My North Bay roof was damaged in a storm. Tarp, repair or replace?

What should I do in the first 24 hours?

1. Keep people away from the water. Stay out from under sagging ceilings, keep drips away from outlets and light fixtures, and leave downed lines to PG&E or 911.
2. Photograph before cleanup. The roof from the ground, the attic, the ceiling and any limb, with dates.
3. Get a temporary cover from a licensed roofer when it's safe. The Department of Insurance tells policyholders to make temporary repairs that prevent further damage, keep records, and hold off on permanent repairs until the adjuster has seen it (CDI).
4. Keep receipts for tarps, fans and any emergency work.

Repair, or a new roof?

A limb strike or a patch of wind-lifted shingles on a roof with plenty of life left is a repair. Replacement makes more sense when:

• the shingles are brittle from years of sun, common on inland roofs around Santa Rosa and Napa
• old shake is splitting across whole slopes, or sits over spaced boards that need new sheathing (dry rot and decking)
• water has soaked old layers, since the reroofing code doesn't allow new roofing over wet roofing (CRC R908)

If you replace in a mapped fire zone, plan on a Class A roof; Permit Sonoma spells out where it's required (bulletin B-07).

How does the insurance timing work?

• Report it promptly and ask for a full copy of your policy. The law requires the insurer to provide it free within 30 days of your request (CDI).
• Know what's usually covered. CDI says policies generally pay for rain through a hole made by wind or another covered cause, and for damage from fallen trees, but not flood. Wear and age generally aren't covered.
• Replacement cost has a clock. Insurers can't set less than 12 months from the first actual cash value payment to collect it, or 36 months after a declared state of emergency (Insurance Code 2051.5).

The adjuster and your policy decide the outcome; our El Niño damage and insurance guide covers old roofs.

How do I avoid storm-chasers?

Hire only a licensed contractor and check the license on CSLB. CSLB's Disaster Help Center adds: get a written, fixed-price contract, don't pay cash, and don't let payments run ahead of the work. California also caps the down payment on home improvement contracts (BPC 7159.5).

If the storm tipped you toward a new roof, read replacing a roof in a North Bay winter and request a free estimate.