- Home
- Roofing guides
- Storms and insurance
Sources checked 12 November 2026
Storm damage to your roof: what will insurance cover?
Storm damage to a roof needs two things done quickly: the house made safe and the evidence kept for your insurer. This guide is for homeowners and landlords in Luton and nearby towns, and covers what insurers treat as a storm, what they pay for, emergency roof repair and the traders to avoid.
Get the roof looked at
Name, number and postcode is enough. We phone back to hear what is happening and set a time to see the roof.
What counts as a storm for home insurance?
Insurers use set thresholds, not the forecast. The Association of British Insurers defines a storm as wind speeds with gusts of at least 55mph, torrential rain of at least 25mm an hour, snow of at least 30cm in 24 hours, or hail that damages hard surfaces or breaks glass.
Policies are designed to cover sudden and unforeseen damage, not general upkeep, and the ABI points out that a substantial amount of damage occurs because buildings are poorly maintained. Tiles torn off in a gale are a storm claim; a leak from flashing that had been failing for years may well not be.
Have storms hit Luton and the surrounding towns?
Yes. During Storm Eunice on 18 February 2022, the Met Office red warning covered much of the south and southeast, and Dunstable Today reported Luton and Dunstable within the area expected to be hit hardest. On the day of Eunice, Stevenage Borough Council logged upwards of 120 reports for repairs, including a garage roof blown off and a collapsed chimney.
Storm Henk in January 2024 brought an amber wind warning for Luton, with gusts of 50 to 60mph. Not every named storm reaches this area: the Met Office warnings for Storm Austen on 23 October 2026 covered south-west and southern England and south Wales. The Met Office lists Chloe, Dano and Evelyn as the next names for the 2026/27 season.
What should I do straight after the storm?
Make the house safe, record everything, and call your insurer before any major work. The ABI advises you to contact your property insurer as soon as possible, take photos or video, and keep receipts and itemised invoices, because they form part of the claim.
The ABI also says, in its January 2026 advice, not to rush to throw away damaged items unless they are a danger to health, and that fences and garden furniture are often not covered as standard. Inside, photograph ceilings, the loft and belongings; outside, photograph the roof from the ground and from windows, and keep any tiles or pieces of lead that have come down.
Can I get temporary repairs done before the insurer agrees?
Yes, and insurers expect you to stop things getting worse. The ABI's advice is to arrange temporary emergency repairs to stop any damage getting worse, but to speak to your insurer first, and to keep the receipts.
A temporary repair might be sheeting over a hole, refixing a few slipped tiles or taking down a dangerously loose ridge tile. Ask for an invoice that says what was done and why, with photographs before and after, so the insurer can see the temporary work separately from the permanent repair. Our emergency roof repairs page explains how we make a roof safe and what we record.
Is it safe to go up on the roof after a storm?
No, not while it is windy or wet. The Health and Safety Executive says winds in excess of 23mph (Force 5) will affect a person's balance, and advises against going on roofs in rain, ice, frost or strong wind. It also notes that almost one in five deaths in construction work involve roof work, and that all roofs should be treated as fragile until a competent person has confirmed otherwise.
Stay out of rooms beneath obvious damage and keep clear of the ground below a damaged chimney or loose ridge. Look from the ground, a window or the loft hatch, and photograph what you can see from there.
What if the damage looks structural?
Get a surveyor or structural engineer. The Institution of Structural Engineers says broken roof tiles, dislodged chimneys or structural cracks caused by wind should be assessed by a qualified surveyor or structural engineer. A partly collapsed roof should be reported to the council's building control team as a dangerous structure, and the IStructE notes that buildings insurance often covers appointing an engineer.
A leaning chimney stack, a dipping ridge line or cracks opening in walls after a storm are the signs to act on straight away. Our guide to chimney leaks and flashing covers stacks in more detail.
How can I make the roof stand up better to the next storm?
Deal with weak fixings and blocked drainage before the winter, because that is where wind and rain get a grip. Ridges bedded only in mortar are the obvious place to start: since BS 5534:2014, mortar alone is no longer deemed sufficient to secure ridges, hips and verges, and Marley notes that the revised standard assumes higher wind loads and asks for more fixings, with perimeter tiles double fixed.
Clear gutters and valleys so heavy rain can get away, and get slipped tiles refixed while the gap is small. It also helps your position with an insurer, since the ABI points out that much storm damage follows poor maintenance. Our guide to slipped tiles and ridges explains the fixing options, including dry ridge systems.
How do I avoid storm-chasing traders?
