Storm damage roof repairs across Horsham — rapid make-safe within 2–4 hours, written insurance reports separating storm from wear, and permanent repairs. No call-out fee.
When a storm damages your roof, the first hours matter. Move valuables and place containers under any drips to protect the interior. Photograph everything — internal staining and any damage visible from the ground — before anyone touches it, because those photos are your primary evidence for an insurance claim. Do not climb onto the roof: wet, storm-damaged roofs are dangerous and a compromised deck may not bear weight. Then call us. We attend Horsham storm call-outs within 2–4 hours, make the roof safe to stop further water getting in, and advise on the claim. Acting fast limits the internal damage that often costs more than the roof repair itself.
A storm damage claim runs more smoothly when the roofing side is handled properly. The key is distinguishing storm damage from pre-existing wear — insurers pay for sudden storm damage but not for gradual deterioration the storm simply exposed. We provide a written report that identifies each item of damage, attributes it to the storm event or to prior wear, and gives a repair cost for the storm-caused items. Combined with your photographs and the Met Office wind data for the date, this is the evidence most insurers need. We can liaise with your insurer or their loss adjuster, carry out the approved repair, and invoice in the format they expect.
Insurers generally define a storm as involving gusts of around 47–55mph or more; damage below that threshold may be treated as wear and tear rather than storm damage. — Association of British Insurers storm guidance
Horsham’s exposure varies across the district. The town itself sits relatively sheltered in the Low Weald, but the higher ground toward the north and the more open estates catch the south-westerlies that bring the worst of the winter storms up the Channel. Properties backing onto the tree line near St Leonard’s Forest face the added risk of falling branches and wind-thrown debris. The most common storm damage we repair in Horsham is lifted and lost tiles on exposed elevations, ridge tiles dislodged by wind uplift, lead flashings peeled back, and blocked or overflowing valleys where storm debris has collected. Each of these lets water in fast, which is why rapid make-safe matters.
Once the immediate storm damage is repaired, it’s worth understanding why it happened where it did — because storm damage tends to recur at the same weak points. Ridge tiles that lifted were usually already loose in old mortar bedding; converting to a mechanically fixed dry ridge stops it happening again. Tiles that came off an exposed elevation often signal underlying nail sickness that the wind simply found first. Flashings that peeled back were frequently surface-fixed rather than properly dressed into the masonry. When we repair storm damage in Horsham we flag these underlying weaknesses so you can choose whether to address the cause, not just the symptom — particularly on the exposed and elevated estates that take the worst of the south-westerlies.
Every job follows a free survey with no call-out fee. We attend survey requests within 3–5 working days and reach emergencies within 2–4 hours, and you receive a written, itemised, fixed-price quote before any work starts. We are NFRC registered with £5 million public liability insurance, and all work carries a written 10-year workmanship guarantee. We cover Horsham, Southwater, Billingshurst, Pulborough, Storrington and Henfield, plus the Horsham neighbourhoods of Roffey, Broadbridge Heath, Littlehaven, North Heath, Holbrook and Southgate — no travel premium. Call 0140 358 1272.
After a storm, the roads around Horsham fill with opportunist doorstep callers offering instant repairs — exactly the moment to be most careful. We’re a local, NFRC-registered firm you can verify, we don’t cold-call, and we put the make-safe, the assessment and the insurance report in writing. That matters when you’re dealing with an insurer who needs the storm damage evidenced properly. We’ve handled storm work across Horsham through several bad winters — from the exposed estates that lose tiles to the tree-lined roads that take branch damage — and we’ll tell you honestly what the storm caused and what was already worn, rather than inflating a claim in a way that can see it rejected. Fast response, honest reporting, and a permanent repair that stops it happening at the same spot next time.
In a live leak, speed matters more than anything on this page - call first, read later. This is what happens when you do.
When it is not the answer: If the drip is historic staining rather than active water, it is urgent-but-not-emergency - a booked repair within days costs less than a night call-out and fixes it just as well. Read the full guide.
Real person, day or night. We triage on the phone: is it safe, is water spreading, what can you do right now.
Tarpaulin, temporary battening, water diverted - the property watertight and safe, photographed for your insurer.
What failed, why, and what the permanent repair needs - in writing with photos, ABI-friendly for storm claims.
Booked promptly in daylight and decent weather - emergency make-safe first, proper repair second is how it should be done.
| Job | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| Phone triage | Immediate |
| Make-safe attendance | Same day, typically within 2 hours |
| Temporary weatherproofing | 1-2 hours on site |
| Permanent repair follow-up | Booked within days |
Storm-force winds can delay ladder work for safety - if we cannot get up safely, we mitigate from inside until the wind drops. Honest, and safer for everyone.
Make-safe runs off ladders and towers; the permanent repair is quoted with whatever access it properly needs. Scaffold is specified for: the permanent repair where the damage is extensive - never the make-safe, which is about speed - always itemised in your written quote, never a hidden extra, and we arrange it.
The Causeway and Denne Road conservation streets take footway scaffold licences with conservation conditions, while the Victorian terraces off Park Street and New Street often need rear-lane tower access rather than front scaffold. Pavement scaffold and skip permits go through Horsham District Council; allow a few working days on streets like The Causeway, East Street, Park Street where space is tight.
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency make-safe visit | £150-£350 | Day rate band, incl. materials |
| Out-of-hours attendance | £250-£450 | Genuine 24/7 |
| Tarpaulin & batten weatherproof | Included | Part of make-safe |
| Storm damage permanent repair | £200-£900 | Quoted after make-safe |
| Insurance documentation | Free | Photos + written report |
Worked example: Storm-lifted flashing on a North Heath semi at 9pm: attended within 90 minutes, dressed and sealed temporarily, permanent Code 4 renewal three days later - £280 call-out plus £380 repair.
