Los Angeles County, California

Storm and Wind Damage Roof Repair in Los Angeles

Storm damage on the roof? Photograph it before anything is moved or cleaned up. We get on the roof and photograph what the wind did, and the repair quote comes in writing. The inspection is free, and the claim stays between you and your carrier.

Tell us about your roof Call (310) 857-2520

Free roof inspection
We come out, get on the roof, and tell you what we find.
The price in writing
A written quote before anyone starts, with nothing to sign on the spot.
Licensed roofers
Our roofer who comes out holds a current California license.
Across Los Angeles County
From the Valley and the foothills to the Westside and the South Bay.

Most storm calls in Los Angeles come down to a few shingles creased at an edge, a ridge cap that slid, a tile that moved, and a ceiling stain two days later. A roof coming off whole is rare. What gets photographed in the first hour is what an adjuster has to work from. If water is coming in now, move what is under it and photograph the ceiling and the wet floor. Clean nothing up until it is on camera.

WhenSanta Ana season runs September through May and peaks in December
Where it goes firstThe outside corners, the gable ends and the ridge
First hourPhotograph everything before it is moved or cleaned up
Who handles the claimYou and your carrier. We document the roof and price the work

Why the wind here does this

Santa Ana winds, desert air pushed west through the mountain passages, can cause major property damage. They blow from September through May and peak in December. A High Wind Warning means sustained wind of 40 mph or greater for an hour or longer, or gusts of 58 mph or greater for any duration.

Where a roof gives way first

Uplift is not even across a roof. The highest loads sit at the outside corners and gable ends, and the 6 to 8 feet nearest them is the area to strengthen. Photograph those spots first, and on a gable end most are visible from the ground.

Composition shingleOnce a tab lifts, the wind gets under more of it, pulls harder, and bends it until the shingle creases. The adhesive strip is what holds a tab down, and it holds only once the strip has sealed all the way along.
TileDislodged tile comes down to anchorage that was never strong enough, and one tile breaking loose can take out the tiles it lands on. Underlayment, flashing and sheathing are then the only protection against rain. More on tile roofs.
Low slopeOn the low-slope roofs of most commercial buildings, wind lifts and peels the metal edge flashings, copings and fascia covers, and the membrane billows and blows off.

Storm damage, or a roof that was already worn out

An unadhered shingle with no crease, fold, tear or gap is not evidence of wind damage. Wind that has worked on a sealed shingle leaves marks that stay. That distinction is what an adjuster looks for. A standard policy covers sudden damage, and flood, earthquake and wear and tear are common exclusions. What a roof inspection puts on paper after a wind event is physical condition, dated, with photographs of each crease, tear and missing tab. The carrier decides what caused it.

WhenSanta Ana season runs September through May and peaks in DecemberThe inspection is free, and the price for your roof comes in writing.

Get a price for your roof

The water that gets in after the wind stops

The wind opens it and the rain that follows finds it. This is usually the first anyone sees from inside.

Up to half the annual precipitation in parts of California falls in 5 to 10 wet days. When wind strips the covering but leaves the sheathing, water comes in at the joints and the attic vents. Wet material has 24 to 48 hours to dry before mold starts. Pull up wet carpet, and open the stained ceiling once it is photographed.

What to document, and what to cover

The California Department of Insurance tells you to photograph the damage before anything moves, log every call, and throw nothing away until the adjuster has seen it. A broken tile in the yard is evidence, so leave it where it landed.

A homeowners policy puts two duties on you: protect the property from further damage, and give written notice of the loss without unnecessary delay. Check your own policy for its wording. CDI adds: make temporary repairs, keep the receipts, and wait on permanent work until the adjuster has evaluated it. Temporary covering runs roughly $400 to $1,500 depending on how much roof needs protecting. It holds for weeks, and how that is done is on roof repair.

A slipped tile or a lifted ridge cap runs roughly $400 to $900. A leak traced to a single source commonly runs $800 to $2,500. Neither is a quote until somebody has been up there. Full price ranges by roof type are on roofing costs.

How a claim runs in California, and who is allowed to handle it

California puts deadlines on the insurer: 15 calendar days from notice to acknowledge the claim and send forms, 15 days to answer your communications, and 40 calendar days from proof of claim to accept or deny.

Negotiating a claim for a policyholder is licensed work. A public insurance adjuster is anyone who, for compensation, aids an insured in negotiating or settling a claim, and the unlicensed are barred from that business. A contractor is exempt only when an insurer or a licensed adjuster engages them to evaluate the cause or extent of damage. We document the roof and price the repair. The claim itself stays between you and your carrier. Check any contractor's license with CSLB at (800) 321-2752. If somebody offers to handle your claim, check their public adjuster license with the Department of Insurance at (800) 927-4357.

What we do after a storm

Tell us what the wind did and where the water is showing. We come out, get on the roof and into the attic if that is where the answer is, photograph what we find, and give you a written quote for the repair. The inspection and the quote are free.

The offer