, see storm damage roof repair, the storm damage steps guide and the roof insurance claims guide.
The deductible is yours to pay. The Texas Department of Insurance says it is illegal for a contractor to offer to waive, rebate or absorb your deductible, and a contract of $1,000 or more paid with insurance money must include a notice saying so. A roofer also may not act as your public adjuster on a property it works on. Treat any offer to "cover the deductible" as a reason to call someone else.
Stay off the roof. Wet, storm-damaged roofs are slick and the decking may be weak, so leave the ladder in the garage. Keep well away from downed power lines and report them to CenterPoint Energy or 911. Indoors, move belongings away from the leak, put a bucket or towels under the drip and keep people out of any room where the ceiling sags. Photograph the damage from the ground and inside the house, then call your insurer and a roofer.
About this line: Houston Expert Roofers is a free phone line, not a roofing contractor. It answers your call and connects you with an independent local roofing company, which inspects, quotes and does the work, and which you pay directly. Companies may pay a referral fee. The line never charges you. Read how the line works.