Skip to main content
Emergency Help

Roof leaking or storm-damaged? Here's what to do right now.

An active roof leak is a clock — the longer water gets in, the more it costs. Here's exactly what to do in the first hour, how same-day tarping protects your home and your claim, and how to avoid the storm chasers who follow every Gulf Coast hurricane.

Call Now — (850) 220-3965Answered 24/7 · Same-day tarping

Last updated · Complete Roofing LLC · Gulf Breeze, FL · FL Lic. CCC1337480

Reviewed by Jason Taylor, third-generation Florida-licensed roofing contractor (verify FL Lic. CCC1337480 at myfloridalicense.com)

Quick answer
Right now: contain the water (bucket under the drip, move valuables), photograph the damage for your claim, and get the roof tarped to stop further damage — Complete Roofing offers same-day emergency tarping across Navarre, Gulf Breeze, and Pensacola. Then call a licensed local roofer (not a door-knocking storm chaser). Emergency? Call (850) 220-3965 — answered 24/7.

What to do in the first hour of a roof leak

Contain the water, protect your belongings, and document everything. Put a bucket under the drip, move furniture and electronics clear, and if the ceiling is bulging with trapped water, poke a small drain hole at its lowest point into the bucket — a controlled drip is far less damage than a collapsed ceiling. Then photograph it all and call for tarping.
  1. 1Contain it. Bucket or bin under the leak; towels around the edges. Relieve a bulging ceiling with a small drain hole at the lowest point.
  2. 2Protect belongings. Move furniture, electronics, and valuables out from under the leak and cover what you can't move.
  3. 3Document for your claim. Photograph and video the interior damage, the ceiling/walls, and (only from the ground) the roof. Note the date and the storm.
  4. 4Don't climb up in the storm. Wet, wind-loaded, or storm-damaged roofs are dangerous. Stay off it — let a pro assess it safely.
  5. 5Call a licensed local roofer. Get same-day tarping to stop the water, then a documented repair plan. Call (850) 220-3965.

Is this an emergency — or can it wait?

It's a true emergencyif there's active water entering your home, a large section of shingles or decking is exposed after a storm, the roof is visibly sagging, or something has punctured it. A few curled or missing shingles with no active leak is urgent but can usually wait for a scheduled visit — just don't let it ride until the next storm.

When you call, describe what you're seeing — active drip, stain spreading, daylight through the deck, a limb through the roof — and we'll tell you straight whether you need us today or whether it can be scheduled. Not sure how bad it is? Our signs you need a new roof guide helps you read the damage.

Emergency tarping: stop the damage before it spreads

A properly installed tarp is the difference between a one-room repair and a whole-house water-damage claim. Complete Roofing provides same-day emergency tarping across Navarre, Gulf Breeze, Pensacola, and the surrounding Panhandle — we secure the exposed area so it's watertight until a permanent repair can be scheduled.

Tarping also protects your insurance claim. Florida policies require you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage after a loss — and a documented tarp shows the carrier you did exactly that. We photograph the damage before and after, so there's a clean record of the original loss and the temporary fix. The full details — DIY vs. pro, how long a tarp lasts, what it costs — are on our emergency roof tarping page. After a federally declared disaster, FEMA's free Operation Blue Roof program may also be an option if you can wait.

A tree fell on the roof — do this, in this order

Safety, photos, tree off, tarp on, then the claim. And a fact that surprises most homeowners: in Florida, when a healthy tree falls in a storm, your own policy pays for your roof — even if it was the neighbor's tree.The storm, not the tree's owner, is treated as the cause.
  1. 1Safety first. Stay out of rooms under the impact. If the structure looks compromised or power lines are involved, get out and call 911 / the utility before anything else.
  2. 2Photograph the tree ON the roof. Before any removal — the tree resting on the damage is the strongest evidence your claim will ever have. Shoot it from every angle, from the ground.
  3. 3Tree off, tarp on. Coordinate tree removal and tarping so the opened roof isn't left exposed — ideally the same visit. We can recommend tree crews we work with after storms.
  4. 4Don't chase the neighbor. If the tree was healthy, whose tree it was doesn't matter — file with your own carrier. The exception is a tree that was visibly dead or hazardous and ignored; document that too, and let the insurers sort out fault.
  5. 5File the claim. Your policy's clock is running (1 year for new claims). We document the structural and roof damage and meet the adjuster on-site.

What if the storm is still overhead?

Stay inside and off the roof — no legitimate crew (ours included) works a roof in dangerous winds, and neither should you. Contain the leak, relieve any bulging ceiling, document what you can safely, and call now anyway: the phone is answered 24/7, and calling early puts you at the front of the same-day tarping queue for when the wind drops.

After a major storm the whole Panhandle calls at once, and we prioritize by severity — active water intrusion first. The earlier your address is on the list, the earlier a crew reaches you when conditions allow. If you're reading this before a storm, the best move is prevention: run our 20-point hurricane roof prep checklist while the sky is still clear.

Will insurance cover the emergency repair?

