A slate through the conservatory roof, a ridge blown off in the night, a wet ceiling the morning after a gale: storm damage arrives at an awkward moment, and the instinct is to call the nearest roofer. That is the right instinct for making the roof safe, but it is the wrong first call for the claim.
Your home insurance policy decides what is covered, and your insurer decides whether a particular event counts as a storm. The sequence you follow can help or harm that decision. Tell the insurer first, stop further damage, record everything, and keep what you spend. Only then does the repair itself come into play.
This guide sets out those steps, the Financial Ombudsman's explanation of what a storm is, the reasons claims are refused, and the route open to you if you disagree with the outcome. It cannot promise that any claim will be paid, and neither can a roofer. For the wider picture of how we work, see our Andover roofing page.
The first hours after storm damage
Safety comes before paperwork. When water is coming in through a ceiling, move belongings, switch off electrics near the wet area if you can do so safely, and put a bucket under the drip. Do not go up a ladder onto a wet or damaged roof. Slipped tiles and broken battens give way underfoot, and the climb to look is where people get hurt.
Call the insurer before the roofer
Read your policy documents for the claims line and phone it first. Tell the insurer before you arrange anything, because the policy may set out how repairs must be handled and who may be used. Ask whether the insurer wants to inspect before work starts, and whether it has a preferred repairer.
Make the roof safe
Insurers generally expect a policyholder to limit further damage, so a temporary repair is normal: a tarpaulin fixed over a stripped slope, a broken tile replaced, a hole boarded. Keep the cost reasonable and keep the receipts.
A roofer can do that make-safe work and photograph what they find while they are on site. Permanent repairs are a separate step, and you should ask your insurer before agreeing them, because they may want to see the damage first.
Also write down when you noticed the damage, what the weather was doing and who you spoke to at the insurer, with the date and time of each call.
Check whether your policy has an excess, the fixed amount you pay towards any claim. A small repair can cost less than the excess, in which case a claim may not be worth making, and an insurer may still want to hear about the damage.
What the Ombudsman counts as a storm
Policies cover "storm" damage, and the word needs a definition. Ask the insurer in writing which clause it relies on, and have it quote the wording, so you are arguing with the policy rather than with an impression. The Financial Ombudsman Service, which settles complaints between consumers and insurers, explains how it reads the word. A storm usually involves violent winds, normally with rain, hail or snow. There can be storms without high winds, and a heavy fall of rain, hail or snow can still count as a storm with no strong wind behind it.
Wind and the Beaufort Scale
The Ombudsman says it takes the Beaufort Scale into account, and it notes that some insurers say only winds above a certain point on that scale count as storm-force. That is why a general figure in a news story is no guide. The test that applies to you is your policy's own storm definition, which you should read or ask the insurer to quote.
Rain, hail and snow
For precipitation the Ombudsman looks at whether there were high volumes of snow, rain or hail in a short period, or whether the fall was extreme. A heavy, brief downpour that overwhelmed a valley gutter might meet that test; a long, ordinary wet spell may not.
What it asks about a refusal
When it reviews a refusal, the Ombudsman considers the storm itself, how well the damage fits that kind of event, and whether the weather was the main cause. Those three questions are the ones to prepare for when you describe the damage. Photographs, dates and a roofer's written account of the cause all help to answer them.
Why storm claims are turned down
Many refusals rest on one idea: the roof was already failing, and the storm only revealed it. The Ombudsman's position is that a complaint is unlikely to succeed if the roof was in poor condition when the storm hit and the policyholder knew it, or if the storm merely drew attention to a fault that was already there.
Exclusions you will find in a policy
Common exclusions cover gradual damage and wear and tear. A roof that leaks because nails have corroded over years, or because moss has lifted tiles, is a maintenance matter. A roof that loses a slope in a gale is more likely to be a storm claim, although the age and state of the covering will still be examined.
