San Clemente, CA
Roof storm damage in San Clemente, CA
Most storm claims are lost on documentation, not on damage. Photograph everything before anybody touches the roof.
Describe the storm damage job
Three questions, then the address. Up to three San Clemente contractors who do this work.
Your request is in.
We are matching it now against roofing contractors working in San Clemente and the surrounding area.
- Today, usually within the hour. The first contractor calls or texts the number you gave us. ASAP requests go out first.
- Up to three of them, no more. We cap it at three so you can compare without your phone melting.
- They come and look. Estimates are given after somebody has been on the roof, not over the phone.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
If you do not hear anything today, check your voicemail and spam folder — contractors often call from a mobile number.
Before you let anybody on the roof
The things worth pinning down on a storm damage job. A contractor who has not raised them has not looked properly.
- Whether the contractor is licensed and insured in this state
- A written scope you can put in front of an adjuster
- What the emergency tarp costs, separate from the repair
- A local address you could actually drive to
- Photographs of the damage before any work happens
A local contractor who inspects and documents properly is more use to your claim than a fast one who is already on the roof.
Do not sign anything that assigns your claim benefits to a contractor until you have read it twice. That signature can hand over control of the claim entirely.
If the adjuster and the contractor disagree, ask for the contractor to be present at the re-inspection. It changes the conversation.
Locally
The thing roofers see most often in this market is salt and onshore wind working on the metal long before the covering wears out. Close to the water, fasteners, valley metal, vent collars and gutter hangers corrode years ahead of the tile or shingle they hold down. Wind then finds whatever the corrosion loosened.
About storm damage here
I have solar panels. What happens to them?
Panels have to be detached and reset. Budget for it separately and coordinate the two trades. Never put a new solar array on a roof with under ten years left.
Can I just put a new roof over the old one?
Codes in most places allow two layers. That does not make it wise. You lose the chance to see the deck, and the next roofer has twice as much to remove.
How much deposit is normal?
A third at most, and never the full amount. Pay the balance when the job is finished and you have walked it. Some states cap the deposit by law.
Do I need a permit?
Yes, in nearly every jurisdiction a re-roof is permitted work. A contractor who suggests skipping it is telling you something useful about how they work.