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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 how to avoid the storm chasers who follow every Gulf Coast hurricane.

Call Now — (850) 220-3965Answered 24/7 · Same-day tarpingLine busy? Text a photo + your addressHurricane Isaias roof help: what to do now →Roofing Northwest Florida since 1994 · GAF Certified Plus™ contractor

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

Reviewed by Jason Taylor, third-generation Florida-licensed roofing contractor

Quick answer
Right now: contain the water (bucket under the drip, move valuables), photograph the damage, 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. 3Photograph the damage. Photograph and video the interior damage, the ceiling/walls, and (only from the ground) the roof. Note the date.
  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 emergency if 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 whole-house water damage. 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.

We photograph the damage before and after the tarp goes on. The full details — DIY vs. pro, how long a tarp lasts, what it costs — are on our emergency roof tarping page. FEMA's free Operation Blue Roof program only opens when FEMA assigns the Army Corps a mission for specific counties (a federal declaration alone does not mean it is open); that page keeps a dated status whenever a storm is active.

Florida's required notice for roofer advertising about roof insurance claims (FS 489.147(1)(a)):

  1. The consumer is responsible for payment of any insurance deductible.
  2. It is insurance fraud punishable as a felony of the third degree for a contractor to knowingly or willfully, and with intent to injure, defraud, or deceive, pay, waive, or rebate all or part of an insurance deductible applicable to payment to the contractor for repairs to a property covered by a property insurance policy.
  3. It is insurance fraud punishable as a felony of the third degree to intentionally file an insurance claim containing any false, incomplete, or misleading information.

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

Safety, photos, tree off, tarp on. Who pays is a question for your insurance company or agent, not a roofer — but doing these steps in this order protects the house either way.
  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 it before it's moved. Florida's Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights advises photographs or video of damage before and after any repairs (FS 627.7142). Shoot 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. 4Insurance questions go to your insurer. What your policy covers, and whether and when to file, are for you and your insurance company or agent.

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?

That depends on your policy — only your insurance company or agent can tell you what it covers, not a roofer. Florida's Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights advises you to “keep all receipts, and take photographs or video of damage before and after any repairs to provide to your insurer” (FS 627.7142).

The emergency repair is separate from the permanent repair of the underlying damage. We quote the permanent repair in writing; if your adjuster wants to go over that quote, Jason can walk them through it, at no extra charge. For what Florida law says about deadlines, deductibles 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 November 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 or RC), 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 roofing the Panhandle since 1994 — 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; if you already paid a deposit and the roofer has not pulled a permit or started, Florida's deposit statute is explained in our guide for when a roofer took your deposit and never started. 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.

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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, 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.

That depends on your policy, and only your insurance company or agent can tell you what yours covers — a roofer can't. Florida's Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights advises you to "keep all receipts, and take photographs or video of damage before and after any repairs to provide to your insurer" (FS 627.7142). For questions about your rights as a policyholder, the Florida Department of Financial Services Insurance Helpline is 1-877-693-5236.

Who pays is a question for your insurance company or agent; a roofer can't answer it. On the roof itself, we can tarp the opening the same day and quote the repair in writing.

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 or RC) at myfloridalicense.com and confirm a local address first. Complete Roofing is licensed, local to Gulf Breeze, and never asks for an AOB.

Tarping is same-day to stop the bleeding. A straightforward permanent repair can often happen within days; a full replacement depends on permits and material supply, which both tighten after a big storm. Our written roof-condition report and quote go out within 24 hours of the inspection.

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, photograph the damage, and give you a written repair quote — no AOB, no pressure.

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