After A Monsoon: What To Do In The First 24 Hours
Most monsoon roof damage in the Valley is not visible from the ground. Here is the order to do things in, what to photograph, and the one thing that decides whether a claim gets paid.
August 14, 2026 5 min readPepla Roofing · Phoenix, AZ
The short version
- Photograph the inside damage before you clean anything up. Dated photos of the interior are the evidence a carrier works from.
- Do not get on the roof. Most storm damage is documented from a ladder or a drone by someone insured to be up there.
- A denial often comes down to what was documented, not what happened.
Monsoon wind, hail and blowing debris do real damage to Valley roofs, and a lot of it is not visible from the ground. What you do in the first day shapes what your carrier will pay.
In order
- Make it safe inside. Move what is under the leak. Put a container down. If a ceiling is sagging and holding water, stay out from under it.
- Photograph everything before you clean up. The stain, the dripping, the bucket, the damaged contents, with the date on. Interior photographs taken before cleanup are the hardest evidence a carrier sees.
- Do not get on the roof. Wet tile is lethal and a fall costs more than any roof. Photograph what you can see from the ground, from a window, or from an upstairs vantage.
- Call for a documented inspection. You want photographs of the damage, the flashing, the penetrations and the underlayment condition, plus a written scope with line-item pricing — not a one-line estimate.
- Then call your carrier. With photographs and a written scope already in hand, the conversation is about facts rather than estimates.
What adjusters actually look for
Wind damage on a tile roof usually shows as slipped, lifted or cracked tile along the rake and ridge, and as displaced underlayment where the wind got under the covering. On shingle, it is creasing at the tab line and granule loss in concentrated patches. Hail shows as bruising you often have to feel rather than see. None of this reads clearly from a ground-level photograph, which is why the inspection matters.
If your claim was denied
A denial is not always the end, and it often comes down to what was documented rather than what occurred. A fresh inspection with photographs and a written assessment gives you something concrete to go back with. Whether that changes the outcome is your carrier's decision — but you will at least know the true condition of your roof.
One line worth knowing: a roofing contractor in Arizona is not a public adjuster and cannot negotiate or settle a claim on your behalf. What a contractor can legitimately do is document the roof — condition, measurement, scope and price — and discuss those facts with your carrier under written authorization from you.
Questions people ask
- What should I do first after a monsoon damages my roof?
- Make the inside safe, then photograph all interior damage before you clean anything up. Dated interior photographs taken before cleanup are the strongest evidence a carrier works from. Do not get on the roof yourself.
- Does homeowners insurance cover monsoon roof damage in Arizona?
- Wind and hail damage is covered under most Arizona homeowners policies, though deductibles and exclusions vary by policy. Wear, age and lack of maintenance are generally not covered, which is why documentation separating storm damage from age matters.
- Can a roofer negotiate my insurance claim for me?
- No. Arizona licenses public adjusters, and negotiating or settling a claim on a homeowner's behalf is their work. A roofing contractor can document the roof's condition, measurement, scope and price, and discuss those facts with the carrier under your written authorization.
- Is emergency tarping covered by insurance?
- Emergency make-safe work such as tarping is covered under most policies, and failing to make safe can itself reduce a payout. Keep the receipt and photograph the roof before and after the tarp goes on.