Usually, yes. Standard Florida homeowners policies include a "duty to mitigate"— you're expected to make reasonable temporary repairs to stop further damage — and they typically reimburse those reasonable emergency costs, including tarping. Keep every receipt and photograph the damage before and after.

The emergency repair is separate from the full claim for the underlying damage. We handle the documentation for both and meet your adjuster on-site. For the bigger picture on coverage, deadlines, and RCV vs. ACV, read does insurance cover roof replacement in Florida — and if your roof is older, see how roof age affects your coverage.

This page is general information for Florida homeowners, current as of August 2026 — not legal or insurance advice. Whether a specific emergency repair is reimbursed depends on your policy; verify with your own agent or the Florida Department of Financial Services.

Don't let a storm chaser turn your emergency into a scam

After every Gulf Coast hurricane, out-of-state crews flood the area, knock on doors, and demand big deposits. Note: Florida law no longer allows an Assignment of Benefits (AOB) on property policies issued on or after January 1, 2023, so anyone pushing one is behind the law — or worse. Verify a Florida license (prefix CCC), confirm a local address, and get everything in writing before you sign anything or pay a deposit.

Complete Roofing is a licensed Florida contractor (FL CCC1337480) headquartered in Gulf Breeze, with local crews and 30+ years on the Panhandle — and we never require an AOB. The full scam playbook — deductible "deals," the 30-second license check, contract cancellation rights — is in roofing scams after a hurricane. When the emergency is under control, our storm damage repair team takes it from tarp to finished roof, and the ordered path from here to a repaired roof is the hurricane recovery checklist.

Free · No obligation · Reply within 2 business hours

Can't talk right now?

Send your address and what you're seeing — we'll call you back and get you on the same-day tarping list. Faster: call (850) 220-3965, answered 24/7.

4.9·47 Google reviews·Licensed FL CCC1337480

By submitting you agree to be contacted by Complete Roofing LLC. We never sell your info.

Got Questions?

Roof Emergencies — Frequently Asked

Move valuables and electronics out of the way, put a bucket or bin under the drip, and if water is pooling in the ceiling, gently poke a small hole at the lowest point to drain it into the bucket (a contained drip beats a collapsed ceiling). Photograph everything for your insurance claim, then call a licensed roofer for same-day tarping. Don't climb onto a wet or storm-damaged roof yourself.

Yes. Complete Roofing provides same-day emergency tarping across Navarre, Gulf Breeze, Pensacola, Milton, Pace, and the surrounding Panhandle to stop water intrusion before it causes more damage. After a major hurricane, demand surges — call (850) 220-3965 as early as possible and we prioritize by severity. Our crews are local, not driving in from out of state.

Usually yes. Standard Florida homeowners policies require you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage after a loss (the 'duty to mitigate'), and they typically reimburse reasonable temporary/emergency repairs like tarping. Keep every receipt and photograph the damage before and after the temporary repair — that documentation supports both the emergency cost and the full claim.

Usually no. Florida follows a no-fault approach for storm-felled trees: when a healthy tree comes down in a storm, the damaged home's own insurance pays — regardless of whose tree it was. The exception is negligence: if the tree was visibly dead or hazardous beforehand and the owner knew and did nothing, their policy may be responsible (your carrier can pursue that). Either way, photograph the tree on the roof before removal, get the roof tarped the same day, and file with your own carrier.

Treat it as an emergency if there's active water coming into your home, a large section of shingles or decking is missing or exposed after a storm, the roof is visibly sagging, or a tree or limb has punctured it. A few curled or missing shingles with no active leak is urgent but can usually wait for a scheduled visit — though it should still be addressed before the next storm.

Be very cautious. As of SB 2-A, Florida law no longer allows you to assign your insurance benefits to a contractor (an AOB) on property policies issued on or after January 1, 2023 — such an assignment is void and unenforceable. So be skeptical of any out-of-town crew that knocks after a storm, pushes paperwork on the spot, or demands a large cash deposit. Verify a Florida license (prefix CCC) at myfloridalicense.com and confirm a local address first. Complete Roofing is licensed (CCC1337480), local to Gulf Breeze, and never asks for an AOB.

Tarping is same-day to stop the bleeding. The permanent repair timeline depends on whether insurance is involved — a straightforward repair can happen within days, while an insurance-backed replacement typically takes a few weeks through the claim and approval process. We document everything up front so the permanent fix moves as fast as your carrier allows.

Not while dangerous winds are overhead — no legitimate crew works a roof in hurricane conditions, and you shouldn't either. What you can do mid-storm is contain the leak inside, document what's happening, and call us. The phone is answered 24/7, and calling early puts you on the same-day tarping list for the moment conditions allow crews back on roofs.

Yes — (850) 220-3965 is answered 24/7, including nights and weekends. Storm leaks don't keep business hours. Call whenever it happens; describe what you're seeing and we'll tell you straight whether it needs same-day tarping or can be scheduled.

Active leak or storm damage? Call us now.

Same-day emergency tarping across the Florida Panhandle. We stop the water, document the damage for your claim, and give you a straight repair plan — no AOB, no pressure.

Call (850) 220-3965 — 24/7Free Instant Estimate