Roof storm damage repairs

Storm damage to a roof is handled in two stages. First the roof is made safe and weathertight, often with a tarpaulin or temporary repair, and then the permanent repair is planned, priced and, where you are claiming, agreed with your insurer. Typical storm damage includes lifted or broken tiles, dislodged ridge capping, flashings torn loose and branches through the roof.

Requests sent through this site go to independent roofers and roof plumbers who work around Frankston. The provider sets the price and the timing, and availability after a big storm is never certain because every roofer in the area gets busy at once.

Is it an emergency?

If a tree or power line has come down on the house, or the ceiling is bulging with water, treat it as an emergency. VICSES handles storm emergency requests, and the VICSES storm page lists who to contact for storm help and for life-threatening situations. Stay away from fallen power lines. Do not go onto the roof during or straight after a storm.

Once the immediate danger has passed, a roofer can arrange a temporary cover and then a proper repair.

Common storm damage and how it is fixed

Damage	Short-term step	Permanent repair
Tiles lifted or broken by wind	Tarp or temporary tile replacement	Replace and secure tiles, see broken tile replacement
Ridge capping dislodged	Tarp the ridge	Rebed and repoint, see rebedding and repointing
Hail-cracked tiles	Tarp over the worst area	Replace cracked tiles, sometimes a large section
Metal sheets lifted or creased	Refix or weigh down safely	Replace sheets and refix with correct fasteners
Flashing torn off	Temporary cover	New flashing by a roof plumber, see valley iron and flashing replacement
Branch through the roof	Remove branch, tarp the hole	Repair battens or framing, then the covering
Gutters overflowing into the eaves	Clear the blockage	Check gutter size and condition

Insurance and documentation

If you plan to claim, do these things before work starts where it is safe:

• Photograph the damage from the ground and inside, including ceilings and belongings.
• Keep any broken tiles or pieces that came off the roof.
• Write down the date and time of the storm.
• Ask the provider for a written report of the cause and the repair needed, with photos from the roof.
• Check with your insurer whether they want their own assessor to inspect before the permanent repair.

Insurers often treat sudden storm damage differently from wear, such as old pointing or rusted valleys that finally gave way in a storm. A clear report from the roofer about what failed and why helps the insurer decide.

What a provider will check or need

In the enquiry, include your suburb, what happened, whether water is getting in and where, photos, and whether you are going through insurance. On site the provider looks at:

• the visible damage and the surrounding area, since wind usually loosens more tiles or sheets than the ones that came off;
• the roof space for wet insulation, damaged sarking and broken battens;
• whether any timber framing is damaged, which may need a builder or carpenter as well;
• gutters, downpipes and valleys for debris that will cause the next leak.

What the work involves

A temporary cover is fixed so it will not blow off in the next wind, without putting more holes through good tiles. The permanent repair follows once materials are available and any insurance approval is in place. Storm damage to metal sheeting, flashings and roof drainage is roofing stormwater work under the Plumbing Regulations 2018, which the Building and Plumbing Commission says must be done by someone registered or licensed in that class. Tile repairs are outside that class.

Under the BPC’s building permit practice note, swapping damaged tiles for tiles or sheets for sheets is an example of repair work that needs no permit, as long as the structure is not affected. If the storm has damaged roof framing, or a large section of roof has to be replaced, talk to a building surveyor about whether a permit is needed.

Work at height after a storm is risky. WorkSafe Victoria’s fall controls include scaffolds, guardrails, elevated work platforms and harness systems, and a careful provider uses them even for a quick tarp.

Cost

Storm repairs vary more than any other roof job because the damage can be one tile or half a roof. Published Victorian ranges for the common parts of a storm job are:

• Replacing a few broken tiles: $200 to $600
• Leak location and repair: $300 to $1,500
• Flashing or valley repair: $300 to $2,000
• Metal roof repair: $300 to $2,000

Larger storm jobs are priced on inspection. The Frankston cost guide explains what drives the number.

Before the next storm

VICSES advises trimming trees and branches back from the house and keeping gutters, downpipes and drains clear. A pre-winter roof check that catches loose tiles, tired pointing and rusted valleys makes storm damage less likely. Houses near bushland reserves and on higher ground, such as parts of Frankston South, carry more risk from wind and branches.

What a careful provider will not do

• Climb a wet, damaged roof in the dark or in high wind.
• Tack a tarp down with fixings through sound tiles.
• Start a permanent repair before you have told them whether an insurer needs to inspect first.
• Write a report that blames the storm for damage that was plainly old wear.

What to do next

When the roof is safe to look at from the ground, take photos and send a storm damage repair request with your suburb and whether you are claiming on insurance.

Send a job enquiry