Lomita, CA
Storm damage, insurance and what to do first
The first hour after a storm is about stopping water, not about getting the best price. Those are two separate jobs and they happen in that order.
Or call (424) 401-9643Describe the storm damage job
Three questions, then the address. Up to three Lomita contractors who do this work.
Your request is in.
We are matching it now against roofing contractors working in Lomita and the surrounding area.
- Today, usually within the hour. The first contractor calls or texts the number you gave us. ASAP requests go out first.
- Up to three of them, no more. We cap it at three so you can compare without your phone melting.
- They come and look. Estimates are given after somebody has been on the roof, not over the phone.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
If you do not hear anything today, check your voicemail and spam folder — contractors often call from a mobile number.
Before you let anybody on the roof
The things worth pinning down on a storm damage job. A contractor who has not raised them has not looked properly.
- A local address you could actually drive to
- A written scope you can put in front of an adjuster
- Whether the contractor is licensed and insured in this state
- What the emergency tarp costs, separate from the repair
- Photographs of the damage before any work happens
Do not sign anything that assigns your claim benefits to a contractor until you have read it twice. That signature can hand over control of the claim entirely.
Damage that matters is often invisible from the ground. Bruised shingles, lifted seals and hairline mat fractures fail years later, long after the claim window has closed.
Keep every receipt, including the tarp and the emergency call-out. Reasonable measures to prevent further damage are usually recoverable, and usually forgotten.
Locally
Then, less dramatically: dry offshore wind that arrives all at once in autumn. Dry offshore wind lifts material that damp coastal air had been holding down. Most wind losses here happen on a handful of nights a year.
About storm damage here
How many contractors will contact me?
No more than three. We picked that number because two quotes is not enough to spot an outlier and five is an ordeal.
What warranty should I expect?
Ask for both in writing: the material warranty from the manufacturer and the workmanship warranty from the contractor. The second one is the one that matters in year three, and it is only as good as the company behind it.
Is moss on the roof a problem?
Yes, eventually. Moss holds water against the shingle and lifts the edges as it thickens. Zinc or copper strip at the ridge suppresses it. Pressure washing an asphalt roof strips the granules and does more harm than the moss did.
I have solar panels. What happens to them?
Panels have to be detached and reset. Budget for it separately and coordinate the two trades. Never put a new solar array on a roof with under ten years left.
Get it priced
No cost, no obligation, and never more than three contractors.