After a serious storm, the first visitors are often sales crews who already know which streets were hit. You can talk to them later. In the first dry hour, your job is safety and a record. The record is what keeps a real claim clear and a soft sales visit from becoming the only story of the damage.
From the ground, before anything is moved
Photograph the whole elevations of the house, then closer views of missing shingles, dented gutters, cracked windows, and fallen limbs. Include a reference so dates are obvious: a news photo is not your photo. Take pictures of debris before it is stacked. If hail is the question, a dented flue cap, a bruised gutter, and marks on a downspout are easier to see than granule loss, which can also be ordinary age. Do not assume every bare patch of asphalt is impact. Say what you see.
Indoors, photograph stains, and put a ruler or a coin in the frame. Note which rooms. If water is near power, stay out and shut the circuit off only if you can do that without standing in water.
What not to do
Do not climb a damaged roof. Do not throw away shingles that blew into the yard until you have photos. Do not sign an assignment of benefits or a contract with a “we handle your claim” clause while you are still wet and tired. You can hire a contractor without giving them your claim. Read how to choose a contractor when you are calmer, and keep insurance in its actual lane.
If you open a claim
Ask the insurer what they want documented and whether they will send an adjuster. Keep names and dates. A contractor’s inspection can inform you. It does not replace the policy. If someone offers to waive your deductible, refuse. Temporary dry-in to prevent further damage is often reasonable. Get the temporary work described and priced, and keep those photos too.
If there is no covered sudden damage and the roof was already old, the photos still help you scope a repair honestly. They are not a magic key to a new roof.
Questions readers ask
How fast do I need to file?
Policies have notice requirements, and waiting months weakens a storm story. You do not need to hire a roofer in the driveway to satisfy notice. Call the insurer, tell them what happened, and say you are documenting.
Are drone photos enough?
They are useful. They miss soft decking and can overstate cosmetic marks. Treat them as part of the album, not the whole decision.
What if the storm revealed an old leak?
Say that. An old stain and a new opening are different facts. Accurate descriptions are how claims stay clean.
Take Care Nest publishes general information for homeowners. It is not an inspection, a bid, or a substitute for a licensed contractor. Where the structure may be unsafe, get a qualified professional on site before anyone walks the roof.