Emergency Roof Repair in Austin: What to Do in the First 24 Hours
If water is coming through your ceiling or a storm has opened up your roof, the first job is to keep everyone safe and slow the water down, not to fix the roof tonight. Catch the drips, move your things, shut off power to any wet light fixture, and take photos. A properly installed emergency tarp then buys time until the permanent repair.
Vantage Roofing handles emergency tarping and leak repair in Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, and nearby towns. We'll show you photos and tell you honestly whether it needs a repair, a replacement, or nothing at all.
Is it a roof emergency, or can it wait until morning?
Treat it as an emergency when:
Water is dripping or running inside, especially near light fixtures, outlets, or ceiling fans.
A ceiling is sagging or bulging with water.
A tree or large limb is on the roof or has broken through it.
Wind has exposed wood decking or a hole, and more rain is on the way.
It can usually wait for a scheduled visit when you find a dry stain that has not grown since the rain stopped, or a few shingles blew off but nothing is leaking and the forecast is dry.
Not sure? Call and describe what you see. If it can wait, we'll tell you.
What should you do inside the house first?
Keep people out from under a sagging ceiling. Wet drywall is heavy and can come down.
Cut power if water is near electrical. The American Red Cross says to shut off power if you see sparks or smell hot insulation, never to stand in water to reach the panel, and not to turn tripped breakers back on.
Catch and move. Put buckets under drips and move furniture, rugs, and electronics away.
Document before you clean. Take photos and video, and note the date and time.
Save receipts. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) advises keeping a list of repairs and saving receipts.
Should you climb up and tarp the roof yourself?
Usually not. A roof is slippery when wet, and a tarp is slippery even when dry. A homeowner storm-prep tarping guide says this fix should only be done with proper safety gear and a second person. The CDC's safety institute, NIOSH, calls ladder falls a major injury risk at home as well as on the job.
Stay well back if a tree or limb is touching a power line. Austin Energy says to assume any downed line is live and to stay at least 35 feet away, because limbs and fences touching a line can carry current too. Call 911 if anyone is in danger.
What does a proper emergency tarp look like?
A tarp that flaps loose in the next storm can let in more water than it stops. A solid temporary cover has:
Generous coverage. The tarp runs several feet past the damage on every side, often up and over the ridge so rain cannot get behind the top edge.
It laps like shingles. Water runs across the top of the tarp and off the roof below the damage, never underneath it.
Boards, not bare nails. Edges are rolled around wood strips fastened into solid decking to spread the wind load. FEMA's Operation Blue Roof uses the same idea: reinforced sheeting held down with wood strips.
No fasteners through the open tarp over the hole. Every extra hole there is a new leak.
Ask for photos before and after. And a tarp is temporary: FEMA says Blue Roof sheeting is designed to last about 30 days and recommends arranging permanent repairs within that window when possible.
What changes on a tile or metal roof?
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which runs Blue Roof for FEMA, says its contractors cannot cover clay tile or slate roofs that would likely be damaged during installation, and handles metal roofs case by case.
On tile, careless footing cracks more pieces, so a temporary cover takes more care and sometimes more time. On metal, the emergency fix may be securing a lifted panel edge or loose flashing rather than a full tarp.
Do roof emergencies really happen around Austin?
Yes. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists local examples:
Cedar Park, September 14, 2023: gusts estimated at 75 mph in the Cedar Grove neighborhood blew down fences and power lines, blew shingles off roofs, and drove a six-inch tree limb through a wall.
Leander, March 18, 2018: gusts estimated at 70 mph knocked down a chimney, oak limbs, and roof shingles.
Manor, June 9, 2019: Travis County Emergency Management reported a roof blown off a home.
Ice counts too. After Winter Storm Mara in February 2023, the Texas A&M Forest Service estimated that about 31 percent of the trees in the city of Austin were damaged.
What happens after the tarp is on?
Call your insurer if a storm or tree caused it. TDI says temporary repairs are generally fine, but not to make permanent repairs until you have talked to your insurance company.
Keep the damaged materials until your adjuster says you can throw them away.
Get a full inspection once it is dry: decking, flashing, underlayment, and the attic above the leak.
Decide on repair or replacement with photos in hand, not at midnight.
Repair, replace, or nothing at all?
A repair fits when damage is limited to one area, such as a limb that punctured one slope, and the rest of the roof is sound.
A replacement makes sense when damage covers most slopes, decking is broken over a wide area, or the roof was already near the end of its life.
Sometimes it isn't the roof. A drip can turn out to be a plumbing line or an attic AC drain line. If so, we'll tell you.
Vantage Roofing backs its work with a 10-year workmanship warranty on full replacements and up to 1 year on service repairs.
Get help with a roof emergency
Call (737) 383-1768 to schedule a free roof inspection or ask about emergency tarping in Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, or nearby. Tell us whether water is coming in right now. You can also reach us through our contact page, read what to check after a roof leak after rain, or see our guide to storm and wind damage.
Frequently asked questions
How fast can someone come out when water is coming in?
Call (737) 383-1768 and say that water is coming in or the roof is open. Active leaks get scheduled as soon as we can. After a big storm many homes call at once, and safe roof work depends on the weather. While you wait, catch the water, shut off power to any wet fixture, and take photos.
Can you come look at it first before doing anything?
Yes. Vantage Roofing starts with a free roof inspection, takes photos, and explains what we found. If the roof only needs a tarp for now, we'll say so and explain what the permanent repair would involve. You get a written estimate before any permanent work, and you decide what happens next.
Will my insurance pay for an emergency tarp?
It depends on your policy and the cause of the damage. TDI says your policy should pay for materials and labor used for temporary repairs, and the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association says reasonable temporary repair costs may be covered when the loss is covered. Keep photos and receipts, and call your insurer to confirm.
Can I just put roofing sealant on the leak?
Usually it won't last. Sealant on a wet, damaged area seldom bonds well, and it can hide damage your adjuster needs to see. The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association lists asphalt patches as permanent repairs to hold off on until after the adjuster's inspection. A secured tarp is the safer temporary step.
Do you handle emergencies on tile and metal roofs?
Yes. Vantage Roofing works on shingle, metal, and tile roofs. Tile needs careful footing so more pieces don't crack, and metal may need a panel edge or flashing secured instead of a full tarp. Tell us your roof type when you call so we come prepared.
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