A named storm has hit Yorkshire and you can see damage from the street. What do you do next? Follow this in order and you will save yourself money, stress and a potentially rejected insurance claim.

Hour 1: make safe

Inside

  • If water is coming through the ceiling, place buckets and move anything of value out of the affected room
  • Push a hole in the ceiling below the leak with a screwdriver to drain the pool of water safely into a bucket (yes, really, it stops the whole ceiling collapsing)
  • Isolate electricity to any room where water is dripping near lights or sockets

Outside

  • Do not attempt to climb the roof
  • Keep everyone away from any area below where tiles or debris could fall
  • Move cars from the driveway if there is a chimney or ridge above them

Hour 2: document

  • Take clear photos of all visible damage from the ground
  • Photograph any internal damage (ceiling stains, water on carpets, damaged furniture)
  • Note the time and date of each photo
  • Screenshot the Met Office storm warning if there is one
  • Keep receipts for anything you buy (buckets, tarps, temporary accommodation)

Hour 4: call insurance and a genuine contractor

Insurance

Report the claim by phone. Get a claim number in writing. Ask what the excess is and whether they have a preferred contractor (you do not have to use them but check first).

Contractor

Do not sign anything on a doorstep. Chasers show up in force after every storm and vanish with deposits. Look up a local vetted local firm, check their register listing, and call them. We provide free storm-damage assessments across Leeds within 24 hours.

Hour 12 to 24: temporary tarp

If active leaks are ongoing, a temporary heavy-gauge tarp with battens is essential. Do not let anyone climb your roof without proper scaffold or a licensed roof ladder anchor. We can fit an emergency tarp usually within 4 hours in central Leeds. Cost is £180 to £280 depending on size, and normally reimbursable by insurance.

Days 2 to 7: the proper repair

  • Get 2 to 3 quotes from proper contractors
  • Submit them to your insurer
  • Insurer approves the quote or sends their own assessor
  • Work goes ahead once approved
  • Excess is deducted from the final settlement

Do not do these

  • Pay a large deposit to a doorstepper
  • Sign a contract without reading it
  • Let the first contractor bully you into a quick decision
  • Attempt DIY repairs at height