It’s the middle of a thunderstorm and water is dripping through the ceiling, or you’ve just walked outside to find a tree limb sitting on the roof. Your first thought is to get someone out there now. Your second is that you have no idea who to trust with emergency roofing in Springfield, MO, and you don’t want to make a rushed decision you’ll regret.
Both of those feelings make sense. A roof emergency is stressful, and it’s also exactly when the wrong contractor shows up at the door.
APC Roofing has a local office in Springfield, and we’re GAF Certified, licensed and insured. Call 913-398-5020 and tell us what’s happening. Below is what you can safely do yourself in the meantime.
First, keep yourself and your home safe
Don’t go up on the roof. A wet or icy roof is slippery, storm damage can hide weak spots in the decking, and lightning and downed lines are real hazards. Everything on this list can be done from inside or from the ground.
- Catch the water. Put buckets or towels under drips. If a ceiling is bulging with water, keep people out of the room underneath.
- Protect your belongings. Move furniture, electronics and anything valuable away from the leak, and cover what can’t be moved.
- Stay away from wet wiring. If water is near light fixtures or outlets, turn off power to that area at the breaker if you can do it safely.
- Take photos. Get pictures of the ceiling, the water, the outside of the roof from the ground and any fallen limbs. Your insurance company will want them, and so will the roofer.
- Call your insurer. If a storm caused the damage, you’ll file the claim yourself. Your policy may also require you to take reasonable steps to prevent more damage.
What counts as a roofing emergency
Not every storm problem has to be fixed tonight. It’s an emergency when water is actively getting into the house, when a section of the roof is torn open or missing, or when a tree or large limb has landed on it. Those need attention as soon as it’s safe.
A few missing shingles with no water inside, or granules in the gutter after a hailstorm, usually aren’t emergencies. They still need a look soon, since a missing shingle lets the next rain reach the underlayment, but you have time to book an inspection and get a proper estimate.
The emergencies we see most in southwest Missouri
Spring and summer storms
Severe thunderstorms roll through the Ozarks most springs, bringing hail and straight-line winds. Wind can peel shingles off a whole slope, and hail can crack or puncture older shingles enough to start a leak on the very next rain.
Ice storms and winter leaks
Southwest Missouri gets freezing rain and ice storms that bring down tree limbs. Winter also brings ice dams, where snow melts on the warm part of the roof and refreezes at the cold edge. Water backs up under the shingles and shows up as a leak along an exterior wall, often days after the snow fell.
Falling trees and limbs
A big limb can crack rafters and punch through decking. That’s more than a shingle repair, and it’s worth having the structure checked before anything gets covered up.
Temporary fix first, permanent repair after
During an active storm, the goal is to slow the water down. Sometimes that means a temporary cover over the damaged area until the weather clears and the roof is dry enough to repair properly. A temporary cover is only meant to buy time. It isn’t the repair.
Once it’s safe, the damaged area gets inspected, documented and repaired or replaced. If the damage is extensive, you may be looking at a larger emergency roof repair or even a replacement. For a stain that showed up without a big storm, our roof leak repair page is the better place to start.
Be careful who you let on your roof
After a big storm, crews from out of town often go door to door. Some do fine work. Others take a deposit and disappear, or do a rushed job that fails the next spring. Before you sign anything, ask for the company’s local address, proof of insurance and a written estimate. Take your time even when the house is wet, because a real roofer won’t pressure you to sign on the spot.
Be wary of anyone who offers to waive or cover your deductible. You file your own claim and pay your own deductible. We document the damage, provide the estimate and work with your adjuster. Our insurance roof claims page walks through how that goes.
How it works with APC Roofing
- Call us and book a time. Tell us what happened and what you’re seeing inside.
- Get a clear, honest assessment and estimate. We look at the damage, take photos you can share with your insurer and tell you what needs to happen now and what can wait.
- The repair gets done and the site gets cleaned up.
Emergency roofing questions
Should I call my insurance company or a roofer first?
You can do both. Many homeowners find it helpful to have a roofer look first, so they know what damage is there before they talk to the adjuster.
Can a roof be repaired while it’s raining?
A permanent repair needs a dry roof. During rain, the focus is on keeping water out of the house until the roof can be fixed properly.
Will a few missing shingles cause a leak?
They can. The underlayment beneath is a backup, not a roof, so have the spot looked at and repaired before the next storm.
Call a Springfield roofer you can trust
Call 913-398-5020 or request an inspection online. Once the storm passes, you’ll have a dry house, a roof that’s properly fixed and a clear picture of where you stand with your insurance.
