Southern California does not get many storms, but the ones we get hit hard. Santa Ana winds and concentrated winter rain lift tiles, tear shingles, and drive water past worn flashing in a single event. Orian Construction & Roofing assesses storm damage across Los Angeles County, documents it for your insurer, and makes the repair hold.
Storm damage in Los Angeles County comes down to two things: wind and water, often in the same system. The Santa Ana winds are the bigger threat to the roof surface, since they lift and crack tiles and peel shingle tabs. The rain then finds every spot the wind opened up. A roof that shrugged off years of sun can lose a section in one strong night.
What makes storm damage tricky is that a lot of it is not visible from the ground. A homeowner sees a few tiles in the yard and assumes that is the extent of it, when the real problem is the exposed underlayment those tiles left behind, or a run of flashing the wind worked loose. That is why a proper assessment after a storm matters more than a quick glance. If water is actively coming in right now, start with our emergency roof repair page, since tarping comes before assessment when it is still raining.
We look at storm damage the same way we look at any leak: find where the water is getting in, not just where it is showing up. Our leak detection approach carries straight into storm work, and a written roof inspection gives you the documentation a claim needs.
Storm damage shows up in a handful of forms, and each one has its own fix. Knowing which you are dealing with sets the right expectation for the repair.
Wind catches the edges of tile and lifts, cracks, or slides it. The tile can look fine from the street while the underlayment beneath sits exposed to the next rain.
Shingle tabs peel back or blow off entirely, leaving bare spots. Even a few missing shingles open a path for water into the decking.
Wind works metal flashing loose at chimneys, walls, and valleys. This is a frequent and easily missed source of storm leaks.
Fallen branches crack tile and can puncture the deck. Debris left in valleys traps water and holds it against the roof.
For more on the wind side of this, our article on what Santa Ana winds can do to your roof is worth a read.
Once it is safe and dry, there are signs you can check for from the ground and from inside, without climbing up. If you see any of these, an assessment is worth booking before the next system rolls through.
Tiles or shingle pieces on the ground, granules washed into piles at the downspouts, and visible gaps or dark patches on the roof surface.
Fresh water stains on ceilings, damp spots on interior walls, and daylight or wet framing in the attic that was not there before.
Bent gutters, a downed limb resting on the roof, and debris clogging the valleys where two roof planes meet.
If nothing is obvious but you want to be certain, our guide on how to tell if your roof has storm damage walks through it, and an assessment settles it.
Storm damage is where roofing and insurance meet, and getting the order right helps a claim. Most policies cover sudden damage from a specific event, like a windstorm or a fallen tree, while they do not cover gradual wear and tear. That distinction is why documentation matters so much. A dated set of photos and a written assessment tie the damage to the storm, which is exactly what an adjuster is looking for.
We help on the roofing side of that process. We assess the damage, photograph it, and write up what we find in terms a claim can use, then we handle the repair once the claim is settled. We do not file the claim for you, and we do not make promises about what your insurer will approve, since that is their call and every policy is different. What we can do is give you honest, documented information to work from. Our insurance claim roof support page explains how we fit into the process.
Family owned and based on Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks. We have repaired roofs after the wind and rain events that come through this county, and we know where to look for the damage that hides.
A storm does not always mean a new roof. Often the damage is contained to a section, and a repair puts the roof back in shape. Sometimes, though, a storm is the event that finishes off a roof that was already near the end, and in that case a repair is money spent to delay the inevitable.
We assess and repair storm damage for homes and businesses across the county from our shop on Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks. Hillside and canyon homes take the worst of the wind, and we cover them along with the rest of the Valley and Westside:
Tell us what the storm did and where you are. We assess the roof, document the damage for your records, and give you a written estimate for the repair.