A dated, written inspection of a roof after wind or rain, recorded before any cleanup or repair.
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A storm damage roof inspection in Fontana is a written, photographed check of the roof and attic after wind or rain, done before cleanup or repair. It records what the storm did and what is still at risk. Fontana Roofing connects callers in Fontana and San Bernardino County with a local crew that writes up what it finds.
A storm is the usual reason a homeowner asks for a roof check. A night of strong wind lifts shingles, moves a ridge cap or bends flashing, and a heavy rain shows the leaks that the storm opened. Often the damage is not obvious from the ground, and the first thing a homeowner wants is a clear record of what happened.
This page explains what a storm damage inspection covers, how the crew records the roof before any cleanup, and how the written note can be used with an insurer. It does not promise any insurance outcome, and it does not say whether a given storm will be covered, because that is for the insurer and the policy to decide.
Do not walk a roof in the wet or in strong wind to look for storm damage, and do not climb a ladder that is not on firm ground. Keep to the ground and use binoculars or photographs taken from a safe distance. Do not touch downed power lines or wires near the roof. (833) 751-2102 connects you with a local crew that records the damage with the right footing and equipment.
After a wind event the crew focuses on the edges, the ridge, the flashing and the gutters on the windward side. The record shows which tabs and caps were lifted, where, and what the flashing looks like at each joint. It is the most common storm check in the Inland Empire.
After a heavy rain the crew traces the leaks from the room below back to the roof. It records the entry points, the wet insulation and any boards that have soaked through. The attic record is central, because it shows where the water went.
When a branch, a fence or a tree has struck the roof, the crew checks the covering, the vents and the metal for dents, cracks and punctures. The record notes the position of each impact and the damage it has caused.
A storm inspection can also be done before the rain or wind season, with the same record. It sets a baseline, so that a later storm can be compared with the roof as it was. The crew uses the same photograph positions each time for that reason.
Call any hour and explain what is going on. You get a clear price before any work starts.
A record taken before cleanup shows the roof as the storm left it. Once debris is cleared, shingles are reset or a tarp is laid, the original position of the damage is hard to show, so the first photographs carry the most weight.
Homeowners often clear the yard and the gutters in the first hours after a storm. That is understandable, but the material on the roof and in the gutters is part of the record. A crew asks that the roof and gutters be left as they are until the survey is complete.
Where safety requires a change, such as a tarp to keep rain out of a room, the crew records the roof before it is covered and notes the time and the reason for the change.
The record lists each damaged area with its position on the roof, a photograph, a short description of the damage and the likely cause. It also notes the attic findings, the gutters and any debris, and it is dated and signed by the technician who did the survey.
Positions are given as slope, edge and distance from a known point such as a ridge or a chimney, so that a reader can find each item on the roof. Photographs are taken from the ground and from the roof where it is safe, and each one carries its label.
The note separates what was seen from what is judged. A lifted tab is a fact. A tab that is likely to lift again in the next wind is a judgment, and the note labels it as one.
A dated, photographed record can help a homeowner talk with an insurer about what the storm did. It is evidence of condition, not a decision on the claim. Whether a policy responds to any given damage is for the insurer and the policy to decide.
Keep the note, the photographs and any receipts together. Give a copy to the insurer if it asks for one, and keep a copy for your own records. The crew can explain what it saw, but it does not decide the claim or speak for the insurer.
If the insurer's view of the damage differs from the record, the homeowner can ask the insurer to explain its reasoning in writing. A dispute about how a claim is handled can be raised with the California Department of Insurance.
Safety and further damage come first. A crew can make the roof safe and dry where that is needed, and it records the state of the roof before doing so. Ask the insurer how it wants the work documented before any permanent repair, and keep every step in writing.
A temporary cover over an open area keeps rain out of the house while the claim is looked at. The crew notes the cover, its position and the time it was put on, and it photographs the roof before the cover goes down.
A permanent repair can often follow once the damage is recorded. The homeowner should ask the insurer what documentation it needs before the repair is done, and whether any part of the roof must be kept for review.
The scope depends on the roof area, the number of damaged areas, the access and whether the attic must be entered. The inspection is quoted separately from any repair, and the price is explained and approved before any work starts.
A small roof with one visible area of damage is a short survey. A large or steep roof with many areas, or one where the attic is hard to reach, takes longer to record and needs more care.
A crew that finds damage will show it to you and explain the recommended steps. The inspection is a record first, and any repair is a separate decision with its own quote.
The crew asks that no one clears the roof or removes debris until the inspection is done. Recording the roof as it was after the storm is what makes the record useful, so the first step is to photograph the damage as it lies.
The technician walks the property and then the roof, checking each slope and the edges. Every lifted tab, cracked cap, bent flashing and displaced gutter is noted with its position on the roof.
The attic is checked from inside for new stains, wet insulation, daylight through the boards and signs of water along the rafters. The crew matches what it sees in the attic to what it found on the roof.
Each area is photographed with a label for its position, and the findings are written in plain terms. The note lists what was seen, what is still at risk and what the crew recommends, and it is dated.
The homeowner is shown the findings and the options, such as a temporary cover, a repair or a larger scope. Nothing is changed on the roof until the homeowner approves the work, and the price is explained and approved before any work starts.
Fontana gets the same wind and rain events as the rest of the Inland Empire. The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning in February 2022 that covered Fontana, Riverside and San Bernardino, and a storm of that kind is the natural moment for a written record of the roof.
A storm check in Fontana looks first at the windward edges and the ridge, because those take the wind first. The attic is then checked for water along the eave, where a wind-driven rain often finds its way in.
A roof checked before and after each event shows a change that a single look afterwards would miss, which is why the crew can set a baseline at any time.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Repair of shingles, ridge caps and edge flashing lifted by a Santa Ana wind event.
Repair of roof leaks that appear at the first heavy rain of the season, after months of dry weather.
A dated, photographed written report of a roof and attic, useful before and after a season or a sale.
A tarp fitted over a wind-opened or storm-damaged roof section to keep rain out until the repair.
Santa Ana winds are dry, strong winds that blow from the desert toward the coast and reach the Inland Empire in the cooler months.
A homeowner policy in California generally responds to sudden and accidental damage to the dwelling, such as wind uplift, and generally excludes wear and lack of maintenance.
An inspection records what the storm did and what is still at risk, and it is quoted separately. A repair is the work that follows, and it is a separate decision with its own price. You can have the record first and decide on the repair once you have seen the findings.
No. The inspection records the condition of the roof. It does not decide whether a policy responds to any damage. The insurer and your policy make that decision, and the California Department of Insurance is the complaint route if you disagree with how a claim is handled.
Fontana Roofing passes your request to the nearest available crew, and no arrival time is promised. Ask the caller to say that the damage is recent, because the record is most useful before cleanup. The crew asks that the roof and gutters are left as they are until it arrives.
Leave the roof and gutters as they are until the record is made, unless a safety problem needs attention. Material on the roof and in the gutters can show the storm's path. Clear a path to the door and move valuables away from the walls.
The note is dated and lists each damaged area with its position, a photograph and a short description. It includes the attic findings, the gutters and any debris, and it separates what was seen from what the technician judges to be at risk.
Ask for the contractor license number and the C-39 roofing classification, and check the number with the Contractors State License Board. Ask to see a current workers' compensation certificate for the company that attends. These details should be given before any inspection starts.