Emergency Roof Tarping in Sebastian & the Treasure Coast — 24/7 Storm Response
Leeward Roofing provides emergency roof tarping across Sebastian, Vero Beach and the Treasure Coast — licensed Florida contractor CCC1337211, prioritized storm response, call 772-589-2400. A properly installed tarp stops active water intrusion within hours, protects your interior until permanent repairs are scheduled, and satisfies your insurance policy's duty to mitigate further damage.
When Your Roof Needs Emergency Tarping
Missing shingles or tiles with exposed underlayment after a storm
Active dripping, ceiling stains spreading, or daylight visible in the attic
Tree or debris impact that punctured the deck
Any damage when more rain is in the forecast — on the Treasure Coast, it usually is
Why Professional Tarping Beats DIY
Most post-storm injuries happen on ladders and wet roofs — and a poorly anchored tarp becomes a sail in the next gust. Our crews anchor tarps to structure, lap them for shed flow, and photograph everything for your claim. Insurers typically reimburse professional emergency mitigation as part of a covered claim; keep every receipt.
Emergency Tarping FAQs
More storm resources: visit the Hurricane Command Center or request help online.
How fast can you get here?
After major storms we run priority routes across Sebastian, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie and Stuart, triaged by severity. Call 772-589-2400 — active interior leaks go to the front of the line.
Does insurance cover roof tarping?
When the damage is part of a covered claim, emergency mitigation costs are generally reimbursable — and your policy usually requires you to prevent further damage. We document the damage before and after tarping so your claim file is airtight.
How long can a tarp stay on?
A professionally installed tarp is a bridge measure — typically fine for a few weeks while permanent storm damage repairs and the insurance claim are completed, not a season-long fix.
Emergency tarping across the Treasure Coast.
We prioritise active water intrusion — water coming through a ceiling right now goes to the front of the queue, ahead of scheduled work.
- Check ceilings and attic decking for staining before you look at the roof itself.
- Take dated photos of interior damage as well as exterior.
- Get a tarp on it — ongoing intrusion can be excluded from a claim.
- Do not sign an assignment of benefits under pressure at your front door.
Recent Leeward jobs
Real Treasure Coast roofs installed by our own crews — not stock photography.
What a tarp is actually for
It is not a repair. It is a tourniquet — and the difference between a good one and a bad one is measured in drywall, insulation and flooring.
Once water is inside the building, every additional hour has a cost: saturated insulation loses its R-value permanently, drywall wicks moisture along the ceiling plane well beyond the visible stain, and in Florida humidity mould growth can begin within 24 to 48 hours. A properly installed tarp stops that clock. A badly installed one gives you the feeling of having stopped it while water keeps arriving.
A proper tarp is fastened, not weighted
Battened down over furring strips, screwed into sound decking, with the fasteners sealed and the upper edge run under a course of covering so water cannot get behind it. Not a blue sheet held down with paving slabs, which is what blows off in the next squall and takes shingles with it.
It has to shed uphill
The top edge has to be higher than the damage and tucked under the roof covering above it. Water runs downhill under the surface, so a tarp that starts below the entry point simply diverts water to a new place.
It has to survive the next storm
Tarps go on during weather, and the weather usually is not finished. Ours are specified and fastened to stay on through the follow-up squalls rather than needing a second visit.
It buys weeks, not months
A well-installed tarp holds for 30 to 90 days depending on exposure. It is there to protect the building while the claim is opened, the scope agreed and the permanent repair scheduled — not as a way to defer the repair indefinitely.
It should be documented
We photograph the damage before the tarp goes on, because once it is covered your adjuster cannot see what was underneath. Those photographs frequently matter more than the tarp itself.
What to do right now if water is coming in
While you wait for us. In this order.
Protect what is underneath
Move furniture and electronics out of the path, get buckets under active drips, and pull rugs up. Contents damage is frequently larger than the building damage.
Relieve a bulging ceiling
A sagging, water-filled ceiling will eventually let go all at once. Puncturing it deliberately at the low point with a screwdriver, with a bucket underneath, releases the water in a controlled way and usually saves the rest of the ceiling. Stand to the side.
