A calm, hour-by-hour plan for Pinellas homeowners after a storm: safety, photos, tarps, insurance and how to avoid storm-chasing contractors.
Pinellas County is a peninsula on a peninsula, with water on three sides and a lot of homes built before modern wind codes. After a strong storm, roofs from Tarpon Springs to St. Pete Beach can lose shingles, tiles or flashing, and the rain that follows causes more damage than the wind did. What you do in the first 72 hours shapes both how much damage spreads and how smoothly your insurance claim goes.
This is a practical plan. Keep it somewhere you can reach without power.
Wait until officials say it's safe to go out. Downed power lines, standing water that may be energized, and weakened trees are the main dangers. Don't climb on the roof, wet or dry. Falls after storms are a common and avoidable injury.
Walk around the outside of the house and look up. Note missing shingles or tiles, lifted ridge caps, damaged soffits, bent gutters and anything that has punctured the roof. Inside, check ceilings for stains or sagging, especially near outside walls and around vents and skylights. If a ceiling is bulging with water, keep people away and call for help.
If you run a portable generator, keep it outside and far from doors and windows. Carbon monoxide poisoning sends people to the hospital after every major Florida storm.
Before you clean up, photograph and video the damage from the ground and inside the house. Get wide shots that show the whole roof face, then close-ups. Photograph debris in the yard, damaged ceilings, wet insulation and belongings. Date-stamped photos on your phone are fine.
Find your insurance policy and your agent's number. Write down a short timeline: when the storm passed, when you first noticed damage, and what you've seen since. Insurers will ask.
Your policy almost certainly expects you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. That usually means a temporary tarp on the roof and moving belongings away from leaks. Hire a licensed roofer for tarping if you can; check the license on the DBPR site even when you're in a hurry. Keep every receipt.
Don't make permanent repairs before your insurer has had a chance to see the damage, unless they tell you otherwise. Temporary protection is fine. Tearing off a damaged section and replacing it before an adjuster visits can complicate the claim.
Report the claim promptly. Florida has shortened the deadlines for reporting property claims in recent years, so read your policy and don't wait for the dust to settle. Ask about your hurricane deductible, which is often a percentage of your dwelling coverage.
Get a roofer to inspect and give you a written repair estimate. If the damage is extensive, ask whether the roof can be repaired or will need replacement, and why. Building code rules affect how much of a damaged roof must be brought up to current standards, and those rules have changed in recent years. Your roofer and the building department can explain what applies to your home.
Within a day or two, expect knocks on the door, flyers and calls from people offering free inspections and fast repairs. Some are legitimate local roofers; some travel from storm to storm and won't be around for the warranty. Ask for a Florida roofing license number and look it up. Ask for a local address and references from Pinellas jobs.
Never sign a document that assigns your insurance benefits to a contractor. For policies issued or renewed in Florida since 2023, assignment of benefits is generally prohibited, and anyone pressuring you to sign one is a red flag. Be careful with large up-front deposits too.
Roof repairs beyond minor patching and all roof replacements generally need a permit. Pinellas cities such as St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo, Dunedin and Pinellas Park run their own building departments; unincorporated areas like Palm Harbor go through the county. After big storms, local governments sometimes adjust permit processes to speed up repairs, so check current guidance.
If you made it through this season without damage, the months between December and May are the time to get a roof inspection, fix small problems and replace an aging roof on your schedule instead of a storm's. Roofers are easier to book and the weather is drier.
Only if you can do it safely from the ground or with proper equipment. Many injuries after storms are falls. A licensed roofer is the safer choice.
Many policies cover reasonable temporary repairs to prevent more damage. Keep receipts and photos, and confirm with your insurer.
Send a request through Tampa Services and we'll match you with a roofing provider who covers your Pinellas ZIP code. Verify their license and insurance before work starts.
Most repairs beyond minor patches and every replacement need one. Check with your city or, in unincorporated areas, Pinellas County.