Roof Evidence & Repair Guide
What to do while a roof is open to the weather, what counts as storm damage, and what evidence supports an insurance discussion.
The situations that justify emergency roofing attendance, and the ones better handled as a planned repair.
Why photographs taken before clearing or repair are worth keeping, and what to capture safely from the ground.
How storm damage claims are generally assessed in the UK, the common exclusions, and why wear and tear is treated differently.
How photographic and aerial evidence supports an insurance discussion, and the limits of what images can establish.
Why insurers usually want notice before permanent repairs, and how emergency work to prevent further damage is normally treated.
The short answer
Safety first, evidence second, repairs third. Keep people away from fallen material, check from a safe distance whether anything is still loose, and photograph what you can see from the ground before anything is cleared. Then arrange temporary protection if the roof is open, and a proper inspection once conditions allow.
Slates, tiles or ridge material on the ground, or debris caught in gutters.
Urgent · Inspection needed to confirm
Photographs taken before any clearing are the most valuable record you can create, both for diagnosis and for any insurance discussion.
Never go onto a roof after a storm to assess it. Loosened coverings and wet surfaces make that genuinely dangerous, and the assessment you gain is not worth the risk.
How serious is it? — Urgent
Loose material can fall and an open roof admits water until it is covered.
Illustrative example — not a record of a completed job
Photograph each elevation and the debris on the ground, then arrange attendance. Keep any receipts for emergency measures you take.
The short answer
You often cannot, from the ground. Wind can loosen fixings, lift coverings and crack bedding without removing anything. The practical checks are looking for fresh debris, comparing each elevation against earlier photographs, and checking the loft for new damp. Anything beyond that needs a closer look from above.
Fresh mortar or slate fragments on the ground after a storm.
Investigate · Inspection needed to confirm
New damp in the loft after the storm, where it was previously dry.
Repair soon · Inspection needed to confirm
This is where aerial imagery earns its keep: it documents the visible condition of ridges, hips and flashings quickly without anyone walking a recently storm-loaded roof.
Imagery records the visible surface only. It cannot confirm the grip of a fixing or the condition of underlay beneath an intact covering.
Check the loft after the next heavy rain and compare your elevation photographs against any taken previously.
The short answer
Usually yes. Sheeting, temporary covers and localised holding repairs can keep weather out until a permanent repair is possible. Temporary work is meant to buy time safely, not to last. It should be recorded and photographed, and the permanent repair should follow a proper inspection rather than being left indefinitely.
Weather often dictates the sequence. Making a roof safe in a gale and diagnosing it properly later is the right order, not a shortcut.
Temporary covers can themselves be displaced in continuing high winds, so they need checking rather than forgetting.
Illustrative example — not a record of a completed job
Ask for photographs of the temporary work in place and an agreed date for the permanent repair.
Reviewed by Aaron, Owner, Elite Roofing Services Cumbria Ltd — last reviewed .
