Emergency Roof Tarping: When You Need It and How It Works

An emergency roof tarp is a heavy waterproof sheet fastened over a damaged part of the roof to keep rain out until the real repair can be made. It is the right call when a storm, a fallen limb or missing shingles have left an opening and more rain is on the way. It is temporary, it should be put on by a roofer rather than by you on a wet roof, and the receipt matters for your insurance claim. If water is coming in right now, call Patriot Roofing and Restoration at 501.441.2900. Our phones are answered live 24/7 and we do emergency tarping across Central Arkansas.

When does a roof need an emergency tarp?

A tarp is for an opening that will let water in before a permanent repair can be done. The common cases:

• A tree limb through the roof. The decking may be broken, not just the shingles.
• Shingles torn off by wind. Once the shingle is gone, the underlayment is the last layer between the rain and your attic. Our post on whether missing shingles cause leaks explains why that gap should not wait.
• Hail or storm damage that has opened a leak, especially when more storms are in the forecast.
• A leak you cannot trace yet during a run of wet weather, where covering the likely area buys time to find the source.

Not every leak needs a tarp. A small drip from a cracked pipe boot on a dry week is usually better fixed properly on the first visit. A tarp is for when the next rain will arrive before the fix can.

What to do before the roofer gets there

1. Stay off the roof. Wet shingles are slick, storm damage can hide soft decking, and a tarp catches wind like a sail.
2. Keep clear of water near electricity. If water is near a light fixture, outlet or ceiling fan, stay away from it and switch that circuit off at the breaker if you can do it safely.
3. Catch the water inside. Buckets, towels and plastic sheeting. Move furniture, electronics and valuables out of the way.
4. Take photos and video of the ceiling, the wet areas and anything damaged, inside and out from the ground.
5. Do not throw damaged items away until your insurance company says you can.

Our emergency roof repair page covers the first hour in more detail, and how to find a roof leak helps if you are not sure where the water is getting in.

What a proper emergency tarp job looks like

A tarp only works if water cannot run under it. A loose sheet tossed over a hole often moves the leak instead of stopping it. When you see a tarp go on, these are the signs of a careful job:

• It covers well past the damage, not just the hole, so water running down the roof above the opening lands on the tarp, not under it.
• The top edge is handled so water sheds over it. Where the damage is near the peak, the tarp usually runs over the ridge to the other side. Lower on the roof, the top edge needs to be secured and sealed so rain cannot get behind it.
• It is fastened down firmly along its edges so wind cannot lift it, flap it or tear it loose.
• Loose debris is cleared first. Branches and broken shingles left under a tarp can puncture it.
• Photos are taken before and after, so you and your insurance company can see the damage that was covered up.

When we tarp a roof, we stop the water and make temporary repairs, then schedule the permanent fix.

How long does an emergency roof tarp last?

A tarp is meant to hold until the permanent repair or replacement, not to be a fix of its own. Sun, wind and the next storms wear it down, and a tarp that shifts can start leaking without you noticing. Look at it from the ground after every storm, and call if an edge is lifting, it is flapping, or water shows up inside again. The goal is to get from tarp to real repair as soon as the roof can be inspected and, on an insurance claim, as soon as the insurance company has seen it.

Emergency tarping and your insurance claim

The Arkansas Insurance Department's post-storm advice (April 4, 2023) tells homeowners to "make the necessary repairs to prevent further damage," to "cover broken windows, holes, leaking roofs and damaged walls," and to "save all receipts including those from the temporary repairs that might be covered by your insurance policy." It also says not to have permanent repairs made until your insurance company has inspected the property. A tarp fits that advice exactly: it protects the house without erasing the damage the adjuster needs to see.

How it works with Patriot: the homeowner pays for the emergency tarping and can submit the receipt to the insurance company. Then we do a free storm inspection with photos, and if there is damage, we help you start the claim and work with you and your insurance company through it. Our storm claim help page walks through each step. The deductible is always the homeowner's responsibility, and the insurance company decides what is covered.

A word of caution from the same Insurance Department release: avoid any contractor who offers to waive your deductible or promises a rebate, and never sign a contract with blank spaces. Storms bring door-knockers offering a quick tarp and a contract on the spot. You can say yes to stopping the water without signing anything else that night.

This is general information, not insurance advice; coverage and deadlines vary by policy and carrier, so confirm with your agent.

Can I tarp my own roof?

We do not recommend it. Getting on a wet, damaged roof is how people get hurt, and the time a roof most needs a tarp, during or right after a storm, is the worst time to be up there. A tarp that is not secured at the top edge can also send water somewhere new. If you want to do something yourself, do it inside: catch the water, protect your belongings and take photos. Leave the roof to a roofer.

After the tarp: the permanent fix

Once the water is stopped, the roof is inspected and the permanent work is planned. Storm damage gets a free storm inspection and our 21-point inspection report with photos. A leak that is not storm related starts with a $79.99 diagnostic visit that includes the 21-point inspection, and Patriot Care Club members pay no service fee. Repairs are priced from our published roof repair price book before any work starts, and once all recommended repairs are done they are backed by our 365-Day Patriot Leak Free Guarantee. If the damage is bigger than a repair, the inspection will show it; see roof repair and storm damage repair.

Frequently asked questions

Do you tarp roofs at night and on weekends?

Our phones are answered live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 501.441.2900, tell us where the water is coming in and what happened, and we will tell you what happens next.

Is an emergency roof tarp covered by insurance?

It may be, when the damage itself is covered. The Arkansas Insurance Department advises keeping receipts from temporary repairs because they might be covered by your policy. You pay for the tarping and can submit the receipt to your insurance company; your policy decides.

Should I wait for the adjuster before getting the roof tarped?

No. Stopping the water is the step you take first. What waits for the insurance company's inspection is the permanent repair, not the tarp. Take photos before and after so the damage is on record.

Is a tarp a permanent fix?

No. It holds water out until the permanent repair or replacement. Check it after every storm and call if it moves or the leak comes back.

What if a tree is still on the roof?

Stay out of the rooms under it and call your insurance company or agent. The Arkansas Insurance Department notes that some policies do not cover tree removal, so ask about that too. Then call us about the roof.

Roof open to the weather?

Call 501.441.2900, answered live 24/7, or contact us online to book a storm inspection or repair visit anywhere in Central Arkansas.