Storm Damage Repair, Without the Panic
A storm just hit and your roof is open — here's what happens next. Call or text (734) 360-0805 and Greg answers or calls back fast. We get temporary protection on the roof same-day when weather allows, document everything for your insurance claim, then give you an honest quote to repair or replace.
Storm response, in the right order
Protection Before Paperwork
The first job after a storm isn't an estimate — it's stopping the water. We get a properly anchored tarp over the damage so your ceilings, insulation, and drywall stop taking on water while everything else gets sorted out.
Insurance-Ready Documentation
We photograph and measure the damage, write up a clear scope of what the storm did, and can meet your adjuster on-site so legitimate damage doesn't get missed. The claim stays yours — we're roofers, not claim handlers — but you'll have solid documentation behind it.
Straight Repair-or-Replace Answers
Not every storm-hit roof needs replacing, and we won't pretend otherwise. If a repair does the job, that's what we'll quote. If the damage tips the math toward replacement, we'll show you exactly why — itemized either way.
What Happens When You Call
No call centers, no pressure — protection first, paperwork second, honest numbers third.
Call or Text (734) 360-0805
Tell us what happened and send ground-level photos if you can. Greg answers or calls back fast — this isn't a call center. Same-day response when weather allows in Downriver and Wayne County, typically next day across the rest of metro Detroit.
Temporary Protection First
We tarp the damaged area and secure loose material so the water stops getting in. Temporary protection comes before any sales conversation — a dry house buys you time to make a good decision.
Inspect & Document Everything
A full inspection with photos, measurements, and a written damage scope — organized so it's ready to hand to your insurance company if you file a claim. We can meet your adjuster on-site to walk the damage together.
Repair or Replace — Your Call
You get an honest, itemized quote for the repair, or for a full replacement if the damage warrants it. No pressure, no scare tactics. You decide, and we schedule the permanent fix promptly — well before the tarp's lifespan runs out.
What should you do in the first hour after wind or hail damage?
Stay off the roof, get people away from any sagging ceiling or downed power lines, and photograph what you can see from the ground. Then call or text (734) 360-0805 — we do same-day tarping and inspection when weather allows. You don't need to know yet whether it's a repair or a replacement; you just need the water to stop.
From the ground, use your phone to capture the roof from each side of the house, plus any shingles, flashing, or tree limbs in the yard. Inside, move furniture out from under active drips, set a bucket, and if a ceiling is bulging with trapped water, a small hole poked at the center lets it drain into the bucket instead of spreading across the drywall. Those ground-level photos become the "before" record for your insurance claim.
Don't climb up. Wet shingles, hidden hail bruising, and storm-loosened decking are exactly how homeowners get hurt after storms — and walking a damaged roof can make the damage worse. Leave the roof to people with harnesses and insurance.
One more thing: if door-knockers show up before you've called anyone, take a card and slow down. Out-of-town storm crews follow hail maps into metro Detroit neighborhoods, and the ones pressuring you to sign on the doorstep are the ones to avoid.
What do Michigan storms actually do to roofs?
The National Weather Service calls a storm severe once gusts pass 58 mph or hail reaches an inch across — both thresholds where asphalt shingles start taking real damage. Southeast Michigan sees both nearly every year: the May 2025 storms produced an EF-1 tornado with 90 mph peak winds near Gregory and straight-line winds estimated at 70–75 mph across Livingston County, just northwest of the metro. Statewide, wind is expected to cause roughly $108 million in property losses in a typical year.
Straight-line winds do most of their work at the edges and ridge of a roof, lifting shingle tabs and creasing them along the nail line. A creased shingle can look fine from the street and still be broken — the seal is gone, and the next storm peels it off.
Hail rarely punches holes unless it's very large; more often it bruises the shingle mat and knocks granules loose, which quietly shortens the roof's life. Hail damage is genuinely hard to spot from the ground, which is exactly why a documented inspection matters before anyone repairs over it.
Tree limbs are the blunt-force version — punctured decking, crushed gutters, sometimes broken framing. And in Michigan, winter storms do their damage as ice dams: melting snow refreezing at the eaves, prying up shingles and pushing water backward under the roof. Different mechanism, same result — water where it shouldn't be.
How does the insurance process work after storm damage?
Your part is simple: report the damage to your insurer promptly — every policy requires prompt notice — take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, which is what tarping is, and keep your receipts. Our part is making sure the damage is properly documented before anyone covers it up with a repair.
We photograph everything, measure the roof, and write a clear scope separating what the storm did from ordinary wear. When your adjuster comes out, we can meet them on-site and walk the roof together so legitimate damage doesn't get missed. To be clear about roles: we're roofers, not public adjusters. The claim is yours and the decisions are yours — we make sure the file behind them is solid.
One piece of Michigan law worth knowing: under MCL 500.2833, you have one year to sue your insurer over a claim dispute, and that clock is paused from the day you file the claim until the insurer formally denies it. That's a deadline for lawsuits — not a window to file the claim itself. Filing should happen promptly, as your policy requires.
Why does acting fast prevent bigger damage?
Because water doesn't wait. An opening the size of one missing shingle lets rain follow nail holes and shingle laps into the decking, then into insulation and drywall. Mold can begin growing on wet building materials within 24 to 48 hours, and every rain after the first compounds what the storm started.
Speed also matters for your claim. Insurance covers what the storm did — not the follow-on damage from leaving the roof open, which your policy expects you to reasonably prevent. A same-day tarp is cheap. Saturated insulation, stained ceilings, and a mold remediation bill are not.
If the storm has passed and you're weighing what a full replacement would run, the instant quote tool measures your roof from satellite imagery in about a minute. But if water is actively coming in, skip the tool and call or text (734) 360-0805 first.
Storm damage, answered straight
Usually, yes. Standard Michigan homeowner policies cover sudden damage from wind, hail, and falling trees — though not gradual wear and tear. Your deductible applies, and your policy requires prompt notice, so report damage to your insurer quickly. For the full walkthrough, read our guide "Does Homeowners Insurance Cover a New Roof in Michigan?" on the blog.
We're honest about this: we don't run a 24/7 emergency line. Call or text (734) 360-0805 and Greg answers or calls back fast. For Downriver and most of Wayne County we can usually tarp and inspect the same day when weather allows; across Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, and Monroe Counties it's typically next day.
It depends on the roof's age and how widespread the damage is. A handful of blown-off shingles on a roof with years of life left is usually a straightforward repair. Widespread creasing, hail bruising across multiple slopes, or serious damage on a roof already near the end of its lifespan usually makes replacement the smarter money. We'll walk you through the math either way and quote both options when it's genuinely close.
Not when it's installed correctly — anchored into solid framing, with fasteners placed so the permanent repair covers them. What does cause damage is leaving a tarp up too long. Tarps are temporary protection, generally good for about 90 days at most, and we schedule the real repair well before that.
Market rates for professional emergency tarping in 2025–2026 generally run about $1 to $2.80 per square foot of tarped area, depending on roof pitch and the size of the opening. We quote it before we start, and if your insurance claim is approved, reasonable temporary protection is typically a reimbursable part of the claim. We don't advertise "free" emergency services — temporary protection is real work, and we'd rather price it honestly.
Storm damage on your roof?
Get a free, no-obligation estimate from Guthix Roofing — durable, transparently priced roofing from a licensed and insured local team that treats your home like its own.