Boston & North Shore Roofing
Storm Damage Roof Repair in Boston, MA
Wind takes a course of shingles at three in the morning. The ceiling stain shows up at seven. Then you are dealing with an insurance company. We tarp it, document it, meet the adjuster on the roof, and make the repair hold.
- Same-day tarping after a nor'easter
- Dated photos of every damaged slope
- We meet your adjuster on the roof
- Line-item scopes, never a lump sum
Wind takes a course of shingles at three in the morning. You find out at seven, when the ceiling is wet and there are tabs in the driveway. Then the second problem starts: proving to an insurer what the storm did.
We handle both halves. We tarp the opening, photograph every damaged plane before it gets covered, and write the scope in the line-item language an adjuster works from. Paulo Silva goes up the ladder with the adjuster himself.
We are not a storm-chasing crew in a rented truck. Emergency tarping comes first. The claim comes second.
- Same-day tarping after a nor'easter
- Dated photos of every damaged slope
- We meet your adjuster on the roof
- Line-item scopes, never a lump sum
Free Storm Damage & Insurance Claims Estimate
Know The Signs
Storm damage we find on Boston roofs
Some of it you can see from the sidewalk. Most of it you cannot.
Tabs and shingles in the yard
Wind unseals at the rake first. Shingles in the driveway mean a whole course let go, not just where you see sky.
Creased shingles still lying flat
A broken shingle can look fine. Run a finger across the tab. A hard crease means a fractured mat that leaks by spring.
Ridge cap or rake metal gone
Cap shingles and drip edge take the highest uplift. Once the ridge opens, rain runs down inside the sheathing.
Slates cracked or slid out of course
Wind lifts slate and snaps century-old nails. One slid slate leaves a hole two courses above the stain. [Slate roof repair](/services/slate-roof-repair-boston/) is its own trade.
Counterflashing pulled from the mortar
A gust peels counterflashing out of the joint. The chimney looks untouched. The leak lands ten feet away.
Membrane lifted on a flat deck
On a triple-decker center deck, wind finds a loose edge and peels the sheet back.
What a nor'easter does that a thunderstorm cannot
A summer squall is over in twenty minutes. A nor'easter works the same roof through two or three tide cycles, driving rain sideways under courses that shed fine in ordinary rain. Wind does not push down on a roof. It pulls up, hardest at the rake, eave and ridge. Our nor'easter roof damage checklist covers the rest.
The Blizzard of 1978 gusted to 111 mph and flooded Revere. January 29, 2022 dropped 23.6 inches in one calendar day.
Hail damage in New England, honestly
Hail-driven roof replacement is a Midwest industry. Around Boston, most claimed hail damage is age-related granule loss or wind. If we see no bruising, we say so.
The winter claim nobody budgets for
Boston averages 49.2 inches of snow a year. Winter 2014-15 delivered 110.6 inches at Logan, the snowiest season since 1891. That February, Arbella was on pace for double its prior-year claim volume and a Wellesley Hills agency reported a tenfold increase, almost all ice dams.
Carriers generally treat the water damage as a sudden loss and the ice dam as maintenance. That split is why ice dam removal and the ceiling repair are two conversations.
Storm chasers arrive before the power comes back
After a named storm, out-of-state trucks work the neighborhoods door to door. The free inspection always finds damage.
- No Massachusetts HIC registration you can verify
- An offer to cover or eat your deductible
- An inspection authorization that is really a contract
- Pressure to sign before the adjuster has been out
- Full payment demanded before work starts
HIC registration under M.G.L. c. 142A is free to verify on the state list. Guaranty Fund claims cap at $10,000 per project and only reach registered contractors. A c. 142A violation is also a c. 93A violation, with treble damages. None of that reaches a truck that left in April.
How Boston buildings fail in a storm
Triple-deckers. The form matured around 1890 in Dorchester and stopped going up by the 1930s, so survivors are sheathed in gapped boards, not plywood. Lose shingles on a rear slope and the next rain runs into third-floor plaster.
Coastal capes and ranches. From East Boston through the North Shore, most post-war stock runs 4:12 to 8:12 with one overlay already on it. Wind gets under that second layer and takes both. Within 3,000 feet of saltwater we use 300-series stainless fasteners, and we never mix galvanized nails with copper flashing.
