Tree fell on your roof. Wind ripped off shingles. Active leak soaking your ceiling. Whatever happened — we get a licensed local roofer to you fast, or walk you through tarping it yourself right now.
The decisions you make in the first 24 hours determine how much your insurer pays and how fast your home gets repaired.
Gas leaks, structural collapse, downed lines, flooded electrical. Check these before anything else.
Video every room, every damaged surface. Phone timestamp is your friend — don't clean up first.
Call your insurer, get a tarp on the roof, start drying inside. Every hour of delay costs you money.
Get a licensed contractor inspection with written scope. Verify credentials. Keep a written log of everything.
Cleaning up before documenting, accepting the first adjuster offer, hiring the first contractor who knocks.
Mold starts in 24–48 hours. It can void your claim and cost far more than the original roof damage.
Any of these means yes — get a tarp on it today, not tomorrow.
Any penetration of the roof deck needs a tarp immediately. Even small branches can let in gallons per hour.
Missing shingles, lifted flashing, or damaged ridge cap — no hurricane needed to cause serious leak risk.
Water coming in right now? This is the highest priority. Tarp it yourself or get someone there today.
Hail bruises shingles invisibly — you won't see it from the ground. Get an inspection even if there's no visible leak.
One request. Up to 3 free estimates from licensed local contractors. Takes under a minute.
Not all tarps are equal. The wrong one fails in hours. Here's what actually works.
Billboard vinyl from billboardvinyls.com is the only tarp worth buying — 18-oz, UV-stable, won't shred in 48 hours like blue poly.
Tarp, furring strips, roofing screws, rope, safety harness. Buy before hurricane season — stores sell out in hours after a storm.
The tarp buys you time. Here's exactly how to use that time — drying, documentation, contractor selection.
The tarp protects the roof. These guides protect everything underneath it.
Mold starts in 24–48 hours. The exact drying protocol to stop it before it starts.
Water and electricity are deadly. Know the warning signs before you go back inside.
What mold exposure does to your family — and how fast it becomes a serious problem.
Saturated carpet must come out fast. Every hour it stays, mold risk and claim difficulty grows.
The decisions you make in the first 72 hours determine how much your insurer pays.
Storm chasers target damaged neighborhoods within hours. Know how to spot and report them.
If you need to tarp your own roof while waiting for a roofer — follow these steps exactly. Safety first.
If there's a tree on the roof, structural damage, a steep pitch, or it's wet — do not go up. Call a roofer for emergency tarping service instead.
Add at least 4 feet on every side to get your tarp size. Bigger is always better — you can fold excess under. A 20×30 tarp covers most single-story sections.
Standard blue poly tarps tear quickly. Heavy-duty billboard vinyl tarps are far superior — they're waterproof, UV-resistant, and hold up through follow-on storms. We recommend billboardvinyls.com for heavy-duty material.
Run the tarp over the peak of the roof so both sides are covered. This prevents water from pooling or running under the tarp edge.
Take dated photos of the damage before tarping and after. This documentation is critical for your insurance claim. Send photos to your insurance company immediately.
A tarp is temporary protection only — typically lasting 30-90 days depending on weather. Schedule a free professional inspection to assess the full damage and begin repairs.
Submit this form and check the same-day box. A licensed local roofer will call you back within 2 hours to arrange emergency tarping or an immediate inspection.
A licensed local contractor will call you within 2 hours to arrange same-day help.
We connect homeowners with licensed local roofing contractors for emergency tarping across 13 coastal states. After a hurricane, tropical storm, or severe weather event, local roofers are standing by in every county below.
Lee County (Fort Myers, Cape Coral)
Collier County (Naples, Marco Island)
Sarasota County (Sarasota, Venice)
Hillsborough County (Tampa)
Pinellas County (St. Petersburg, Clearwater)
Manatee County (Bradenton, Anna Maria Island)
Broward County (Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood)
Miami-Dade County (Miami, Homestead)
Palm Beach County (West Palm Beach, Boca Raton)
Brevard County (Cocoa Beach, Melbourne)
Volusia County (Daytona Beach, New Smyrna)
Duval County (Jacksonville Beach)
→ All Florida counties
Galveston County (Galveston Island, Texas City)
Harris County (Houston, Pasadena)
Brazoria County (Freeport, Lake Jackson)
Jefferson County (Beaumont, Port Arthur)
Nueces County (Corpus Christi)
Cameron County (Brownsville, South Padre)
→ All Texas counties
Orleans Parish (New Orleans)
Jefferson Parish (Metairie, Kenner)
St. Tammany Parish (Covington, Mandeville)
Lafourche Parish (Thibodaux, Golden Meadow)
Terrebonne Parish (Houma)
Calcasieu Parish (Lake Charles)
→ All Louisiana parishes
Harrison County MS (Gulfport, Biloxi)
Jackson County MS (Pascagoula, Ocean Springs)
Hancock County MS (Bay St. Louis, Waveland)
Mobile County AL (Mobile, Saraland)
Baldwin County AL (Gulf Shores, Fairhope)
→ All MS counties
→ All AL counties
Chatham County GA (Savannah)
Glynn County GA (Brunswick, Jekyll Island)
Camden County GA (St. Marys, Kingsland)
Charleston County SC (Charleston, Isle of Palms)
Horry County SC (Myrtle Beach, Conway)
Beaufort County SC (Hilton Head, Beaufort)
→ All GA counties
→ All SC counties
New Hanover County NC (Wilmington, Wrightsville)
Brunswick County NC (Ocean Isle, Holden Beach)
Carteret County NC (Morehead City, Emerald Isle)
Dare County NC (Outer Banks, Nags Head)
Virginia Beach VA
Norfolk VA
→ All NC counties
→ All VA
Anne Arundel County MD (Annapolis)
Baltimore County MD (Towson, Dundalk)
Worcester County MD (Ocean City)
Wicomico County MD (Salisbury)
Sussex County DE (Rehoboth Beach, Lewes)
Kent County DE (Dover)
→ All MD counties
→ All DE
Ocean County NJ (Toms River, LBI, Seaside Heights)
Monmouth County NJ (Asbury Park, Belmar)
Cape May County NJ (Cape May, Wildwood)
Atlantic County NJ (Atlantic City)
Suffolk County NY (Long Island, The Hamptons)
Nassau County NY (Long Beach, Freeport)
→ All NJ counties
→ All NY
Response times vary by location and storm demand. In most Gulf and Atlantic coastal markets, a licensed local contractor can reach you within 2–4 hours for emergency tarping on a clear day. After a major hurricane or named storm — when demand spikes across multiple counties simultaneously — expect 12–48 hours in heavily impacted areas. The sooner you submit your request, the earlier your position in the contractor's queue. Emergency tarping typically costs $300–$1,500 depending on roof size, damage extent, and access difficulty. Most standard homeowner policies reimburse emergency tarping as reasonable mitigation — document with dated photos before and after, and submit to your insurer immediately.
Active leak or major storm damage? We can get someone to you fast — or help you tarp right now.
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