Before the Storm: Roof Readiness Checklist

Take baseline photos now (the single most valuable step)

Date-stamped photos taken before any storm are your strongest protection. They prove what was already fine, so a storm chaser can't invent damage and an adjuster can't write off real damage as old wear.

• Turn on date or location stamping in your phone camera settings.
• One wide photo of each side of the house, full roofline in frame, from the yard.
• Close-ups of the chimney, valleys, vents, and any spot that already looks worn.
• Photos of gutters, downspouts, siding, and screens while they are intact.
• Save them somewhere you will still find them in two years. Email them to yourself.

Before the season (early spring and early fall)

• Walk all four sides of the house from the ground. Look up. Note anything already loose or worn.
• Clean the gutters and confirm downspouts carry water away from the foundation.
• Trim back any branches within 6 feet of the roof. Wind turns them into battering rams.
• Secure or plan to move anything that becomes a projectile: patio furniture, grills, trampolines.
• Check the attic with a flashlight on a dry day so you know what "normal" looks like before a leak.

When a named storm or hard freeze is in the forecast

• Bring in or tie down loose outdoor items 48 hours out.
• Clear gutters again so melting ice and heavy rain can drain instead of backing up under shingles.
• Locate your insurance policy. Find the wind/hail deductible line and write the number down now.
• Save the office number in your phone so you are not searching for it in the dark after a storm.
• Know where your water shutoff and attic access are, in case water gets in.

After it passes

• Stay off the roof. Check from the ground and from inside the attic.
• Run Storm Check at ncroofingservice.com/storm-check to confirm what actually hit your address.
• Compare new photos to your baseline set. Differences are your documentation.
• If you see real damage, read the insurance claim walkthrough before you call your carrier.