Do not hire anyone who turns up uninvited. After bad weather in January 2026, Hertfordshire County Council warned, as reported by Greatest Hits Radio, that alarm bells should ring if a small job turns into a bigger one. Which? advises never dealing with a roofer who knocks on your door, and never being pressured to sign on the spot.
If you have agreed something at your door, Citizens Advice says you have a 14-day cooling-off period for work arranged at home, and the trader must not start in that time unless you have made an express request for it. Speak to your insurer, then choose a roofer yourself: our roofers in Luton can be reached on 01582 377176 or through the quote form.
Questions people ask us
Does home insurance cover storm damage to a roof?
Usually, if the damage was sudden and the weather met your insurer's storm test, such as gusts of at least 55mph under the ABI definition. Wear and tear and poor maintenance are not covered.
Should I pay for an emergency roof repair myself?
The ABI advises arranging temporary repairs to stop damage getting worse, after speaking to your insurer, and keeping the receipts because they form part of your claim.
How do I know if the wind was strong enough to count?
Ask your insurer which weather records it uses. Met Office warnings give a guide, but a warning for a region does not mean every town in it reached storm strength, and the reverse can also be true.
Sources and further reading
- Storms (policy and guidance), ABI, undated
- Red Weather Warnings in force for Storm Eunice, 18 Feb 2022
- Storm Eunice: Luton and Dunstable residents should brace themselves as Met Office issues red weather warning, undated (Feb 2022)
- Stevenage Borough Council's response to Storm Eunice, SBC, undated
- Storm Henk: Amber weather warning for Luton…, 2 Jan (2024)
- Met Office weather: Storm Austen impacts before Storm Boelo later Saturday, Met Office, 23 Oct 2026
- UK Storm Centre (2026/27 names and named storms), Met Office, undated
- Insurance advice ahead of Storm Chandra, ABI, updated 26 Jan 2026
- Insurance advice for those affected by Storm Bert, ABI, undated (Nov 2024)
- Construction: Work at height FAQs, HSE, 11 Mar 2026
- Roof work (construction safety topics), HSE, 5 Jun 2026
- Dealing with storm damage: advice for UK homeowners, K. Leighton, 28 Jan 2025
- Hertfordshire residents warned over rogue traders after bad weather, Greatest Hits Radio, 21 Jan 2026
- How to find a reputable trader, Which? (Tom Morgan), 9 Jul 2026
- Cancelling building or decorating work, Citizens Advice, undated (© 2026)
- Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, reg 36 Supply of service in cancellation period
- More stringent roof fixing requirements now in force, 23 Mar 2016
- Changes to the British Standard for Slating and Tiling BS 5534, Marley, undated
Before you phone
These details help us understand the roof before we see it:
- Where the water shows, and in what weather
- Slate, tile, flat roof or not sure
- Roughly when the house was built
- Any photos, even from the street
- Conservation area or listed, if you know
Written by Luton Roofworks, roofers in Luton covering south Bedfordshire and west Hertfordshire. If your roof needs looking at, use the form or call 01582 377176.
Related roofing work
Emergency and storm repairs
After high wind or a downpour, we make the roof safe and weathertight with temporary covers, then photograph everything for your insurer.
Roof repairs
Slipped slates, cracked tiles, loose ridges and drips through the ceiling, traced to where the water really gets in and put right.
Chimney repairs and leadwork
Damp chimney breast or a stain round the stack? We check the flashings, flaunching and pointing, then repair or renew the lead properly.
More roofing guides
Roof repair cost in 2026: what do UK price guides say?
National price ranges for repairs, new roofs, gutters, fascias and chimneys, each with its publisher and date, and what pushes a quote up.
EPDM, GRP or felt: which flat roof should you choose?
How EPDM, GRP and felt flat roofs compare on certified lifespan, drainage falls, insulation rules and fire ratings near a boundary.
Why is my roof leaking in heavy rain?
Where rain gets into a roof, why the stain inside moves, how condensation fools people, and what to do before a roofer arrives.
What causes slipped roof tiles, and how should ridges be fixed?
Why tiles and slates slip, what the British Standard now says about fixings, and how mortar and dry ridge systems compare.
What causes a chimney leak, and how is lead flashing repaired?
The usual causes of a chimney leak, what good leadwork looks like, and the party wall and planning points before removing a stack.
Do I need planning permission or building regulations for a new roof?
When a new roof needs building regulations approval, planning permission or listed building consent, and the extra estate consents in Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City.
Roof moss removal: is it needed, and how should it be done?
Whether moss actually harms tiles, what it does to gutters, why jet washing is advised against and how roof coatings can affect guarantees.
Tell us about the roof
Give us your name, phone number and postcode, pick the closest match to the problem, and we will ring to discuss it and fix a time to inspect. Or call 01582 377176.