Our Process
How we run a storm claim, tarp to final invoice
A storm claim is a paperwork job with a roof attached.
Stop the water the day you call
We tarp first. Most policies require you to prevent further damage, so this protects the house and the claim. Keep the receipt.
Document before anything gets covered
Dated photos of every slope, close-ups of creases and lifted metal, the storm date. Once a tarp goes on, that file is the record.
Write the scope in adjuster language
Squares, linear feet of flashing and drip edge, ridge, starter, ice barrier. A lump sum gives an adjuster nothing to approve.
Meet the adjuster on the roof
Paulo climbs up with them. Most claim disputes are arguments about what was seen, not what is covered.
Supplement what the first scope missed
Code drip edge, ice barrier, ventilation, and decking that only shows once the covering is off. Submitted with photos.
Repair, permit and closeout
We file the ISD Short-Form permit, do the work, and send completion photos and a signed final invoice for the withheld depreciation.
On The Roof
What storm damage & insurance claims looks like in progress
What Drives The Price
Who pays what on a storm claim
Storm work is priced off the damage, not off your policy limit.
ACV versus RCV
Actual cash value pays the depreciated value of an old roof. Replacement cost value pays the rest after the work is invoiced.
The second deductible
Many coastal Massachusetts policies carry a named-storm deductible written as a percentage of dwelling coverage, not a flat dollar amount.
Repair or full replacement
Nine squares off a twenty-square roof is a replacement conversation. Six shingles is not. Ask in writing whether matching is included.
Access and staging
A three-decker rear slope with porch stacks and no dumpster space costs more than the same footage on a ranch.
Code upgrades the repair triggers
Replacing a covering brings the eave ice barrier into play. Some policies carry ordinance and law coverage, some do not.
Emergency work billed separately
Tarping is a different line item than the permanent roof. We invoice it separately so the carrier processes it separately.
These are the levers, not a quote. We never offer to cover, waive or rebate a deductible, which is illegal in Massachusetts. See our guide to [homeowners insurance and roof replacement in Massachusetts](/blog/does-homeowners-insurance-cover-roof-replacement-massachusetts/).
FAQ
Storm Damage & Insurance Claims questions we get asked
Straight answers, including the ones that cost us work sometimes.
No. If the repair lands near your deductible, filing can cost more in premium than it returns. We price it first.
Yes. Paulo climbs up with the adjuster, points out creased tabs and lifted metal, and hands over the photo file.
No. You choose who works on your house. A preferred-vendor list is a convenience for the carrier, not a rule.
Most policies require prompt notice, so do not sit on it. April damage from a January storm is hard to date.
Wind damage is usually invisible from the sidewalk. Creased shingles lie flat all summer, then leak. A roof inspection after a major storm is free.
Related roofing services
Work that often comes up on the same roof.
- Emergency Roof RepairStorm damage or a sudden leak? We take after-hours calls, tarp exposed decking the same day, and handle the permanent repair once the weather clears.Learn more
- Roof InspectionsFree, documented roof inspection. We get on the roof, check the attic, and hand you photos, a written report, and an honest verdict.Learn more
- Roof ReplacementFull tear-off, deck repair and a code-correct ice barrier. Written scope, permit filed for you, magnet sweep at the end of every day.Learn more
Read more before you decide
Longer guides on the parts of this that homeowners ask about most.
- StormsWhat to Do After a Nor'easter Damages Your Roof: The First 48 Hours in MassachusettsWind gone, water coming in, shingles in the driveway. Here is the exact order to work in during the first two days after a nor'easter, from documenting the damage to standing on the roof with your adjuster.5 min read
- InsuranceDoes Homeowners Insurance Cover Roof Replacement in Massachusetts? What Actually Gets PaidWind, hail, ice and falling limbs are usually covered. A worn-out roof is not. Here is how Massachusetts roof claims actually get decided, what ACV versus RCV does to your check, and the deductible offer that is illegal here.5 min read
Storm Damage & Insurance Claims across Greater Boston
We run this service in 34 communities. Here is where it comes up most often:
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