Storms damage roofs in two ways. The obvious way is dramatic: a falling branch, a missing run of tiles, a chimney pot in the front garden. The far more common way is quiet: a single slipped tile, a lifted bit of flashing, a blocked gutter, each minor on its own, but each capable of letting enough water past the underlay over the following weeks to cause real internal damage.
The good news is that you can spot ninety per cent of the warning signs from the ground in under half an hour, without ladders, without climbing anything, and without putting yourself anywhere near the actual roof. Here's the walk-around we recommend after any serious wind or heavy rain event.
Step 1. Outside, from the ground
Step back from the property, across the road if you can, and look at the roof as a whole. You're looking for the silhouette first, then the surface.
The roofline
The ridge, the top horizontal line of the roof, should look straight. Any sag, dip or kink in that line after a storm is a sign of structural movement and warrants a same-day call. Then sweep your eye along the eaves (the bottom edge of the roof, where it meets the gutter). They should also run straight. A localised dip at the eave often means a fixing has failed underneath.
Slipped, cracked or missing tiles
Tiles should sit in clean horizontal rows. After a storm, look for any tile that's out of position: hanging lower than its neighbours, visibly cracked, or absent altogether. A single missing tile isn't an emergency on a dry forecast, but it is something to fix within the week before the next rain.
Ridge tiles and verges
The ridge tiles cap the top of the roof. They're the most exposed part of any pitched roof and the first to suffer in high winds. Look along the ridge for any tile that's shifted, lifted or fallen. The verges, the diagonal edges at the gable ends, are equally exposed; a lifted verge usually means failed mortar bedding.
Lead flashing
Lead flashing is the dull-silver strip that seals the joins around chimneys, parapets, and where a lower roof meets a wall. After a storm, look for lifted, peeled or torn lead. This is the single most common storm-damage cause of internal leaks on UK roofs.
Gutters and downpipes
Look along the gutter line. It should run dead level and stay tight to the fascia board. A sagging gutter usually means a bracket has failed, common after high winds with heavy water load. A downpipe pulled away from the wall is a same-week fix; left alone, it directs water down the brickwork.
Granules in the gutter
If you can see into the gutter (from an upstairs window, for instance), look for a sudden build-up of tile granules or slate grit. After a storm this can indicate older tiles are reaching end-of-life and shedding their surface.
Debris around the property
Walk the perimeter of the property. Fallen tiles, slipped slate fragments, chunks of mortar, lead off-cuts or chimney-pot ceramic on the ground all point to specific failures above. Take photographs (helpful for any insurance claim).
Step 2. Inside, in the loft
Get the loft hatch open, take a torch, and spend two or three minutes looking at the underside of the roof. You don't need to walk on anything beyond the standard loft boards.
- Daylight visible through the underside of the roof, anywhere, is the single most urgent warning sign. Same-day call.
- Wet timbers, particularly the rafters and battens, are a sign water has been getting past the underlay. Touch a few, if any are damp to the touch, treat as urgent.
- Damp or stained patches on the underside of the underlay (the membrane between the tiles and the timber) almost always indicate a specific failure point above.
- Wet insulation at the eaves or around chimney breasts is another tell-tale sign of localised water ingress.
- A musty smell in a loft that didn't have one before, particularly after rain, points to recent moisture build-up.
Step 3. Inside, in upstairs rooms
Walk through upstairs bedrooms and check the ceilings, particularly:
- Around chimney breasts (most common leak path)
- Where the ceiling meets the wall on the top floor
- Near the loft hatch
- Around any Velux or dormer window
Look for fresh damp patches, yellowing stains, peeling paint, or, most diagnostic of all, a section of ceiling that's actually slightly sagging from water weight. Any of these mean water is already inside the property and the clock is ticking.
Never climb a damaged roof yourself, even briefly, after a storm.
Loose tiles, slippery underlay and weakened battens are real falling hazards. Every check on this page can be done from the ground or from inside the property. If you need a closer look, that's our job and we'll be insured for it.
When to call same-day vs same-week
Same day if you have:
- Daylight visible in the loft
- Damp or actively wet ceilings inside
- A visibly sagging ridge or eave
- Substantial missing tiles (3+ in a run)
- A fallen chimney pot or visibly leaning chimney
- Anything that looks structurally unsafe
Within the primary service area we can usually be on site inside the hour for genuine emergencies. Property is made watertight first, full repair scheduled after.
Within the week if you have:
- One or two slipped or missing tiles in a dry forecast
- A lifted bit of lead flashing without visible internal leak yet
- A pulled-down or sagging gutter section
- Debris on the ground but no obvious internal issue
These aren't immediate emergencies but they're the start of one. A targeted repair while a forecast is dry is dramatically cheaper than waiting for the next leak.
Insurance and documentation
If the damage is substantial and you intend to claim on home insurance, photograph everything before any repair work begins. Wide shots of the property from a few angles, close-ups of specific damage, and photographs of debris on the ground all help. Note the date and time of the storm event.
We always provide insurance-grade photographs and an itemised written quote at no cost as part of any emergency call-out, your insurer will need both. Most standard UK home insurance covers sudden storm damage; what it doesn't cover is age-related wear, so the documentation distinguishing one from the other matters.
Common storm-damage questions
The storm has passed and I see no obvious damage. Should I still get a roofer to check?
If you haven't had your roof properly looked at in five-plus years and there was significant wind or hail, a free survey is worth booking. Some storm damage is internal, failed nails, loosened batten fixings, and only shows up at the next leak. A twenty-minute external survey from us, no obligation, will tell you whether anything actually needs doing.
How much does emergency storm-damage repair cost?
For most localised damage (a few tiles, lifted flashing, a section of gutter), most emergency call-outs fall between £200 and £900 depending on access, scaffold needs and the specific work. For more substantial damage involving structural timbers, the range is wider and we'll always give you a fixed-price written quote before starting.
What if the storm damage means a full re-roof?
Occasionally, usually on older roofs already near end of life, a storm tips a borderline roof over the edge. If that's the case, we'll tell you honestly, photograph the evidence properly for your insurer, and start with making the property watertight before scheduling the full replacement. For a longer read on the repair-vs-replace question, see our honest UK homeowner's guide.
