Storm-damaged roof in Berkshire? What to do, who to call and how to avoid rogue traders

If a storm has damaged your roof in Berkshire, deal with it in this order: keep everyone safe, stop more water getting in from inside the house, photograph everything, call your insurer before you agree to any work, and then get a roofer you've chosen yourself to inspect and quote. Don't climb onto the roof, and don't hire whoever knocks on the door the morning after. Roofing is one of the jobs most complained about to trading standards in this part of the county, and storms are when the problems spike.

Reading time: about 8 minutes.

In this guide

• The short version
• First hours: making the house safe
• Recording the damage for your insurer
• How insurers (and the Ombudsman) decide if it was the storm
• Temporary repairs versus the proper fix
• Do storm repairs need permission?
• Doorstep traders after a storm
• Choosing a roofer in Berkshire

The short version

• Safety first. Stay away from fallen cables, damaged chimneys and weakened walls. Never go up on the roof yourself.
• Limit the damage from indoors. Buckets, towels, and moving belongings away from leaks are fine. Ladders in the wind are not.
• Photograph and note everything before anything is moved or repaired, and keep receipts for emergency costs.
• Ring your insurer early and ask what they need before work starts.
• Say no to cold callers. You have cancellation rights for contracts agreed at your home, and a trader who doesn't tell you about them is committing an offence.
• Choose your own roofer, get the quote in writing, and check what paperwork you'll get at the end.

First hours: making the house safe

The Met Office's advice on staying safe in a storm is clear that you shouldn't go outside to repair damage while the storm is still blowing. Once it has passed, it says to keep clear of any electrical or telephone cables that have come down, and not to walk too close to walls, buildings and trees, because they may have been weakened. It also suggests checking on vulnerable neighbours.

Then work from the inside:

• Look in the loft, if it's safe, for daylight through the tiles or wet insulation.
• Catch drips with buckets and towels, and move furniture, rugs and electrical items away from the leak.
• Watch the ceilings. If a plasterboard ceiling starts to sag or bulge with water, keep people out of the room underneath.
• Turn off electrics if water is near light fittings or sockets, and have an electrician check before switching back on.

If a chimney, gable or loose slates look as if they could fall onto a pavement or road, keep people away and tell your council. GOV.UK lets you report a dangerous building or structure to your local council in England. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.

Why you shouldn't go up there yourself

The HSE describes all work on roofs as highly dangerous, even when a job only takes a few minutes, and says almost one in five deaths in construction work involve roof work. The main causes of death and injury are falling from roof edges and through fragile roofs and rooflights, and every roof should be treated as fragile until a competent person has confirmed it isn't. Leave it to a roofer with the right access equipment.

Recording the damage for your insurer

Storm damage is usually covered by home or buildings insurance, but claims stand or fall on evidence. Before anything is repaired, gather:

• Dated photos and video from the ground and from inside: missing or slipped tiles, damaged ridge or flashing, fallen debris, water stains, and anything spoiled inside.
• The date and time you noticed the damage, and what the weather was doing. If the storm was named, note the name.
• Receipts for anything you pay for to stop the damage getting worse, such as an emergency covering.

Call your insurer as soon as you can, and ask two questions straight away: do they want to send their own surveyor or contractor, and are you allowed to arrange emergency work yourself before they've seen it? Policies differ, so get the answer in writing or make a note of who you spoke to and when.

How insurers (and the Ombudsman) decide if it was the storm

The most common argument after a roof claim is whether the storm caused the damage, or simply exposed a roof that was already worn out. The Financial Ombudsman Service, which settles complaints about insurers for free, explains on its storm damage page that when a storm claim has been refused it asks three questions:

1. Was there a storm on the date the damage happened?
2. Is the damage consistent with what is generally seen as storm damage?
3. Were storm conditions the main cause of the damage, or might it have happened anyway?

To answer them, the Ombudsman looks at official weather reports, the condition of the property, what you say about the conditions you experienced, and the wording of your policy. A few points from its guidance are worth knowing:

• A storm usually means violent winds with rain, hail or snow, but heavy rain, hail or snow alone can count.
• Saying the damage was caused by "a storm some time ago", or by bad weather over time, is unlikely to be enough.
• Policies often exclude wear and tear and gradual damage. If your insurer relies on an exclusion, it's up to the insurer to show that it applies, for example with an inspection report.
• If the roof was already in poor condition and you knew about it, or the storm just highlighted an existing problem, a complaint is unlikely to succeed.
• If a storm claim is fairly declined, your insurer should still check whether another part of the policy, such as accidental damage cover, applies.

