What to Do After Roof Storm Damage in Adelaide — First 24 Hours

First — make sure no one is hurt

Check household members. If anyone is injured, call 000. If there’s significant structural damage and the building is unsafe, evacuate. SES (132 500) handles immediate emergency tarping for severe damage where the home isn’t safely occupiable.

Stop the water inside

If water is entering, contain it: buckets, towels, plastic sheeting. Move valuables (electronics, paperwork, furniture) away from active leak zones. Don’t poke at bulging wet ceilings — they’re structurally fragile. Don’t try to climb on the roof yourself.

Photograph everything

Phone photos with date stamps. Inside damage (ceiling stains, water on floor, damaged contents). Outside damage (visible roof damage, fallen debris). Adjacent property damage (your trees on neighbours, neighbours’ on yours). These photos are your insurance claim baseline.

Notify your insurer

Most Adelaide home insurance policies require notification within a ‘reasonable time’ — typically 24-72 hours for storm damage. Phone the insurer’s claims line. They’ll provide a claim number, an excess amount, and either an in-house assessor or instructions to obtain a quote yourself.

Book emergency tarping

An active leak in continuing rain needs immediate tarping ($450–$1,200) to stop further water entry. RidgeFox routes storm-damage leads same-day where weather permits. Tarp lasts 2–4 weeks while the full repair is scheduled. Tarping is typically claimable under your storm cover.

Avoid storm-chasers

Within 24-48 hours of a major Adelaide storm, door-knockers will appear. They claim to be ‘in the area’ or ‘doing emergency work for your insurer.’ Almost always they’re storm-chasers from interstate, often unlicensed. Tell them no, don’t sign anything, take a card if curious, and verify their licence and references later. Real Adelaide roofers are too busy with existing customers to door-knock.

Schedule the proper inspection

Within 5-7 days, a roofer inspection produces the damage report and quote your insurer needs. The roofer climbs (safely, in dry conditions), photographs every damaged sheet/tile, measures the affected area, and prepares an assessor-compatible report. Cost: $350–$650 for assessment alone, often refunded if work proceeds.

The insurance claim sequence

1. You notify insurer. 2. Insurer issues claim number + assessor name. 3. Roofer inspection produces damage report + quote. 4. You submit quote to insurer. 5. Assessor reviews (sometimes visits). 6. Insurer approves scope. 7. Work scheduled. Total timeline: 4–8 weeks for most claims; longer for complex multi-property storms.

What insurance typically covers

Sudden storm damage (hail, wind, fallen branch). Emergency tarping. Like-for-like replacement of damaged sections. Full re-roof if the assessor agrees damage is widespread. Not covered: pre-existing wear, age-related degradation, unauthorised modifications, deferred maintenance.

Get emergency storm response

Request emergency storm-damage response and tick the ‘Storm Damage / Insurance Claim’ option. Storm-damage leads are routed ahead of normal quote queues. See the storm damage service page for the full claim process.