Hurricane Preparation for Commercial Roofs

The principle: prepare the file, not just the roof

When a claim is disputed, the argument is rarely about whether the storm happened — it is usually about what condition the roof was in before it hit. A dated, photographed pre-storm record is evidence you cannot recreate afterward. Every physical task below matters; the documentation tasks are what let you prove, later, what the storm did and did not do.

The real starting line is earlier than any forecast: the National Weather Service’s standing advice is that the best time to prepare is before hurricane season begins. The inspection, the file, and the insurance review below are far easier in May than with a named storm on the map.

96–72 hours out

• Commission or perform a documented walk-through — by your roofing contractor or someone trained and equipped to be on the roof safely. Date-stamped photos of the field, every seam line you can see, all flashings, drains, scuppers, rooftop units, and interior ceilings below the roof.
• Pull the file together: last inspection report, warranty, maintenance log, prior repair invoices. If it isn’t in one folder, make it one folder today.
• Review your policy’s storm provisions — the deductible (hurricane and windstorm deductibles are often percentage-based, and their structure varies by state and by policy), notice requirements, and what your policy requires of you after a loss. If anything is unclear, ask your broker now, not after landfall.

72–24 hours out

• Clear drainage completely. Drains, scuppers, gutters, downspouts, overflow paths. IBHS’s business preparedness guidance puts clearing roof drains, gutters, and downspouts of debris at about 72 hours out — blocked drainage lets wind-driven rain become a standing water load.
• Secure or remove loose items. Check that rooftop equipment mounts — air conditioners, fan housings, satellite dishes, antennas, signs — are secure, and remove or tie down loose stored materials and abandoned equipment. Anything loose can become wind-borne debris: a hazard to people and neighboring property, and a puncture risk for the membrane.
• Tighten the details: have a roofer address any open seams, loose flashings, or unsealed penetrations found in the walk-through. A defect repaired and documented before the storm is a maintenance item; the same defect discovered afterward can muddy the question of what the storm actually caused.
• Photograph everything again after prep is done. This is the “condition at landfall” record.

24 hours out

• Interior prep: move inventory away from historically vulnerable areas, stage tarps and containers for after the storm, and confirm emergency contacts — roofer, mitigation contractor, insurance agent or broker, and your policy’s claim-reporting number — are written down somewhere that works without power.

After the storm

Follow the first-72-hours protocol: safety first, documentation before anything changes, reasonable temporary protection to prevent further damage (most policies expect this — keep receipts), prompt claim notice, and no permanent repairs before the adjuster’s assessment. Then work through the insurance claim playbook.

State and local notes

Wind-zone code requirements, roof-attachment rules, inspection obligations, and insurance law vary by state and locality, and some coastal jurisdictions add requirements that change both preparation and post-storm obligations. This page stays at the national level deliberately: check your state’s department of insurance consumer pages and your local building department for the rules that apply to your building, and ask your broker how your policy interacts with them.

Frequently asked questions

Is it worth paying a roofer for a pre-storm inspection every season? For many owners in hurricane-exposed regions it doubles as the annual maintenance inspection, and it produces the dated condition record this page is built around. Whether it pays for itself depends on the roof and the building — but the record is the point.

Should we tarp proactively before a storm? Tarps are post-storm temporary protection, not pre-storm hardening. High winds can displace a tarp, and a displaced tarp — with whatever fastened or ballasted it — becomes debris of its own. Pre-storm effort belongs in drainage, securing loose items, and repairing known defects.

Our roof is old. Does prep still matter? More, not less. Commercial property policies generally cover accidental damage rather than wear and tear, and routine maintenance is the owner’s responsibility. A documented maintenance record is what lets an older roof’s storm damage be distinguished from its age; without one, that distinction is much harder to make.