--- title: "Storm Damage to Your Roof: First 24 Hours (UK) | Spartan" description: "Practical step-by-step actions in the first 24 hours after roof storm damage — protect the property, document for insurance, and book the right scaffold." lang: en-GB json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BlogPosting", "headline": "Storm Damage to Your Roof: What to Do in the First 24 Hours", "description": "Practical step-by-step actions in the first 24 hours after roof storm damage — protect the property, document for insurance, and book the right scaffold.", "image": [ "https://www.spartan-scaffolding.co.uk/assets/blog-emergency-storm-mqWGLRK0.jpg" ], "datePublished": "2026-03-12", "dateModified": "2026-04-30", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marcus Thorne", "jobTitle": "Lead Scaffolder & Director, Spartan Contracts Ltd", "worksFor": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Spartan Contracts Ltd" }, "description": "Marcus has run scaffolds across Essex and Suffolk for nearly two decades — from single-elevation domestic erects in Hertford to listed-building wraps in Harlow and full industrial fits in the Stansted corridor. He sits on every Spartan survey before a quote leaves the office." }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Spartan Contracts Ltd", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.spartan-scaffolding.co.uk/favicon.png" } }, "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.spartan-scaffolding.co.uk/blog/what-to-do-after-storm-damage-roof-uk" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Should I put a tarpaulin on my roof after storm damage?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Only if you can do it from inside the loft (across the rafters under the broken area). Don't climb on a wet, damaged roof. For exterior tarp, wait for a scaffolder — it's a 30-minute job for them and an A&E visit for you." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Will my insurance cover emergency scaffolding after a storm?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Almost always yes, under the make-safe provisions of standard home and commercial policies. Notify within 24 hours, use a CISRS scaffolder with £5m+ PL cover, get an itemised invoice, and keep the original-damage photos." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How quickly should I get a scaffold up after storm damage?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Within 24 hours if water is reaching the inside or there's a falling-object risk. Within 72 hours for cosmetic damage where the roof is still watertight. Don't leave it longer — secondary damage (saturated insulation, ceiling collapse) compounds fast." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can a roofer just lean a ladder up to fix storm damage?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Not legally on a damaged roof above 4m. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require fall protection for any non-trivial work — that means a scaffold, a tower, or a fall-arrest system. Ladder-only repairs on storm-damaged roofs are an HSE infringement waiting to happen." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What's the difference between emergency scaffolding and a temporary roof scaffold?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Emergency scaffolding gets the structure safe and gives the roofer access. A temporary roof scaffold is a sheeted weather cover that keeps rain out for the full repair window. Bigger storms need both." } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.spartan-scaffolding.co.uk/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Scaffolding", "item": "https://www.spartan-scaffolding.co.uk/scaffolding" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Emergency Scaffolding", "item": "https://www.spartan-scaffolding.co.uk/emergency-scaffolding" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Storm Damage to Your Roof: What to Do in the First 24 Hours", "item": "https://www.spartan-scaffolding.co.uk/blog/what-to-do-after-storm-damage-roof-uk" } ] } ] --- [![Spartan Scaffolding logo](/assets/spartan-logo-C9dorlpb.png)](/) Services Areas [About](/about)[Our Work](/our-work)[Blog](/blog)[Reviews](/reviews)[Contact](/contact) [07426 780430 ](tel:+447426780430)[Get a Quote](/contact) [Home](/)[Blog](/blog)[Emergency Scaffolding](/emergency-scaffolding) Emergency Scaffolding · Guide # Storm Damage to Your Roof: What to Do in the First 24 Hours Updated 30 April 2026 7 min read By Marcus Thorne ![Damaged roof tiles and debris after a storm at a UK home](/assets/blog-emergency-storm-mqWGLRK0.jpg) The short answer In the first 24 hours after roof storm damage: **make people safe, document the damage in photos, notify your insurer, and book a same-day emergency scaffold** if water is reaching the inside or there's a falling-object risk to pedestrians. Don't climb on the roof. Don't try to nail tiles back yourself. Don't accept doorstep "we just happened to be in the area" repairs. ## The first hour: people, then property 1. **Get everyone out of rooms directly under the damage.** Wet plasterboard ceilings can collapse without warning hours after the storm. 2. **Cordon the falling-object zone outside.** Move cars off the drive. Use cones, tape, garden chairs — anything that keeps pedestrians and children out from under loose tiles. 3. **Turn off the electrics for any affected rooms.** Water and ceiling roses don't mix. If you can't isolate the room, isolate the house at the consumer unit and call an electrician. 