Do this first
What to do right now
- Walk the perimeter of the house from the ground and photograph anything you find: shingle pieces, granule piles at downspouts, dented gutters, siding damage.
- Look at the roof with binoculars or a phone camera zoom rather than a ladder, creased or lifted shingles are visible from the ground.
- Check the attic with a flashlight for daylight, wet sheathing or damp insulation.
- Write down the date and approximate time of the storm; insurers ask for a date of loss.
- Report the loss to your insurance company promptly, even before you have an estimate.
- Get the roof tarped if anything is open, and keep every receipt for temporary repairs.
What wind actually does to a roof
Shingles fail from the edges inward. A gust lifts the tab, breaks the thermal seal strip underneath, and the shingle then flaps in every subsequent breeze until it creases or tears off. The damage that matters most after a Pennsylvania storm is often not the bare patch you can see from the driveway: it is the row of shingles around it whose seal is broken but which are still sitting flat. Those will leak in the next hard rain and blow off in the next front.
Why fast documentation matters more here than you would think
Most homeowners policies require prompt notice of a loss and many contain a contractual limit on how long you have to bring suit, often one to two years from the date of damage, which is separate from Pennsylvania's general statute of limitations. Storm damage also becomes harder to attribute to a specific event the longer you wait, and an adjuster who cannot tie the damage to a dated storm may call it wear and tear. Dated photographs, a written note of the storm date, and an early claim number protect you.
The storm-chaser problem
Large hail and wind events in Pennsylvania reliably bring out-of-state crews going door to door within days. Some are legitimate. The warning signs are the same every time:
- Pressure to sign an "authorization" on the spot.
- An offer to waive or absorb your deductible, which is insurance fraud in Pennsylvania and puts you at risk too.
- A demand for a large deposit.
- No verifiable local address.
Under the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act:
- PA registration number
- Ask for it. Registered contractors must put that number on their contract.
- Minimum liability coverage
- Registered contractors must carry at least $50,000 of liability coverage.
What a real storm inspection includes
Expect the roofer to get on the roof, check the field shingles for creasing and lost seal, look at ridge and hip caps, check all flashings and pipe boots, inspect gutters and downspouts for dents and granule accumulation, look at soft metals like vents and fascia for hail bruising, and go into the attic. You should get photographs and a written scope, not a verbal number.