Kill power to affected areas
If water is near light fixtures, ceiling fans or outlets, switch that circuit off at the panel. Do not touch fixtures that are wet.
Photograph everything, before cleanup
Wide shots and close-ups, interior and exterior. Date-stamped photographs taken before you tidy up are the most valuable evidence you will have and almost nobody takes enough.
Do not climb up there
Wet, wind-damaged roofs with compromised decking are genuinely dangerous, and Florida sees serious injuries after every major storm from exactly this. Call us instead.
Then call, and call your carrier
772-589-2400 for the tarp. Your insurer to open the claim — you have one year from the date of loss under Florida Statute 627.70132, and there is no reason to use any of it.
Tarping, insurance and what happens next
Mitigation is your obligation under the policy, and the cost of it is normally recoverable.
Your policy requires you to mitigate
Standard Florida homeowners policies place a duty on you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage after a loss. Tarping is the textbook example. Failing to do it can reduce what the carrier pays for the damage that followed.
Tarping costs are usually recoverable
Because it is mitigation, the cost is typically reimbursable as part of the claim. Keep the invoice and the photographs. We itemise tarping separately for exactly this reason.
We document before we cover
Photographs of the damage, measurements, and the condition of the decking underneath, taken before the tarp goes down. Once it is covered, nobody can assess what was there — including your adjuster.
Then the permanent repair
Once water is stopped and the scope is agreed, the real work happens: permitted, inspected and warranted. Depending on what we find that is a repair or a replacement, and we will tell you honestly which.
Be careful who else knocks
Storm chasers arrive within days of any named storm, often before the power is back. Nobody legitimate needs a signature on your driveway today, and nobody legitimate offers to cover your deductible. See hurricane roofing scams.
Storm season reality
After a major named storm the entire region calls in the same 48 hours. We triage by severity, active water first. Call early rather than waiting to see whether it gets worse — it usually does, and the queue only grows.
Emergency tarping FAQs
How fast can you get a tarp on my roof?
Active water is our top priority and we can usually be there within 24 hours, often faster. After a major named storm the whole region is calling at once, so call early - we triage by severity and active leaks go first.
What does emergency tarping cost?
Typically $400 to $1,200 depending on the area covered, roof height and access. It is itemised separately on your invoice because tarping is mitigation and the cost is normally recoverable through your claim.
How long will a tarp last?
A properly battened and fastened tarp holds for roughly 30 to 90 days depending on exposure. It is designed to protect the building while the claim is processed and the permanent repair is scheduled, not as a long-term solution.
Will the tarp damage my roof?
Fastening a tarp does mean screws into the decking, and those penetrations are sealed and then permanently repaired as part of the final work. The alternative - an unfastened tarp - blows off and takes covering with it, which is considerably worse.
Can I just put a tarp on myself?
We would rather you did not. Wet, wind-damaged roofs are how people get badly hurt after storms. If you are determined to, do it from a ladder at the edge rather than walking the roof, and never in wind or lightning.
Do you tarp commercial and flat roofs?
Yes. Low-slope emergency work is different - it is usually a matter of temporarily sealing seams, terminations and penetrations rather than sheeting a slope. See commercial roof repair.
Will my insurance pay for the tarp?
Usually yes, as mitigation. Keep the invoice and the photographs. We document the damage before covering it specifically so your adjuster can see what was underneath.
Do I need to be home?
Not necessarily for exterior tarping, provided we have access and your authorisation. If there is interior damage we would like someone there so we can see what is happening inside.
What if the damage is worse than it looks?
That is common. We tarp first regardless, then do a full documented inspection once conditions allow and give you the real picture in writing with photographs.
Are you licensed and insured to do this work?
Yes - Florida licensed CCC1337211, with general liability and workers compensation. Verify any Florida contractor at myfloridalicense.com before you let them on your roof.
Proudly serving the Treasure Coast
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No pressure, no obligation, and an honest answer even when that answer is "you don't need a new roof yet."
- Free, itemized estimate in writing
- Most inspections scheduled within 24 hours
- We handle permits and insurance paperwork
- Licensed CCC1337211 and fully insured
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