How often claims succeed
Which? reported that only 32% of storm-related claims made in 2024 resulted in a payout. That figure is a reason to prepare carefully rather than a reason to give up. It also explains why a record of the roof's condition before the storm, such as survey photographs or a maintenance receipt, is worth keeping.
What helps you
A recent inspection, fresh photographs of the damaged area and a roofer's statement that the damage is of a kind a storm would cause all make the insurer's task easier. A short note on how long you had owned the house, and any earlier repair, can also settle questions before they are asked. Be ready to say when the roof was last checked and by whom, because an insurer may ask. See our guide to choosing a roofer if you need someone to write that statement.
Photographs, receipts and the paper trail
Photographs are vital to a claim, according to the Institution of Structural Engineers, since a picture shows the damage more clearly than words can. Take them before anything is moved, from several distances, and include a wider shot that shows where each close-up sits on the house. A short video walking round the property, with you saying the date aloud, adds context to the still pictures and shows how the damage relates to the rest of the building.
What to record
Photograph the roof from the ground, any damage inside the loft, stained ceilings, fallen tiles in the garden and the state of the gutters. Note the date and time on each set. If the loft is safe to enter, a photograph of the underside of the damaged slope shows what has been disturbed.
Keep the physical evidence
Do not throw away broken tiles, slates or flashing until the insurer has said it is fine to do so. They may be needed by an assessor. Store them somewhere dry and label them.
Keep every receipt
Receipts for the temporary repair, scaffold hire, a skip, a dehumidifier or somewhere to stay all belong in one folder, with the insurer's claim number on the top sheet. Ask a roofer to put their temporary repair on paper as one total price, so you can pass it on without having to explain a breakdown.
Answer the insurer's questions plainly and consistently. If you do not know something, say so rather than guess, and send corrections in writing.
An email trail is more useful than a memory, and it lets you show exactly when you reported the problem.
Working with a roofer on a storm repair
A roofer's job on a storm repair is practical: make the roof safe, find the cause, show you the damage in photographs and quote one total for the permanent repair. Whether the claim is accepted is for you and your insurer to settle, and a roofer cannot say if it will be paid. Be cautious of anyone who says otherwise.
If you want a second view on the cause, a written survey from a roofer who is not carrying out the repair gives you an independent account. Ask for photographs of the damage and a plain statement of what in their opinion caused it, so the insurer has something specific to consider.
What it can cost
MyJobQuote (October 2026) gives typical UK ranges. An emergency call-out is usually in the range of £150 to £300, and storm repairs start at around £300. For extensive storm repairs it gives £1,200 or more. Those are national guides rather than our own prices; the real figure for your own roof comes from a survey.
Watch for storm chasers
After bad weather, strangers sometimes knock on doors offering roof work. A genuine firm will give a written price and leave you time to phone your insurer. If someone presses you to sign on the doorstep, read our guide on spotting a dodgy roofer and our short answer on cold-calling roofers after a storm.
Agree who pays the roofer
Decide before work starts whether you pay and reclaim, or whether the insurer pays the roofer directly. Get the arrangement in writing from the insurer, not only from the roofer.
If your insurer refuses or delays
If a claim is refused or you disagree with the amount, start with the insurer's own complaints procedure and ask for the reasons in writing. The insurer's final response is the step that opens the way to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
The Ombudsman's time limits
The Financial Ombudsman Service says that if you have had no final response within eight weeks you can complain to it. Once you have a final response, you have six months from the date on it to do so. Its service is free, and its helpline is 0800 023 4567.
What to send
Send the policy wording, the refusal letter, your photographs, any report from a roofer or surveyor and the dates of every call. Say which of its three questions you think the insurer got wrong: the storm itself, the match between storm and damage, or the main cause.
Other help
The Citizens Advice consumer helpline, 0808 223 1133, can explain your options. Our choosing a roofer guide covers how to pick a firm to give you an independent written opinion on the cause.
Keep a dated log of every call and letter, and keep the temporary protection in good order throughout. A dispute with an insurer can take weeks, and further water damage in the meantime can be harder to claim for.
