Storm-Damaged Roof: What to Do in the First Hour

Keep people safe

• Stay out from under loose tiles, slates or a damaged chimney
• Do not climb onto the roof
• Switch off electrics near any water
• Keep out of a room with a bulging ceiling

Limit the damage

Put buckets under drips and move what you can. If the loft is safe to enter, a container under the leak protects the ceiling.

Take photos

Photograph the roof from the ground, any debris, and the damage indoors. Your insurer will want them.

Make two calls

Ring your insurer to report it and ask what they need. Ring a roofer to make the roof watertight. Many policies allow emergency work to prevent further damage, but check yours.

What a roofer does first

Secures or removes anything loose, covers open areas and stops the leak. The full repair is quoted once the roof is safe.

Check again afterwards

Some damage only shows later. Look at the roof and the loft again once the weather clears.