If you disagree with a decision, complain to your insurer first. If you don't get a final response within eight weeks, or you're unhappy with it, you can take the complaint to the Ombudsman.

A roof that's checked and maintained is far easier to claim on. Our guide to the most common roof problems covers what to look out for between storms.

Temporary repairs versus the proper fix

You may need two visits: an emergency make-safe, then the permanent repair. That's normal, but keep the two clearly separate.

A temporary covering is a stopgap, so check it after every spell of wind and rain. Water that has been getting in for a while can cause damp patches; our guide to types of damp explains what you're dealing with.

Do storm repairs need permission?

Most storm repairs don't need planning permission or a Building Regulations application, but bigger jobs can. According to the Planning Portal's guidance on work to an existing roof, you won't normally need to apply to building control for repairs or re-covering if less than 25 per cent of the whole building envelope (walls, floor, roof, windows and doors) is affected, and less than 50 per cent of the roof. You will need approval if you go beyond those limits, make structural alterations, change to a covering that performs very differently in a fire, or use a new covering that's 15 per cent heavier or more. Going beyond the limits can also mean the insulation has to be brought up to standard.

If the storm means most of a roof has to be stripped and re-covered, ask the roofer how Building Regulations will be handled. The government authorises competent person schemes so that registered installers can self-certify certain work: for replacing roof coverings on pitched and flat roofs, the schemes listed on GOV.UK are CompetentRoofer and NAPIT. If your roofer isn't registered with one, building control will need to be involved instead, and the application usually needs to be made before the work starts. Check registration yourself on the scheme's own website.

Listed buildings and conservation areas

If your home is listed, in a conservation area or a flat, the Planning Portal advises checking with your local planning authority before carrying out work. This matters most if matching tiles or slates can't be found and a different material is suggested.

Asbestos in older garages and outbuildings

The HSE says asbestos may be in any home built or refurbished before 2000, including asbestos cement roofs. If a storm has cracked or blown sheets off an older garage, shed or outbuilding roof made of corrugated cement sheeting, don't break, sweep or cut it up yourself. Ask the contractor how they'll handle it.

Doorstep traders after a storm

Storms bring out cold callers offering to fix roofs, chimneys, gutters and fences on the spot. In Berkshire this is a real local problem, not just a general warning. The Public Protection Partnership, which runs trading standards for Bracknell Forest, West Berkshire and Wokingham, reported in its 2024 to 2027 strategic assessment that 13% of its doorstep crime complaints related to roofing (63 reports).

Typical warning signs include:

• An unexpected knock saying they're "working in the area" and noticed a problem with your roof.
• Pressure to agree today, a price that rises once work has begun, or claims that extra work is needed.
• Nothing in writing, and no written information about your right to cancel.

GOV.UK explains that when you agree a contract at your home, the trader must tell you that you can cancel within 14 days without giving a reason. If they don't, you can cancel at any time in the next 12 months, and the trader can face an unlimited fine and up to two years in prison. If a doorstep caller is with you now, or has just been, in Bracknell Forest, West Berkshire or Wokingham you can call the Public Protection Partnership on 01635 519930. Elsewhere in Berkshire, contact your own council's trading standards team.

Choosing a roofer in Berkshire

Choose the roofer yourself, from your own shortlist, rather than whoever turns up. When comparing roofers:

• Get at least two written quotes that say exactly what will be replaced, the materials, how access will be arranged (scaffolding or otherwise), the price including VAT, and what happens if hidden damage is found.
• Ask about their insurance and ask to see the certificate. Don't assume.
• Check any scheme membership on the scheme's own website, especially if the job is big enough to need Building Regulations sign-off.
• Look up limited companies on Companies House and check the name matches the quote.
• Ask them to say in writing whether the damage looks like storm damage, wear and tear or both, which helps with a claim.
• Ask what you'll get at the end: an itemised invoice, photos of the finished work, any guarantee in writing and, for larger jobs, the Building Regulations certificate.
• Agree the payment terms in writing. Be wary of anyone who wants a large sum before they start.

If you're claiming, ask your insurer whether you're free to use your own roofer before you book one.

Need a tradesperson? Find roofers across Berkshire, including Reading, Bracknell, Wokingham, Maidenhead, Windsor and Slough. Each listing has a Trust Score, an automated assessment of the business's Google reviews, Companies House record and TrustMark registration. Read how it works. Trust Scores aren't for sale; Pro members are listed first, with a Pro badge. Before you book, get written quotes and check any scheme membership and insurance yourself.