Some roof problems can wait for daylight. A few cannot. Knowing which is which saves your ceiling.
The Short List
Call right away for any of these.
- Water coming through a ceiling or a light fixture
- A tree limb resting on the roof
- Shingles or panels gone, leaving the deck open
- A ceiling that is sagging or bulging
- Debris that punched through
If water is getting in, it is an emergency. Most other problems can hold.
The First Hour
Move furniture and electronics out of the path. Put a bucket under the drip.
If the ceiling is bulging, poke a small hole in the center and let it drain into the bucket. That feels wrong. It is still better than a whole sheet of drywall coming down.
Then photograph everything. Wide shots of the room, close shots of the damage, and a shot of the water on the floor. Do that before you clean anything up.
Stay off the roof. A wet slope, a ladder, and a flashlight is how people get hurt.
Something Most People Don’t Know
Texas does not license roofing contractors. The Roofing Contractors Association of Texas says it plainly on its own site: the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation does not administer roofing licensure, and anyone can call themselves a roofer in the state.
That is not a scare tactic. It just means the screening is yours to do. RCAT runs a voluntary licensing program, and manufacturers run their own certification programs, but nothing is required by law.
So ask before anyone climbs up:
- Can you tarp tonight, or only look?
- Do you carry tarp material on the truck?
- Will I get photos and a written scope?
- Who is my contact after I sign, and is it you?
- Are you based here, and will you be here next year?
STX Roofing works out of Huffman and takes calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which is the sort of detail worth confirming with anyone you call at midnight. Crews that follow storms across state lines cannot answer that last question, and it is the one that matters in year two.
Why the Clock Matters
Water does not sit still. It runs the rafters, soaks insulation, and then finds drywall.
The EPA recommends drying water damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. That is a short window, and it is why a tarp tonight beats a cheaper quote on Thursday.
Run fans, pull up soaked rugs, and get a dehumidifier going in the wet room.
The Complaint You See in Every Bad Review
Read enough one star roofing reviews and the same story repeats. The work itself was fine. The communication fell apart.
Calls not returned. A rep who was attentive until the contract was signed and unreachable after. Materials left in the driveway for weeks. A punch list item nobody would own. Nails in the yard.
None of that shows up on a quote. So ask for the after-signing contact by name, ask who does the final walkthrough, and ask what happens if you find a nail in a tire in September.
Two more habits help. Keep every text and email in one thread, so the timeline is easy to pull later. And do the final walkthrough yourself, in daylight, with the punch list written down before anyone leaves.
A tarp is a lid, not a repair. Get the permanent fix on the calendar before the next storm makes the decision for you.