The first hours decide how big the claim gets
A hole in the roof is a problem. A hole in the roof with rain coming through it for two days is a much bigger one: soaked insulation, water in the wall cavities, a ceiling that has to come down, floors that buckle, and mold that starts growing within forty-eight hours in Mid-South humidity. Most of the cost of a storm-damage restoration is not the roof; it is the water damage that happened between the storm and the tarp. Getting the roof covered quickly is the single most effective thing that can be done, and it is what an emergency call is for.
We respond to storm damage, fallen trees and limbs, wind-torn roofing, sudden leaks and any situation where the roof is open to the weather. The first visit is about making the property safe and dry: tarping the damaged area properly, boarding up broken openings, removing debris that is holding water on the roof, and documenting everything for the insurance claim that almost always follows. The permanent repair comes after, once the claim is scoped and the weather allows.
After a major storm comes through Memphis, DeSoto County or Crittenden County, we run extended hours and work through the calls in order of severity. Water actively entering a home goes to the front. If that is you, call rather than sending the form.
- Emergency tarping with heavy-duty tarps secured properly, not draped over and weighted with bricks.
- Board-up of broken skylights, vents and openings, and removal of limbs and debris from the roof.
- Storm damage documented at the emergency visit, in the format the insurance adjuster needs, before anything is disturbed.
- Water extraction and drying started when the interior is already wet. Water damage restoration.
- Permanent repair or replacement scheduled as soon as the claim is scoped. Storm damage repair.
- Insurance claim handled from the first photograph to the final invoice. Claim assistance.
What happens when you call
Triage on the phone
Is water coming in now? Is the structure safe? Is anyone in danger from a fallen tree or downed line? We tell you what to do in the meantime — usually move belongings, put buckets down, and stay off the roof.
Make it safe and dry
The emergency crew tarps and secures the damaged area, boards up openings, removes debris that is holding water, and photographs the damage before and after. If the interior is wet, extraction and drying equipment goes in.
Document for the claim
Storm damage is almost always an insurance claim. The emergency visit is when the evidence is freshest, and we capture it then so the claim is scoped on what actually happened.
Plan the permanent repair
Once the property is stable, your project manager scopes the permanent work, meets the adjuster, and schedules the repair or replacement. The tarp holds until then.
Why homeowners call LASIM in an emergency
We answer
Emergency calls are answered outside office hours. After a major storm we run extended hours until the calls are covered.
Tarped properly
A tarp that blows off in the next squall is worse than no tarp. Ours are secured to hold until the permanent repair.
Claim evidence captured first
Photographed and documented at the emergency visit, when the evidence is strongest.
One company, start to finish
Tarp, dry-out, claim, roof, structure, interior: one project manager, one phone number.
Emergency Roof Questions
Get everyone out of the affected rooms and, if there is any chance of structural damage or a downed power line, out of the house. Do not go on the roof. Call us, then call your insurance company to open a claim. Move what you can away from the water and put something under the drips. We will handle the tarping, the debris and the documentation from there.
Call and we will tell you honestly. On a normal day, water actively entering a home in our footprint gets a same-day response. After a major storm that has hit hundreds of homes at once, we work through the calls in order of severity and run extended hours until everyone is covered, and we tell you where you are in the queue rather than guessing.
Almost always, yes. Most homeowners' policies require you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage and cover the cost of doing so. Emergency tarping and board-up are a standard line item on a storm claim. Keep the receipt and the photographs; we provide both.
We would rather you did not. Wet roofs are dangerous, storm-damaged roofs can have hidden structural damage, and a tarp that is not secured properly blows off in the next gust and can do more harm than good. Put buckets down, move belongings, and let a crew with the right equipment do the roof.
A properly secured heavy-duty tarp will hold for weeks, which is normally long enough for the claim to be scoped and the permanent repair to be scheduled. If the claim takes longer, we check and re-secure it. A tarp is a bridge to the repair, not a repair.
Yes. Water extraction, structural drying and the interior rebuild are part of what we do, and they are usually part of the same insurance claim as the roof. Drying needs to start fast in Mid-South humidity, because mold can begin within two days, so tell us on the call that the interior is wet and we bring the equipment.