Autumn and winter in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire can be rough on roofs. Strong winds, driving rain and sudden temperature drops all take their toll, and when a storm rolls through overnight you might wake up to a leak, a missing tile or something worse. Knowing what to do in those first moments can make a real difference, both to your home and to any insurance claim you need to make.
Here is a straightforward guide from the team at Dexters Build.
The First Hour After Storm Damage: Stay Safe First
Before you do anything else, stay inside and away from the roof. Wet tiles, loose flashing and debris on gutters all create serious hazards. Do not attempt to climb up and inspect things yourself.
If water is coming in through the ceiling, put down towels and buckets to catch it, and move furniture and valuables out of the way. Your priority is protecting the inside of your home while you get help organised.
If the damage is significant and water is actively entering the property, call a roofer as soon as possible. Our emergency roof repair service is available for exactly this kind of situation, and we cover homeowners right across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
Photograph Everything Before Any Repairs Begin
This step is important and often overlooked. Before any temporary repairs are made, photograph everything you can see from the ground or from inside. Take pictures of the damaged area, any fallen tiles or debris in the garden, water stains on ceilings or walls, and the general condition of the roof.
Date and time stamps on your phone photos are helpful. If you have any images of your roof taken before the storm, save those too. This visual evidence forms the foundation of a solid insurance claim, so the more you have, the better.
How Insurers Treat Storm Damage
Most standard home insurance policies do cover storm damage to roofs, but there are a few things worth understanding before you call your insurer.
Insurers often apply wind speed thresholds when assessing a claim. In practice, this means they want to see evidence that a genuine storm occurred, not just a breezy night. Wind speeds of around 47 to 55 mph are typically the starting point insurers look at when deciding whether conditions were severe enough to cause sudden damage. You can usually find historical weather data through the Met Office website to support your claim.
The other key distinction is between storm damage and gradual wear. If your roof was already in poor condition and tiles were loose before the storm hit, insurers may argue that the damage was caused by deterioration rather than the weather event itself. This is why gradual wear and tear is usually excluded from policies. A well-maintained roof is much easier to claim for.
What Evidence Helps Your Claim
The stronger your evidence, the smoother your claim is likely to go. Here is what tends to help:
- Photographs taken immediately after the storm, before any repairs
- Met Office or local weather data showing storm conditions on that date
- A written report from a professional roofer confirming the cause of the damage
- Records of any previous roof maintenance or repairs showing the roof was in good condition
That last point about a roofer report is worth highlighting. Insurers take professional assessments seriously. A written report from a qualified roofer explaining that the damage is consistent with storm impact, rather than pre-existing wear, can be the difference between a successful claim and a rejected one. At Dexters Build, we can provide a clear, honest assessment of the damage to support your insurer's investigation.
Why Autumn and Winter Make This Worth Planning Ahead
The storm season typically runs from October through to February across our region. If your roof has not been looked at recently, a quick inspection before the worst of the weather arrives is a sensible move. Small issues such as loose ridge tiles, cracked mortar or damaged flashing are much cheaper to fix before a storm than after one. You can find out more on our roof repairs page.
Get in Touch With Dexters Build
We are a family-run roofing company with over 10 years of experience, covering Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. If your roof has taken storm damage, or if you want to get it checked before the winter sets in properly, we are happy to help.
We offer free, no-obligation quotes and all our work is fully guaranteed. Call us on 07951 017425 or visit our contact page to get in touch.
