Do this first
What to do right now
- Secure the area first: cordon off anything under damaged decking, loose parapet coping or hanging debris, and keep people out.
- Photograph the damage from the ground and from a safe vantage point before anything is covered or cleaned up.
- Check for downed power lines and de-energise circuits in the affected area before anyone goes on the roof.
- Request emergency tarping and note the size of the open area, the roof height and whether there is lift or ladder access.
- Keep every emergency invoice separate from permanent repair invoices, mitigation is usually handled differently by the carrier.
- Notify your insurance carrier the same day and record the claim number, adjuster name and time of the call.
What a proper commercial dry-in looks like
On a low-slope commercial roof in Corpus Christi, "tarping" rarely means a blue poly tarp thrown over the top with tyres
holding it down: that is a residential answer and it does not survive the next Texas gust front. A commercial dry-in
is mechanically fastened at the perimeter with battens and screws into the deck, seams overlapped and sealed, edges
turned up at parapets, and drains kept clear so the tarp does not become a pond. On a peeled single-ply section the
crew may instead heat-weld or peel-and-stick a temporary membrane patch directly, which holds far better and can often
be incorporated into the permanent repair.
Your policy almost certainly requires you to mitigate
Nearly every commercial property policy contains a duty to protect the property from further damage after a loss.
Practically, that means an owner in Corpus Christi who leaves an open roof through a second rain event risks having the
additional interior damage disputed. It also means reasonable emergency mitigation costs are usually recoverable -
which is why the tarping invoice should be separate, itemised, dated, and accompanied by before-and-after photographs.
Wind damage is judged at the edges
Commercial roof wind failures almost always start at the perimeter. Edge metal, coping and termination bars take the
highest uplift pressure, and once the edge lifts, the wind gets under the membrane and peels the field like a lid.
That is why a competent storm inspection focuses on the perimeter details, the fastening pattern and the condition of
the edge metal, not just the visible tear. It is also why re-installing the same edge detail that failed is a poor
repair.
Slow down before you sign the permanent scope
Get the building dry, then take a breath. The permanent repair or replacement should be scoped in daylight with
photographs, moisture survey results and at least two written proposals. Storm-chasing crews arrive in Texas within
days of a major event and rely on owners signing under pressure. Legitimate emergency work does not require you to
commit to a replacement contract in the same visit.
