What to Do First After Storm Roof Damage in Austin

Safety Comes Before Anything Else

Don’t get on the roof, even to look. Storm-damaged roofs can have hidden structural weak points, and downed power lines are one of the leading causes of storm-related injuries in Central Texas. If you see interior water intrusion near outlets or light fixtures, shut off power to that area at the breaker before doing anything else. If there’s visible structural sagging or a hole large enough to see sky through, treat the property as unsafe to occupy until it’s been inspected.

Document Everything Before You Touch Anything

Walk the property and photograph the damage from the ground — missing shingles, dented gutters, debris, interior water stains — before any tarping or cleanup happens. Note the date and approximate time of the storm. This documentation is the foundation of your insurance claim, and it’s much harder to get a fair settlement without a clear record of the damage as it actually happened.

Get a Tarp On It, Not a Full Repair

The immediate goal after a storm is to stop further damage, not to complete the repair. A professional tarp-over stops water intrusion while your claim gets filed and a full scope of work gets written. Signing a contract for a full roof replacement in the driveway, before your insurance company has even seen the damage, is how homeowners end up locked into a price and scope that doesn’t match what your policy actually covers.

Watch Out for Storm Chasers

After any major storm, out-of-town crews go door to door in the hardest-hit neighborhoods offering fast repairs, often asking for a large deposit upfront. Some are legitimate, many aren’t — and if something goes wrong, there’s no local business to hold accountable. Before signing anything, verify the contractor is licensed and insured in Texas, has a physical local address, and can show you references from recent Austin-area jobs.

Call Your Insurance Company — and a Local Contractor Who Works With Adjusters

Notify your insurer as soon as it’s safe to do so and get a claim number. Separately, get your own written scope of damage from a contractor experienced in insurance work. The adjuster’s estimate is a starting point, not the final word — having your own documented scope is what protects you if hidden damage turns up once repairs start.

When to Call Forty Construction

We handle emergency tarping and mitigation to stop damage from spreading, full roof repair and replacement once your scope is finalized, and can walk your claim alongside your adjuster so the settlement reflects the real cost of the work. If you’re dealing with storm damage right now, don’t wait on the paperwork to get the immediate risk under control.