Roof Tarping FAQs

It varies with the area to be covered, the roof pitch and height, the anchoring method the covering requires, and whether debris has to be removed first. A small single-slope cover on an accessible one-storey roof is at the low end; a large multi-plane cover on a steep two-storey tile roof with a limb to remove is considerably more. We give you a figure before work starts.

Usually, and most policies go further than that: they impose a duty on you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage after a covered loss. Carriers can dispute the portion of a claim caused by water that entered after the event if nothing was done. Coverage specifics vary, so confirm with your carrier — and keep the invoice and photographs regardless.

A standard poly tarp properly anchored is good for days to a few weeks, and UV is what kills it rather than wind. Heavy-duty UV-stabilised material installed with board-wrapped anchoring and re-tensioned periodically will run several months to around a year in Texas conditions. El Paso and West Texas are harder on material than the rest of the state.

On a low, accessible single-storey roof in calm weather, some homeowners do it successfully. The risks are falls, further damage to the covering, and an anchoring job that does not hold — a tarp that comes off at 2am usually takes a course of shingles with it. If the roof is steep, tall, wet, tile, metal or structurally compromised, it is not a DIY job.

Not always. On tile, slate and metal we use ballasted, no-penetration anchoring as standard, because a screw through those coverings creates a leak that outlives the tarp. On asphalt shingle, board-wrapped fastening is usually the most secure option and the holes are dealt with at repair — but if you would rather avoid penetration entirely, say so.

We aim to be on site within hours of your call. Timing depends on distance, how many calls a storm has generated in that metro, and whether conditions are safe. We will not send a crew onto a roof during active lightning or high wind, and we will tell you if that is the situation rather than leave you waiting.

Usually yes, and that is often exactly when it is needed. Steady rain is workable. Active lightning, high wind and ice are not. In those cases we schedule for the first safe window and talk you through interior containment in the meantime.

No. Photograph the damage thoroughly first, then get it covered. Waiting typically makes the claim worse rather than better, because the additional water damage may not be covered.

A correctly installed cover stops water entering through the breach it covers. If there is a second failure point elsewhere on the roof, that needs covering too. It is also worth knowing that water already in the structure will continue to show up for a while after the roof is sealed — that is drying out, not a new leak.

Material and anchoring, driven by how long you need it. Under about two weeks, a standard tarp is appropriate and cost-effective. Beyond a month, UV degradation and repeated wind loading mean you need heavier UV-stabilised material and load-spreading anchors, or you will be paying for the job twice.

Yes. Flat and low-slope commercial roofs need a different method — ballasted anchoring rather than fasteners, and layout planned around drains and scuppers so the cover does not pond or block drainage. We schedule out of hours where daytime work would stop trading.

It can be. Some carriers limit coverage if a damaged roof is left unprotected or unrepaired beyond a period, and the structure keeps degrading in the meantime. If the repair is genuinely months away, that is an argument for a properly specified long-term cover rather than leaving an emergency tarp to fail.