4. **Don't go on the roof.** More UK homeowners are injured climbing on storm-damaged roofs in the first 24 hours than during the storm itself. ## Document everything for the insurer Insurers will reimburse emergency make-safe and permanent repairs only if you can prove the original damage. Before any work starts: - Photograph the exterior from at least three angles, ideally from a neighbour's upstairs window for the roof-line - Photograph the interior — wet ceilings, stained plaster, dripping points - Note the time and date the damage was discovered - Save the local Met Office storm warning or wind-speed report for the same day - Keep every receipt: emergency scaffold, tarpaulin, dehumidifier hire, alternative accommodation ## Notify your insurer — within 24 hours Most home and commercial policies require notification within 24–48 hours of the damage. Call the claims line, get a claim reference number, and ask three specific questions: 1. "Will you reimburse emergency scaffolding under the make-safe provisions?" 2. "Do I need to use one of your approved contractors, or can I appoint my own?" 3. "What documentation do you need on the scaffold invoice?" Almost every UK insurer accepts independent CISRS-carded scaffolders provided the invoice itemises the work and the firm carries £5m+ public liability cover. Get the answers in writing (email is fine). ## Book the right scaffold — not just any scaffold The emergency scaffolder's job is to make the property safe, give the roofer access, and keep water out. That's three different deliverables on the same call: - **Pedestrian make-safe:** Cordon, gantry, or isolation barrier under any falling-object zone. - **Roofer access:** Independent scaffold with boarded lifts to the working area. - **Weather cover:** A sheeted temporary roof if the breach is large enough that tarpaulins won't hold for the repair window. For small-area damage (a few tiles, a flashing strip), tarpaulin under a cap-flashing tile is fine for 48–72 hours. For ridge displacement, lifted valleys, or anything wider than 2 m², you need a sheeted temporary roof. See our [tarp vs temporary roof comparison](/blog/temporary-roof-vs-tarp-which-do-you-need) for the decision. ## Avoid the storm-chaser scams Within hours of any UK named storm, opportunistic "roofing" outfits door-knock the area. Common patterns: - "We just happened to be in the area" — they weren't - "Cash-only, today only" pricing - No CISRS card, no PL insurance, no written quote - Ladder up the roof inside 10 minutes of arriving — no scaffold, no fall protection The insurer will reject claims for work done by uninsured doorstep traders. Always: written quote, named firm, insurance schedule, CISRS card check. ## The 24-hour timeline Time Action 0–60 min People safe. Cordon outside. Photos. 1–3 hours Call insurer for claim reference. Call CISRS scaffolder for emergency dispatch. 3–6 hours Emergency scaffold on site. Make-safe complete. Sheeted weather cover if needed. 6–24 hours Roofer survey. Permanent repair quoted. Insurer claim file populated with photos and emergency invoice. 24–72 hours Permanent repair starts. Scaffold remains in place through repair window. If you're in the first hour right now, call [07426 780 430](tel:+447426780430). For wider context on emergency response, see our [emergency scaffolding service page](/emergency-scaffolding) and the [Essex response-times guide](/blog/emergency-scaffolding-response-times-essex). About the author ![Marcus Thorne, Lead Scaffolder and Director at Spartan Contracts Ltd](/assets/blog-author-spartan-B6L0H5r2.jpg) ## Marcus Thorne Lead Scaffolder & Director, Spartan Contracts Ltd CISRS Advanced Scaffolder · SMSTS · IPAF · CITB H&S · 17 years on the tubes Marcus has run scaffolds across Essex and Suffolk for nearly two decades — from single-elevation domestic erects in Hertford to listed-building wraps in Harlow and full industrial fits in the Stansted corridor. He sits on every Spartan survey before a quote leaves the office. FAQ ## Common follow-up questions ### Should I put a tarpaulin on my roof after storm damage? Only if you can do it from inside the loft (across the rafters under the broken area). Don't climb on a wet, damaged roof. For exterior tarp, wait for a scaffolder — it's a 30-minute job for them and an A&E visit for you. ### Will my insurance cover emergency scaffolding after a storm? ### How quickly should I get a scaffold up after storm damage? ### Can a roofer just lean a ladder up to fix storm damage? ### What's the difference between emergency scaffolding and a temporary roof scaffold? Keep reading ## Related guides [ ### What Counts as Emergency Scaffolding? When to call out an emergency scaffolder, what they should do on arrival, and what insurers expect to see. Read guide ](/blog/what-counts-as-emergency-scaffolding)[ ### Emergency Scaffolding Response Times in Essex: What to Expect Realistic on-site response windows after a call-out, and what slows them down across the Essex–Suffolk corridor. Read guide ](/blog/emergency-scaffolding-response-times-essex)[ ### How Long Does It Take to Erect Scaffolding on a House? Realistic timings for domestic scaffold erects by job type — and the conditions that double the day on site. Read guide ](/blog/how-long-does-it-take-to-erect-house-scaffolding) From reading to doing ## Roof open to the weather right now? Call us, send a photo of the damage, and we'll dispatch from the yard. Same-day make-safe across Essex, Suffolk and the Stansted corridor. 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