After a storm, the first two days decide how much of the damage you can prove and how much of it gets worse. Here is the order that actually matters, written for Dallas and the wider DFW metro.
Hour one: make the house safe, not tidy
- Keep everyone away from downed lines and anything touching them.
- If water is coming in, move what you can and put something under it. Protecting the inside comes before everything else.
- Do not get on the roof. A wet or damaged roof is dangerous, and walking it can turn a repair into a replacement.
- If something is actively leaking and it is safe to do, call for a temporary cover. Tarping is a holding measure, not a repair.
Hours one to twenty-four: write it down while it is fresh
Documentation is the part people skip and regret. It costs nothing and it is the only version of events that will still exist in three months.
- Note the date and time you first noticed damage.
- Photograph the yard before you clear it — branches, shingle pieces, debris.
- Photograph soft metal from the ground: gutters, downspouts, vents, the air-conditioning unit’s fins, the mailbox, fence caps. Soft metal records impact more honestly than shingles do.
- Photograph any interior staining, and check the attic with a flashlight for daylight, damp insulation or water on the underside of the deck.
- Keep receipts for anything you buy to limit the damage.
Day two: get the roof documented properly
A ground-level look tells you something. It does not tell you whether shingles are bruised, whether sealant has cracked, whether flashing has lifted or whether the decking underneath has gone soft. Impact damage in particular often cannot be seen from below at all.
A proper inspection ends with a document you keep: photographs of every slope, the date, plain-language notes tied to the images, and a clear line between what needs attention now and what can wait. If you want the detail, we wrote about what a licensed roof inspection report should include.
What a roofer can and cannot do about your insurance
This is where homeowners get taken advantage of after a storm, so it is worth being blunt.
A roofer can inspect the roof, photograph it, write an itemized scope of the damage, give that documentation to you, and be on site if your adjuster wants to walk the roof with the contractor who inspected it.
A roofer cannot file your claim, negotiate with your insurer, interpret your policy or tell you what your claim is worth. In Texas, a contractor who will also be repairing the property is not permitted to act as your public adjuster. And no contractor may pay, absorb, rebate or discount your deductible — that is prohibited by state law, and an offer to do it is a warning about the contractor, not a saving for you.
What your policy covers is decided by your insurer, based on your policy. Read your own declarations page before you file anything: deductible type, replacement cost versus actual cash value, and the notice deadlines. More on the documentation side on our roof insurance claim documentation page.
Be careful who knocks
Storms bring door-knockers to North Texas within hours. Before signing anything:
- Check the contractor is licensed and ask for the number. Ours is RCAT #03-0637.
- Check there is a real local address, not just a truck and a phone.
- Get the scope in writing, itemized, before any work starts.
- Walk away from anyone who says your share of the cost under the policy will disappear. Texas law does not allow it.
Frequently asked questions
How soon should I have the roof looked at after a storm?
Sooner is better, because water damage compounds and because your policy may have its own timing requirements. Check your policy, then book the inspection.
Do I need to file a claim before getting an inspection?
No, and most people are better off with the documentation in hand first. An inspection tells you what is actually on the roof; whether to file is your decision.
Is a tarp a repair?
No. A tarp buys time and limits further damage. It is temporary by design and should be recorded as part of your documentation.
What if the damage turns out to be minor?
Then you have a dated record of the roof’s condition, which is worth having either way — for a future sale, a future claim, or simply knowing where you stand.
Does a storm inspection cost anything?
No. Your free roof inspection includes the written report, with no obligation.
Get your roof documented
Pineapple Roofing LLC inspects the whole roof, shows you the photographs, and explains the options the evidence supports. We serve Dallas and the wider DFW metro — see our storm damage repair service and our service areas.
Based in Frisco, our team inspects roofs across Frisco and the neighboring North Texas towns. The Frisco roofing page shows our office and the work we do there.
Call (972) 928-0788 to schedule your free roof inspection/estimate today.
Roofing Made Sweeter. That’s the Pineapple Promise.