The first 48 hours after a storm decide a lot: how much water gets into your home, how strong your insurance claim is, and whether a small repair stays small. If wind, hail or heavy rain just hit your neighborhood, here’s what to do, step by step, before you call for storm damage roof repair in Pittsburgh.
We’ve repaired storm damaged roofs around Pittsburgh since 2003, and the homeowners who come out best follow the same order.
Short answer: Stay off the roof, photograph every sign of damage inside and out, keep water out with buckets and a professionally secured tarp, report the claim promptly, and have a local roofer inspect and document the roof before the adjuster visits.
Step 1: Put Safety First Before Anything Else
Before you even think about the roof, check for hazards around your home. Downed power lines, broken tree limbs hanging over the house, and standing water near electrical outlets or appliances are all serious risks. If a tree has come through the roof or you see a sagging ceiling, keep everyone out of those rooms until a professional can assess the structure.
Resist the urge to climb onto the roof yourself. Wet shingles are slick, storm debris can hide weak spots in the decking, and Pittsburgh’s many two and three story homes on sloped lots make ladder work especially dangerous. You can learn a lot from the ground and from inside your attic without putting yourself at risk.
Step 2: How Do You Spot Storm Damage From the Ground?
Once conditions are safe, walk around your property in daylight and look for signs that your roof took a hit. You don’t need to be an expert to notice the most common warning signs.
Exterior Signs to Look For
Scan the roof surface and the yard around it. Common signs include:
- Missing, lifted or creased shingles
- Shingle pieces or granules scattered in the yard
- Dented gutters or downspouts
- Damaged flashing around chimneys and vents
- Broken or displaced slate on older homes
Dents on gutters, vents or your air conditioning unit are a good clue that hail was large enough to damage shingles too.
Lifted and broken shingles along a gutter on an East Pittsburgh roof, Alan Construction.
Interior Signs to Check
Head inside and check the ceilings and walls on the top floor for water stains, bubbling paint or drips. If you can safely get into your attic, look for wet insulation, damp roof decking, or daylight coming through the boards. Water often travels along rafters before it shows up on a ceiling, so a leak may appear several feet away from where the roof was actually damaged.
Step 3: Document Everything Thoroughly
Good documentation is one of the most valuable things you can do in the first 48 hours. Take clear photos and videos of all visible damage, outside and inside, before anything is cleaned up or repaired. Include wide shots that show the overall area and close ups that show detail. Photograph fallen limbs, hail on the ground, and damaged property like siding, windows, cars or patio furniture.
Write down the date and approximate time of the storm and keep notes on what you saw. Save receipts for anything you buy for emergency protection, such as tarps or buckets, and for temporary lodging if your home becomes unlivable. This record supports your insurance claim and helps your contractor understand the full scope of the problem. Our guide on how to file a roof damage insurance claim successfully walks through what to gather.
Step 4: Prevent Additional Water Damage
Most homeowner policies expect you to take reasonable steps to keep damage from getting worse. Inside, move furniture and valuables away from leaks, put buckets under drips, and lay down towels or plastic sheeting to protect floors. If water is pooling in a ceiling bulge, keep people clear and call a professional rather than trying to drain it yourself.
Outside, emergency tarping is often the best short term protection for an exposed roof. Leave it to a roofing contractor, who can secure a tarp without causing more damage to shingles or slate. Pittsburgh weather turns fast, and a loose tarp can blow off in the next round of wind and rain.
Rotted roof boards and broken shingles at a roof edge in Pittsburgh, Alan Construction.
Step 5: Contact Your Homeowners Insurance Company
Call your insurance company or file a claim online as soon as you reasonably can. Many policies have deadlines for reporting damage, and prompt notice keeps your claim moving. Have your policy number, photos and notes ready, and ask about next steps, including when an adjuster will visit. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department has consumer guides if you have questions about the claim process.
When the adjuster arrives, be honest and stick to the facts of what you saw. It’s wise to have your roofing contractor there so they can point out damage the adjuster may miss, especially on steep or hard to reach sections. We meet adjusters on our customers’ roofs regularly. How you describe the damage can affect your outcome, so read our guide on what not to say to a roof insurance adjuster before that meeting.
