Emergency roof tarp steps

1. Safety first

• If a power line is down or touching the house, stay away and call 911 and your electric utility.
• If a tree is on the house or the ceiling is sagging badly, keep people out of those rooms.
• Do not climb onto a wet roof, or onto any roof in the dark. Storm debris and wet shingles are slick.

2. Inside the house

1. Move anything valuable out of the drip zone.
2. Put buckets under drips and towels around them.
3. If the ceiling bulges with water, a small hole at the low point lets it drain into a bucket instead of bringing down the drywall.
4. Turn off power to rooms where water is near light fixtures or outlets.

3. Photograph everything

The Oklahoma Insurance Department advises taking photos or video of the damage, making temporary repairs, saving all receipts, and not making permanent repairs until your insurer has inspected. Take photos and video of the roof from the ground and of the damage inside, before the tarp goes on.

4. Get it tarped

A tarp should be secured over the ridge and fastened with boards so wind cannot get under it, which is why it is a job for a roofer. Ask the roofer what the tarp costs and get a receipt. The Oklahoma Insurance Department's storm guidance tells homeowners to make temporary repairs to prevent further damage and to save every receipt, including for temporary work.

Emergency leak work typically runs $379 to $1,755 according to This Old House. That is a national range, not a quote.

5. Call your insurer

Report the damage and ask what the deadlines are. The Oklahoma Insurance Department says replacement cost policies require the work to be completed within six months of the date of loss. Check your own policy for its deadline. Don't sign a contract for the full roof on the spot just to get a tarp. If you do sign one for an insurance-paid job: If your roofing contract will be paid from an insurance claim, you may cancel it within 72 hours after you receive written notice from your insurer that all or part of the claim was denied (59 O.S. 1151.21). After you cancel under that rule, the contractor must return your payments within 10 days. A contractor who did emergency work you agreed to in writing may keep the reasonable value of that work.