Storm damage roof repair in Southwest Florida
Wind damage is mostly invisible from the ground. We document what a storm actually did to your roof, then repair it.
After a storm, the damage that costs you money is usually the damage you cannot see from the ground. A roof can look completely untouched from the driveway and still have broken seals along every windward edge. That is the damage that turns into a ceiling stain three weeks later, by which point the connection back to the storm is much harder to demonstrate to an insurer.
What wind actually does to a roof here
Shingles
Wind gets under the leading edge of a tab, breaks the factory seal, and lifts it. Then it lays back down. It looks fine. It is not fine, because it is no longer sealed, and the next driving rain goes underneath it rather than over it. This is the most common storm damage we find and the most commonly missed.
Tile
Tile rarely leaves the roof in one piece. It cracks, slips out of alignment, or the mortar at hips and ridges breaks up. The underlayment beneath is then exposed to UV and water it was never designed to handle on its own, and it starts a clock you cannot see.
Ridges and hips
The highest-pressure zone on any roof, and almost always the first thing to go. Displaced ridge caps are a reliable tell that a roof took real wind load even when the field looks intact.
Flashing and edge metal
Drip edge and counter-flashing peel back. Once that happens water gets behind the roofing system rather than running on top of it, which is a materially worse failure than a hole in the field.
Debris impact
A branch strike can fracture a tile or bruise and puncture underlayment without leaving an obvious hole. Impact damage is often only visible from directly above it.
What to do in the first 48 hours
- Stay off the roof. Wet tile is genuinely dangerous, and walking a damaged roof causes more damage.
- Photograph the inside. Ceiling stains, active drips, wet insulation, damaged contents. Your phone date-stamps them, which matters later.
- Contain the water. Move what you can and put something under active drips.
- Get it inspected before anyone knocks on your door offering to. Post-storm door-knocking is common here and it is not how we work.
- Do not sign anything that assigns your claim to a contractor until you have read it properly and understood what you are giving up.
Documenting damage for a claim
An adjuster needs three things: cause, location and extent. Vague photographs of a roof do not establish any of them.
So we photograph each damaged area with something in frame for scale and orientation, record the elevation and the slope so the damage can be tied back to wind direction, and write a plain statement of what we believe caused it. That is the difference between a file that says “roof damage” and a file an adjuster can actually act on. More on how we work alongside your insurer is on the insurance claim help page.
Temporary protection
If the roof is open, the priority is stopping water before it reaches drywall, insulation and wiring. Tell us on the phone that water is coming in and we will treat the call accordingly rather than putting you in the normal inspection queue.
Florida claim deadlines are shorter than most people assume.
Under Florida law, notice of an initial or reopened property insurance claim must be given to the insurer within one year of the date of loss. A supplemental claim, meaning additional loss or damage from the same event, must be given within 18 months of the date of loss.
If a storm has gone through and you are not sure whether your roof was affected, the cheap move is to have it documented now while the clock still has room in it. The inspection is free either way.
Our hours, stated plainly.
We answer the phone Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm. Outside those hours, leave a message describing what is happening and we return calls the next business day. We would rather tell you that than advertise a 24 hour line we cannot staff.
Storm damage questions
My roof looks fine after the storm. Is an inspection worth it?
That is the specific case an inspection is most useful for. Broken seals and creased shingle tabs are invisible from the ground and are the most common form of storm damage in this region. Finding them now is much easier than proving them later.
Do you handle the insurance claim for me?
No. We document the damage, provide a written scope and an itemised estimate, and meet the adjuster at your property. We do not negotiate settlements or advise on policy language, because those are regulated activities we are not licensed for. If your claim needs that, you want a licensed public adjuster or an attorney, and we will say so.
Should I get a tarp on it myself?
Only if you can do it safely from inside or at ground level. Climbing a wet or damaged roof to place a tarp is how people get seriously hurt after storms. Call us and describe the situation instead.
How soon after a storm can you come out?
Normal scheduling is 24 to 48 hours. After a widespread event, demand across Lee County spikes and that stretches. Calling early in the cycle genuinely helps.
What if the damage turns out to be wear and tear rather than the storm?
Then we will tell you that, in writing. Presenting age-related deterioration as storm damage is insurance fraud, and it is not a service we offer.
Storm gone through? Get it documented
A free inspection now is far cheaper than a disputed claim in eight months.