The short answer
Tell your insurer first, then make the building safe, then record the damage with dated photographs and keep every receipt. A temporary repair to stop further harm is sensible and is normally expected. Whether a claim succeeds depends on how your policy defines a storm and what it excludes, so nothing can be promised. Do not send anyone onto a damaged roof until it has been checked.
Make-safe comes first
Storm damage to a commercial roof can leave sheets hanging, rooflights open, flashings torn and debris on the ground below. Before anything else, keep people clear of the building's edge and of any area under damaged roofing. A sheet that is lifting can come away in the next gust.
Do not go up to look. Wet metal, torn membrane and cement sheeting are all treacherous, and a fragile sheet will not carry a person. A look from the ground, with binoculars, usually shows what you need to report. Our guide to fragile roof safety explains why.
A roofer then makes the roof safe: securing loose sheets, sheeting over holes, clearing outlets and stopping water coming in. Access has to be arranged first, with proper platforms and edge protection, and where the roof is old cement sheeting the asbestos position matters before it is touched.
The make-safe is a temporary step, and it should be written up with photographs showing the findings and the action taken. It protects the contents and the structure while the cause is investigated and the full repair is planned.
Inside, move stock and equipment away from any water and shut off power near wet areas if that can be done safely.
Tell your insurer, and what they weigh up
Contact your insurer early, before major repairs are committed. The usual advice is to tell them first, make a temporary repair to limit further loss, and keep photographs and receipts. Many policies expect the policyholder to take reasonable steps to stop damage getting worse.
The Financial Ombudsman Service publishes its approach to storm complaints, which is a useful guide to what insurers weigh. In its description, a storm means violent wind, usually accompanied by rain, hail or snow, yet heavy precipitation can qualify without any gale when a great deal falls quickly or the fall is extreme. The Ombudsman also considers the Beaufort scale, and some insurers pick a wind force on it as their threshold.
Definitions differ, so check how your own policy words the cover. In a refused claim the Ombudsman checks three things: was there a storm, does the damage fit one, and were storm conditions the main cause. Expect a complaint to struggle if the roof was visibly tired and the owner knew it, or if the weather simply revealed a fault already there.
Gradual damage and wear and tear are frequent exclusions, and no outcome can be promised in advance. Our part is the roofing evidence, which you can pass on to your insurer.
Photographs and records
Photographs carry the most weight. The Institution of Structural Engineers calls them vital to an insurance claim, since they show the damage directly. Shoot them before anything is shifted or repaired: wide shots of the building, close shots of each defect, and pictures of damaged contents and water marks inside.
Date them, and keep the originals. If you can, add a short note to each saying where on the building it was taken. Photograph the temporary repair too, and keep receipts for materials, equipment hire and call-out charges.
The roofer's own survey adds to the picture. We photograph the roof from a safe position, record which sheets, flashings or outlets are damaged, and note what was already worn. That helps separate storm damage from older faults, which is exactly the question an insurer's assessor will ask.
Records from before the storm count as well. An inspection history, as described in our answer on commercial roof inspection frequency, shows the condition of the roof beforehand, and that can matter if the insurer argues it was already poor.
Keep everything together in one place, with the policy number and claim reference.
Repair, cost and if a claim is refused
MyJobQuote (Oct 2026) says storm repairs start at around £300, and gives £1,200 for extensive storm repairs. A commercial roof can be well beyond either, depending on area, access and the covering. After the survey, we price the repair as one written total.
Do not wait for a claim decision before making the building weathertight, as long as you have told the insurer and kept your records. Let the insurer know what the permanent repair will cost and ask whether they want to see the damage first, if that can be done without delay.
If a claim is turned down, you can complain to the insurer and then, if your business is eligible, to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Its helpline is 0800 023 4567. Its published time limits are eight weeks of waiting for a final response before you may approach it, and six months from the date of a final response to do so.
Citizens Advice runs a consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 for wider questions. See the commercial roofing page for the work we take on, and our answer on a commercial roof leak for the first hours.