Step 6: Schedule a Professional Roof Inspection
Even if the damage looks minor, a professional inspection is worth it. Hail bruising, broken seals under shingles and loosened flashing are often invisible from the ground but can lead to leaks months later. In Western Pennsylvania, hidden damage tends to get worse over the winter as freeze and thaw cycles push water into small openings, expand it as ice, and widen the gaps a little more each time.
A thorough inspection covers the roof surface, flashing, vents, gutters, attic and decking. Ask for a written summary with photos to share with your insurance company.
Worn shingles with a loose torn piece on a Pittsburgh roof slope, Alan Construction.
Hail Damage Roof Repair vs. Wind Damage
Hail and wind leave different marks. Hail usually shows as random bruises and granule loss across the shingle surface, plus dents on metal. Wind lifts, creases and tears shingles, mostly along edges and ridges. A good inspection report separates the two and gives you a factual basis for discussing repair versus replacement, so all storm related damage is accounted for.
How Do You Choose the Right Storm Damage Contractor?
After a big storm, it’s common for out of town storm chasers to go door to door offering quick repairs. Some do poor work, collect deposits and disappear, or leave before warranty issues come up. Taking a few minutes to vet your contractor can save you a lot of trouble.
What to Look For in a Contractor
Choose a contractor with a local address and a track record in the Pittsburgh area. Pennsylvania requires home improvement contractors to register with the Attorney General’s office, so ask for the registration number and confirm it in the PA home improvement contractor registry. Also ask for proof of liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage, references from local customers, and a detailed written contract. For reference, Alan Construction is registered as PA#126638, licensed and insured, and BBB Accredited with an A+ rating.
Red Flags to Avoid
- Pressure to sign immediately
- Requests for large payments up front
- Offers to “cover” your deductible
- No local business address
A reputable contractor will give you time to review the contract and answer your questions. Under Pennsylvania law, you generally have the right to cancel a home improvement contract within three business days of signing, so make sure that right is explained in writing.
What Affects the Cost of Storm Damage Roof Repair?
Every storm damage repair is different. The extent of the damage matters most: replacing a few shingles is very different from repairing damaged decking or replacing the whole roof. Your roofing material matters too, since slate, tile and other specialty roofs on older Pittsburgh homes need different skills and materials than standard asphalt shingles.
Roof pitch, height and access affect labor and safety, and hidden issues such as rotted decking or damaged ventilation may only show up once work begins. Your deductible and whether your policy pays replacement cost or actual cash value shape what you pay out of pocket. A detailed inspection and a free written estimate are the best way to understand your situation.
Drone view of an old weathered roof in Glassport before replacement, Alan Construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Deadlines vary by insurer and policy, so check your policy documents or call your agent right away. Reporting damage promptly is always the safest approach, because the longer you wait, the harder it can be to connect the damage to a specific storm date.
Waiting is risky around Pittsburgh. Winter brings snow, ice dams and repeated freeze and thaw cycles that can turn a small opening into a major leak, rotted decking or interior damage. Damage that grows because a repair was put off may also be treated as neglect rather than storm damage, which can hurt your claim.
That depends on how severe the damage is, your policy terms and the adjuster's findings. A few damaged shingles on a newer roof usually mean a repair, while widespread damage or shingles that can no longer be matched may justify a replacement. A professional inspection with photo documentation gives you the best chance of having all legitimate damage considered.
Not always. Older roofs can leak because of normal wear, worn flashing or failed seals that were already there before the storm. A contractor can help determine whether the problem is storm related, maintenance related or a combination of both, and that distinction matters because most policies cover sudden storm damage but not gradual aging.
We don't recommend it. Climbing a wet, damaged roof is dangerous, and a tarp that isn't fastened correctly can tear shingles or blow off in the next storm. Inside, put out buckets and move valuables, then call a roofer to secure the tarp. Keep the receipt, since many policies reimburse reasonable emergency protection.
Was your home hit by recent wind, hail or heavy rain? Contact Alan Construction for a free, no obligation roof inspection and estimate, and we’ll work alongside you through the insurance process.
