How do I know if a storm damaged my roof?
Look from the ground for missing or creased shingles, debris in the yard, damaged gutters and new stains inside. Many storm-damaged roofs show little from the street, so a roofer's inspection of every slope is the reliable check. No one can tell you from a distance that a roof is sound.
Walk the property after the storm, and take photographs of anything on the ground that came off the roof. Check the attic for new stains or damp insulation, and the ceilings below for fresh marks.
Neighbors with matching damage do not prove yours, but they are a hint that the storm's path crossed your street.
Does homeowners insurance cover storm damage to a roof?
That depends on your policy, the cause of the damage and your insurer, which decides. This site and the roofers reached through it cannot promise a claim outcome. A roofer's photographs and written description of the damage are useful to bring to the insurer, whatever it decides.
Read your policy or ask your insurer what it requires, what it considers storm damage and what it needs documented. Keep dated photographs and any written findings.
The storm damage guide for Forsyth County covers the practical side of documenting a storm loss.
Who looks at the roof first, the roofer or the insurer?
There is no single order. Many homeowners get a roofer's inspection and photographs first, then contact the insurer, while others call the insurer first. Either way, protect the house from further water, and keep every record. The insurer decides what it covers and when it will inspect.
What matters is that the damage does not get worse while you wait. A tarp over an open section is the usual step, and it is something your insurer may expect you to take.
The roofer's findings are their own and not an insurance decision, and the insurer's decision does not bind the roofer's advice about what the roof needs.
What does a thorough storm inspection cover?
A thorough inspection covers every slope, the ridge and edges, all flashing and vents, gutters and downspouts, and the attic underside. It looks for lifted, creased and missing shingles, impact marks, and water entry. The roofer should explain findings plainly and let you see photographs of anything they report.
Storms rarely damage a roof evenly. Wind hits the windward slope and the edges hardest, hail marks the surfaces that face the sky, and a falling limb damages one spot badly and leaves others alone. Looking at one slope tells you very little about the others.
In the attic, the roofer checks for daylight, damp wood and stains on the underside of the deck. Those signs sometimes show damage that the shingles do not, and they show whether water has already got in. Ask for the photos and notes, since you can use them with your insurer and with any later contractor.
What if the damage is in Kernersville, Clemmons or Lexington rather than the city itself?
The same process applies. Warnings for Forsyth County have named Kernersville and Clemmons, and Lexington, alongside Winston-Salem. Roofers connected through this call line serve the towns around the city, so say where the house is when you call and you will be matched to a roofer who works there.
Which permit office handles a particular town can differ, and the split between Forsyth County and the city for each town has not been confirmed, so ask your roofer who issues the permit for your address. Our area pages for Kernersville, Clemmons and Lexington give local detail.
