Emergency roof repair and tarping, 24/7

What to do in the next hour

1. Keep people safe. Stay out from under a ceiling that sags or bulges. If water is near a light or an outlet, switch that circuit off at the breaker if you can do it safely.
2. Catch the water. Put buckets, pots or towels under every drip and move rugs out of the way.
3. Move what matters. Get electronics, papers and furniture out of the wet area.
4. Take photos. Photograph the ceiling, the wet spots and, from the ground, the roof. Your insurance company will ask for them.
5. Stay off the roof. A wet roof is slippery, and storm damage can hide weak spots. Call us instead.

Roof tarping: what it is and how long it can stay

A roof tarp is a heavy plastic sheet laid over the damaged area and fastened past the edges of the damage so rain runs off instead of in. It is a short-term cover. Sun and wind wear tarps down, so plan the repair soon after, not months later.

After Hurricane Beryl in July 2024, about 2.7 million people in Southeast Texas lost power, and many homeowners in the Houston area lived under tarps while they waited on insurance and roofers.

After the tarp: fixing the cause

A tarp stops the water; it does not fix anything. Once the roof is dry enough to work on, we find where the water got in and repair that spot. Most storm leaks come from missing or torn shingles, lifted flashing or a cracked pipe boot. See storm damage repair and roof leak repair for what comes next.