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Emergency and storm repairs in Luton

Emergency roof repair in Luton for households dealing with storm damage: tiles blown off, a ridge down, water coming through a ceiling. We make the roof safe and dry with temporary cover, record the damage for your insurer, and carry out the permanent repair once the weather allows.

Call 01582 377176

Storm damage? Tell us

Name, number and postcode is enough. We phone back to hear what is happening and set a time to see the roof.

Temporary covers to stop water
Photos for your insurer
No climbing in high wind

What should you do first when the roof is damaged?

Look after people first, then belongings, then call your insurer and a roofer. Keep everyone out of any room where the ceiling is bulging or sagging, move what you can away from the water, catch drips in buckets, and do not use lights or sockets that water is running near.

The Association of British Insurers says to "Contact your property insurer as soon as possible" after a storm. Then ring our Luton roofing team on 01582 377176 and tell us what you can see from the ground: missing tiles, a fallen ridge, a leaning chimney, water coming in. If part of the roof has collapsed, the Institution of Structural Engineers says to report it to the council's building control team, who deal with dangerous structures.

Why won't a roofer go up while the wind is still blowing?

Because it is not safe, and a fall makes a bad day far worse. HSE says "Winds in excess of 23mph (Force 5) will affect a persons balance", and advises against going on roofs in rain, ice, frost or strong wind. It also says all roofs should be treated as fragile until a competent person has confirmed otherwise.

So while the storm is blowing we do what can be done safely: we look from the ground and from inside the loft, tell you where the water is coming from, and help you limit the damage indoors. We go up once the wind has dropped enough to work safely, and we will not promise a time we cannot keep.

What does making a roof safe involve?

Stopping water getting in and stopping anything falling, without yet doing the full repair. Depending on the damage, that can mean fixing heavy-duty sheeting over the hole, battened down so the wind cannot get under it; lifting off loose tiles or a broken ridge that could fall on the path; clearing a gutter that is pouring down the wall; and checking the loft for soaked insulation.

The ABI's advice after Storm Bert and again before Storm Chandra was to "Arrange temporary emergency repairs to stop any damage getting worse", speaking to your insurer first. We invoice the make-safe on its own, itemised, so it can go into your claim separately from the permanent repair, which is covered on our roof repairs page. A chimney that has moved needs its own assessment; see chimney repairs.

Does home insurance cover storm damage to a roof?

It covers sudden storm damage, not wear and tear. The ABI defines a storm as gusts of at least 55mph, rain of at least 25mm an hour, at least 30cm of snow in 24 hours, or hail that damages hard surfaces or breaks glass. It says policies are designed "to cover sudden and unforeseen damage, not general upkeep", and that "A substantial amount of damage occurs because buildings are poorly maintained."

That matters when the claim is assessed. If a ridge blew off because its mortar had already crumbled, the insurer may see a maintenance problem rather than storm damage. We describe what we find as we find it, with photographs, and the decision on the claim stays with your insurer. Our guide to storm damage and insurance covers the claim in more depth.

What evidence will your insurer want?

Photographs, receipts and an itemised invoice. The ABI says to take photos or video, keep receipts "as this will form part of your claim", and keep an itemised invoice for the work. Its January 2026 advice adds that you should not rush to throw away damaged items unless they are a health risk, and that fences and garden furniture are often not covered as standard.

Your own photos indoors: stains, wet carpets, damaged belongings.
Our close-up photos of the roof, which you cannot safely take yourself.
A short written note from us of what failed and how.
An itemised invoice for the make-safe and, later, the permanent repair.

Which storms have reached Luton in recent years?

Several named storms have brought warnings over the town. The Met Office issued a red wind warning for Storm Eunice on 18 February 2022 covering "much of the south and southeast". Storm Henk, on 2 January 2024, came with a yellow wind warning for "the whole of southern England and Wales", and Luton itself was placed under an amber warning, as Dunstable Today reported. The same 2023/24 season had already brought Storm Ciarán on 1 and 2 November 2023.

The pace has not slowed. The Met Office counted six named storms in 2024/25 and seven in 2025/26, and Storm Dave in April 2026 was the most severe April windstorm since storms were first named in 2015. Nobody can say where the next one will land, but a roof with sound ridges and clear gutters going into autumn stands a much better chance.

How do you avoid rogue traders after a storm?

Use a roofer you contacted yourself, and do not be hurried. Reporting a Hertfordshire County Council warning after bad weather in January 2026, Greatest Hits Radio quoted the council: "alarm bells should ring if a small job turns into a bigger one". Bromley Trading Standards warned in February 2026 that some traders put scaffolding up "at the earliest opportunity" to create urgency, and to be wary of anyone who says they "can start today".

The law gives you time when a trader comes to you. For work agreed in your home, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give you 14 days to cancel, and a trader must not start in that period unless you make an "express request", which for an off-premises contract must be on a durable medium. The same regulations do not give that right where you yourself asked a trader to visit to carry out urgent repairs or maintenance, so a roofer you called in to make the roof safe is treated differently from a doorstep caller. Either way, get the price in writing before work starts.

Who repairs the roof if you rent?

Your landlord does. Council tenants report it to Luton Borough Council, whose Repairs Policy lists a leaking roof as a qualifying repair. Private tenants should tell their landlord or agent at once, in writing, with photos. Landlords and agents can ring us on 01582 377176, and a dated roof inspection afterwards gives a clear record of what the storm did.

Questions people ask us

Should I ring my insurer or a roofer first?

Your insurer, if you can get through: the ABI advises contacting them as soon as possible and speaking to them before arranging temporary repairs. If water is pouring in and you cannot reach them, limit the damage and keep every receipt.

Is a tarpaulin a proper repair?

No. A temporary cover keeps water out until the permanent repair can be done, and when we fit one we explain what that repair will involve.

Will my insurer pay if the tiles were already loose?

It may not. The ABI says policies cover sudden and unforeseen damage, not general upkeep, so damage that comes from poor maintenance can be turned down.

Can you come out while the storm is still going on?

We can advise by phone and look from the ground or the loft, but we do not climb onto a roof in strong wind, rain or ice, in line with HSE advice.

Sources and further reading

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

Call 01582 377176 Get a roofing quote

Emergency and storm repairs in the towns around Luton

We carry out emergency roof repair in Luton and across the towns below. Each town page explains what is different about the roofs there.

Emergency and storm repairs in Dunstable

LU5, LU6

Emergency and storm repairs in Houghton Regis

LU5

Emergency and storm repairs in Leighton Buzzard

LU7

Emergency and storm repairs in Ampthill

MK45

Emergency and storm repairs in Hitchin

SG4, SG5

Emergency and storm repairs in Letchworth Garden City

SG6

Emergency and storm repairs in Stevenage

SG1, SG2

Emergency and storm repairs in Harpenden

AL5

Emergency and storm repairs in St Albans

AL1, AL3, AL4

Emergency and storm repairs in Welwyn Garden City

AL7, AL8

Emergency and storm repairs in Hemel Hempstead

HP1, HP2, HP3

Emergency and storm repairs in Berkhamsted

HP4

Emergency and storm repairs in Tring

HP23

Guides that go with this

Storm damage to your roof: what will insurance cover?

What insurers count as a storm, the evidence they want, how to make a roof safe without risking a claim, and storm-chasing traders.

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.

Related work

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.

Gutters, fascias and soffits

Overflowing gutters, rotten fascia boards and tired soffits renewed with care for loft ventilation, nesting birds, bats and older asbestos boards.

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.