Make-safe payable on the visit; the permanent repair is quoted separately with no obligation. All documented for insurance claims at no charge.
Covering RH12, RH13 and surrounding postcodes.
Make-safe work is guaranteed to hold until the permanent repair; the permanent repair then carries the full 10-year workmanship guarantee.
If a fault appears in covered work, we come back and put it right. No quibbling, no re-charge.
A make-safe visit is fast and focused - expect a tarp or battened sheet visible on the roof until the permanent repair, which we book as fast as weather allows. You do not need to stay home for external work - we just need power and access agreed in advance.
Emergencies are weather - we work in rain to make safe, but permanent repairs wait for conditions that let the work last. Horsham sits in the damp Low Weald, so autumn drying times run slow and moss pressure is constant on north pitches.
"Lost three ridge tiles in the January storms. Made safe the same evening, sorted the insurance report, repaired within the week."
"A branch came down and holed the roof. They tarped it fast and their report got the claim approved with no fuss."
"Flashing peeled back in high winds. Rapid response, honest about what was storm damage and what wasn’t."
Protect the inside first — move valuables and place containers under any drips — then photograph everything, inside and out, before anyone touches it, because those images are your primary evidence for an insurance claim. Do not climb onto the roof: storm-damaged roofs are dangerous and a compromised deck may not bear weight. Then call a roofer for emergency make-safe to stop further water getting in. Acting within the first few hours limits the internal damage, which often costs more than the roof repair itself. Our guide to what to do when your roof is leaking walks through the steps.
We aim to attend Horsham storm call-outs within 2–4 hours, day or night, to make the roof safe. Storm damage clusters — when a gale comes through, many properties are hit at once — so calling promptly gets you into the queue before demand peaks. We carry make-safe materials on the first visit to stop water ingress immediately, then return for the permanent repair once the weather clears and the full extent is visible. There’s no call-out fee. See our emergency roofer page for how the 24/7 service works.
Usually, yes — but with an important distinction. Insurers cover sudden storm damage but not gradual wear and tear that the storm merely exposed, and most define a storm as involving gusts of roughly 47–55mph or more. That’s why a written report separating genuine storm damage from pre-existing wear is essential; without it, claims are often reduced or refused. We provide exactly that documentation, attributing each item of damage to the storm event or to prior condition. Our guide to whether home insurance covers roof damage explains the pitfalls in detail.
Yes. We can liaise with your insurer or their appointed loss adjuster, provide the written damage report and itemised costings they require, and invoice in the format they expect — which keeps the claim moving and reduces the back-and-forth that delays settlement. We can also point you to the Met Office wind data for the date of the storm, which evidences the gust speeds and supports the claim. The aim is to make the roofing side of the claim as straightforward as possible so you’re not caught between us and the insurer.
Most UK insurers define a storm as weather involving gusts of around 47–55mph or more, or exceptional rain, hail or snow. This threshold matters because damage occurring below it may be treated as wear and tear rather than storm damage, and paid differently or not at all. The Association of British Insurers publishes guidance along these lines. We help you obtain the Met Office wind record for the date, which objectively evidences whether the storm threshold was met — turning a subjective argument into a documented fact your insurer can act on.
There’s no call-out fee. You pay for the make-safe labour and materials needed to stop further water getting in — tarping, temporary tile refixing, securing loose elements — and the permanent repair is then quoted separately and transparently once the roof is safe and the full damage is visible. Splitting the two this way is also cleaner for insurance, because the make-safe is an urgent mitigation cost and the permanent repair is the substantive claim. We put both in writing so there are no surprises.
The most common storm damage we repair in Horsham is lifted and lost tiles on exposed elevations, ridge tiles dislodged by wind uplift, lead flashings peeled back from chimneys and abutments, and blocked or overflowing valleys where storm debris has collected. Properties on the more open and elevated estates take the worst of the south-westerlies coming up the Channel, while those near the tree line by St Leonard’s Forest also face branch and debris damage. Each of these lets water in quickly, which is why prompt make-safe matters. See our Horsham storm damage guide.
Yes — this is often the difference between a claim paid and a claim refused. Our written report attributes each item of damage either to the storm event or to pre-existing wear, backed by photographs, and we direct you to the Met Office wind data for the date so the gust speeds are on record. Insurers pay for sudden storm damage but resist paying for wear the storm exposed, so clearly separating the two — with evidence — is what gets the storm-caused element accepted. Our insurance and roof damage guide covers what assessors look for.
Yes. Fallen branches and wind-thrown trees are a regular call-out in Horsham, particularly near the wooded roads around St Leonard’s Forest and the mature canopy across the older parts of town. We make the roof safe first, remove debris carefully to avoid driving damage further into the structure, and then carry out the permanent structural and covering repair — which can involve rafters and decking as well as tiles. As with all storm work, we provide a full report for your insurer separating the tree-strike damage from any pre-existing condition.
Yes — for active leaks and any situation where water is getting into the property or the structure is at risk, we attend day or night to make the roof safe. Night make-safe is about stopping the damage escalating: sheeting over, securing loose elements and halting water ingress until daylight and safe conditions allow a proper assessment. The permanent repair is then scheduled and quoted once we can see the full extent in daylight. Fast make-safe protects your ceilings, insulation and belongings, which is where storm costs really mount up.
No call-out fees. No obligation. Just an honest quote from a local Horsham roofer who turns up when they say they will.
0140 358 1272