How to Check Your Roof for Damage After a Windstorm, From the Ground
Start with binoculars and the yard, not a ladder. What wind damage looks like and what to photograph for your insurer.
- Beginner
- 30 to 90 minutes
- Updated
The short answer
After a windstorm, check your roof from the ground in daylight: look at the yard for shingle pieces, then scan each slope with binoculars for missing, creased or lifted shingles, damaged ridge cap, bent flashing and loose vent covers. Check the attic and ceilings for new stains. Photograph everything with dates. Do not climb onto a roof that may be damaged, wet or unstable.
The Fraser Valley gets strong storms and outflow winds that can lift, crease or tear off shingles and ridge caps, bend flashing and shake loose vent covers. Damage is often partial: a few tabs missing, a crease you can only see from an angle, a ridge cap lifted at one end. These small faults become leaks in the next heavy rain, so it pays to check promptly after a blow.
The right way to check is from the ground. Binoculars and a systematic walk around the house reveal most of what matters, without the risk of going on a storm-affected roof. Look inside too, since a leak in the attic or a new ceiling stain is the clearest sign something has let go.
If you find damage, what to do next depends on its size. For a few lifted tabs, see how to reseal lifted shingles. For an open hole, use how to tarp a leaking roof as a temporary measure. For a wider picture, see the wind and hail damage guide.
Tools
- Binoculars
- Phone or camera with zoom
- Flashlight
- Notepad or phone notes
- Tape measure (for photo scale)
- Ladder base check only, not for climbing
Materials
- Buckets and plastic sheeting for any leaks
- Sticky notes or chalk for marking items in the attic
- Tarp and boards if emergency cover is needed (see the tarp guide)
Safety first
- Do not go on the roof after a storm. It may be wet, littered with debris and structurally weakened, and a tree strike can crack rafters you cannot see.
- Stay away from downed power lines and anything touching them. Call BC Hydro and treat all wires as live.
- Watch for hanging branches and loose materials above you when walking around the house, since another gust can bring them down.
- Do not climb a ladder in strong wind. Wait until it has calmed.
Step by Step
Step 1: Wait for the wind to drop and make the area safe
Walk the property first. Look up for hanging branches, loose fascia or gutters and sagging wires. If any wire is down or touching a tree or the house, stay back and call BC Hydro. Do not move a branch that is touching a wire.
Only then begin the inspection, in daylight, when you can see properly.
Watch out: Treat every downed wire as live. Keep at least 10 metres (33 feet) away, the distance BC Hydro gives, and call 911 and the utility.
Step 2: Check the yard and gutters for clues
Shingle fragments, granules in a pile and bits of metal point to where damage happened. Match any pieces to the roof's shingle type, and note which side of the house they are on, since wind damage is usually concentrated on the windward slope and corners.
Look in the gutters and at the downspout outlets for unusual amounts of granules, which suggests shingles are being stripped.
Step 3: Scan each slope with binoculars
Missing shingles show as darker patches of underlayment or exposed deck. Creased shingles have a horizontal line across the tab where it flipped up and back. Lifted shingles throw a shadow under the lower edge. Edges, rakes, eaves, hips and ridges take the highest wind loads, so they are where damage starts.
View each slope from two angles if you can. Low sun shows creases and lifted tabs better than high noon light.
Step 4: Check the ridge and hip caps
Ridge caps take the full force of wind. Look for bare patches along the ridge, caps flipped over or cracked, and exposed nails or ridge vent material lifted. Loose ridge caps leave the top of the roof open, see how to replace blown-off ridge cap.
Step 5: Check flashing, vents and penetrations
Metal flashing can be bent up or pulled loose by wind. Vent covers and caps sometimes blow off. Skylights and chimneys are common leak points after a storm. Look for exposed gaps or flashing that sits at a different angle than it did before.
Also check the fascia, soffit, gutters and any metal trim. Wind that catches an edge can loosen all of them.
Step 6: Check inside: attic and ceilings
A new stain on a ceiling or wall after a storm means water has got in. Walk the attic with a flashlight, only on joists or boards, and look for wet spots, daylight and loose material. See how to trace a roof leak from the attic.
