Emergency Roof Repair Jobs by Type of Damage
Tarping a pitched roof
On a sloped roof the stopgap is a tarp. The sheet runs over the ridge so rain sheds off it rather than under it, and wood battens screwed or nailed along the edges keep the wind from getting a grip. The federal Blue Roof program uses the same idea with fiber-reinforced sheeting, and it limits the work to shingle-type roofs a crew can nail through. Tile is the hard case here, because a nail cracks a concrete or clay tile, so ask how the cover will be anchored on a tile roof.
Temporary patches on flat roofs
A low-slope roof over a Florida room, carport or condo stairwell can't shed water past a hole the way a pitched roof does. Water ponds and finds the opening. The usual fix is a membrane or mastic patch over the tear and a quick look at the drains and scuppers, since a blocked outlet keeps water sitting on the damaged spot. It is a stopgap, not a repair. The flat roof repair page covers the permanent fix.
Securing loose tile, shingles and panels
Sometimes nothing is open yet, but the next gust will open it: a ridge cap that is rocking, a run of lifted shingles, a metal edge strip flapping. FEMA's review after Hurricane Michael described a house where only the ridge shingles and ridge vent blew off, and the water that got in through that strip soaked and collapsed ceilings in several rooms. Keep whole tiles that slid off: the Florida code lets matching salvaged tile go back on in a repair, but never cracked or broken pieces.
Fallen limbs and debris on the roof
A frond lying on tile is usually just cleanup. A limb that went through the covering is different, since the deck under it may be cracked or holed. Debris has to come off before any tarp goes on; the Blue Roof program asks owners to clear it first. When a branch has broken the plywood, the stopgap is a tarp and the lasting fix is new sheathing, covered on the roof deck replacement page.
Why Pompano Beach homeowners call Pompano Beach Roofers
- Calling or sending the form costs you nothing
- Your request goes to one roofer, not a list of bidders
- Ask for tear-off, deck work and the permit on one itemized quote
- Get the roofer's CC or RC license number and check it yourself
How an Emergency Roof Call Runs
STEP 01
Make the inside safe
Move furniture and electronics, catch the drip and watch for water near outlets and light fixtures. If water has reached wiring, keep clear of it and switch off the main breaker if you can do that safely.
STEP 02
Cover the opening
A tarp, patch or fastening job stops more water from getting in. Ask the roofer to photograph the damage before covering it, so the opening can be seen later when the permanent repair is priced.
STEP 03
Permit and paperwork
Roof work in Broward still needs a permit, even in an emergency (how repair permits work). The building code lets an emergency repair start first, with the application filed by the next working business day. Ask who will file it.
STEP 04
Schedule the permanent repair
A tarp is temporary, so book the lasting repair once the weather clears. If the damage came with a declared state of emergency, Florida gives you a short window to cancel a roofing contract, explained on the storm damage page linked below.
See storm damage roof repair for the repair that replaces the tarp.