Step 7: Photograph everything with dates and scale
Good documentation helps with an insurance claim. Take photos before you move or clean anything, and keep the fallen shingle pieces. Zoom in on the damage, and take a wider shot showing where it is on the roof. Write a short note of what you saw and when.
Check your policy for time limits on reporting damage and any deductible, and report promptly.
Step 8: Limit further damage and arrange repair
If a hole exposes the deck, use the tarp guide only in calm, dry weather and only if it is safe. Otherwise protect the inside and call a roofer. Damage that looks small from the ground can be larger up close, and a roofer can check the deck and underlayment, not just the surface.
What Wind Damage Looks Like
- Missing shingles: bare patches or dark underlayment, usually at edges, corners and ridges.
- Creased shingles: a horizontal line across a tab where it folded. The shingle will crack and fail soon after.
- Lifted or unsealed shingles: tabs that stand up or show a shadow along the lower edge.
- Exposed nails and torn shingles: often with granule loss or torn tabs near the nail line.
- Bent flashing and displaced vent covers: metal pulled away from the roof or sitting at the wrong angle.
Fraser Valley Wind Patterns
Winter outflow winds come down the Fraser Canyon from the east and northeast, and Pacific storms arrive from varying directions. Slopes facing the wind on the day, and edges near open fields, take the most damage. Trees add a second risk: a falling limb can puncture a roof that wind alone would not harm.
Common Mistakes
- Climbing onto the roof right after the storm. It is wet, littered and possibly damaged. Use binoculars.
- Checking only the yard. Damage on the back slope and the ridge is easy to miss. Walk the whole house.
- Ignoring creased shingles. They look intact but will crack off in the next wind.
- Not photographing before cleaning up. Insurers want evidence of the damage as it was.
- Skipping the attic. A leak often shows there first, long before a stain appears on a ceiling.
- Waiting. Small wind damage becomes leaks in the next heavy rain. Report and repair promptly.
When to Call a Professional
Call a roofer if you see missing shingles, a damaged ridge, bent flashing, water inside or any sign the deck has been hit by a branch or tree. Damage that looks small from the ground is often larger close up, and a roofer can check what is beneath it.
Call immediately, and before anything else, if a tree has hit the house, if you hear creaking from the roof or ceilings sag. Keep everyone out of that part of the house and call emergency services if the structure seems unsafe.
Fraser Roofing does free roof inspections across the Fraser Valley, from Hope to Abbotsford. See our Emergency Roof Repair service or the towns we cover.
How to Check Your Roof After a Windstorm: Questions
How do I know if my roof has wind damage?
Look for shingle pieces in the yard, then scan the roof from the ground with binoculars for missing shingles, horizontal creases across tabs, lifted edges, damaged ridge cap, bent flashing and displaced vent covers. Inside, look for new ceiling stains or damp insulation in the attic. The edges, corners and ridge usually show damage first.
Should I go on the roof to check for storm damage?
No. After a storm the roof may be wet, covered with debris and structurally weakened, and falls are a serious risk. WorkSafeBC requires fall protection at 3 metres, about 10 feet. Inspect from the ground with binoculars and from the attic, and let a roofer go on the roof if a closer look is needed.
What is a creased shingle?
A creased shingle has a horizontal line across the tab where wind folded it up and back. The mat is cracked even if the shingle still looks attached. It will often tear off in the next wind, and the crease lets water in. Creased shingles are usually replaced instead of resealed.
What photos do I need for a roof insurance claim?
Take dated photos of each damaged area from several distances, plus wide shots of the house and roof showing where the damage is, and pictures of any fallen pieces before you move them. Note the date and time of the storm. Keep receipts for emergency repairs, and report the damage to your insurer promptly.
How soon should I repair wind damage to my roof?
As soon as it is safe and the weather allows. Missing or creased shingles leave the underlayment exposed, and the next heavy rain can get through. A temporary tarp or hand sealing may buy time, but a roofer should check the damage and make a proper repair before the wet season gets worse.
Related Guides
All Roof Repair guides|The full How-To Library
This guide is general education. Always follow the product manufacturer's installation instructions, the BC Building Code and WorkSafeBC requirements, which take priority over anything written here.
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