Wind, branches and heavy rain on Morris County roofs
Storm Damage Repair in Montville, NJ
Storm damage to a roof in Montville, NJ can mean lifted shingles, a limb through the roof, or a ceiling stain that appears the morning after. Describe what the storm left behind: call (862) 430-2399.
What you might be seeing
- Shingles lifted or missing after a windy night
- A limb or a whole tree resting on the roof or the gutter
- Bent or loose metal at the chimney, the vents or the roof edge
- A new ceiling stain the morning after heavy rain
- Gutters pulled away from the fascia or buried in debris
Looks from the yard and the attic hatch
Every look below is from the yard, an upstairs window or the attic hatch. None of it needs a ladder.
- Start from the sidewalk or an upstairs window with binoculars, as the asphalt shingle makers' trade group suggested after Superstorm Sandy. Look for missing or loose shingles, bent flashing and blocked gutters.
- Photograph each side of the roof, the debris in the yard and the rooms below, with the date. Keep every receipt.
- From the attic hatch, read the underside of the roof boards for fresh stains or wet insulation.
- Write down when the storm hit and what it did. The notes help with a roofer and with an insurer.
The visit
What the roofer can look at
- Call (862) 430-2399, describe what the storm left and where, and the contractor can arrange a visit.
- The roofer can walk the outside for lifted shingles, impact marks, bent metal and gutters pulled loose.
- The attic side gets the same look, for fresh stains and wet insulation under the damaged spot.
- Temporary cover, such as a tarp, can be discussed. The state insurance department asks policyholders to protect the property from further damage and to keep receipts.
- The roofer can explain permanent repair options and what each would involve.
- Then comes the paperwork side: photographs and notes for the insurer, and the town question for larger work.
Back off and get help if
- A power line has fallen or hangs low by the house: give it at least 30 feet of room and call 911. JCP&L takes outage and downed-wire reports at 888-544-4877.
- A tree rests on the house or on wires: keep everyone out, and call 911 or JCP&L, since branches tangled in lines call for extra caution.
- A ceiling is sagging or dripping near a light fixture: leave the room, do not touch the switch, and call 911.
- The roof is wet or the wind is still blowing: stay on the ground, and call 911 if anyone is hurt in a fall.
Questions for the roofer
Questions for whoever knocks after a storm
Ask for the business name, a street address and a written proposal. What Montville expects door-to-door sellers to carry is covered on the rules page.
If the answers come slowly, the next step is to hand back the clipboard and call a roofer you chose yourself.
What moves the size of the job
What changes the scope of a storm repair
How many slopes took the wind. Whether anything heavy landed on the roof and bent the boards beneath. Whether a tree is still on the house and wires are involved.
The insurer's adjuster adds another layer: the state's guidance says to cooperate with the adjuster and keep written notes of every conversation.
FAQ
Questions people ask
How urgent is storm damage on your number out of ten?
At 8 to 10 (a power line down, a tree on the house or a sagging ceiling), back away and dial 911, or JCP&L for the line. At 4 to 7, shingles are missing or a stain keeps spreading, so photograph the damage and call (862) 430-2399 in the coming days. At 1 to 3, a few shingles lie in the yard and the house stays dry: photograph, watch, and call if a stain appears.
Who gets the call about a downed wire?
JCP&L's newsletter advises staying 30 feet or more from downed power lines and 100 feet from high-voltage transmission lines, and calling 911. Its outage line is 888-544-4877. A Morris County notice adds that no one goes near a downed line, even one that seems to be off.
Do I have to use the roofer my insurer suggests?
No. The state insurance department's storm guidance says you can pick your own contractor and can ask the insurer for its own damage estimate. Report the loss as soon as you can and keep every receipt. The department's consumer line is 1-800-446-7467.
Why do roofers from out of town appear after a storm?
The asphalt roofing trade group and the National Roofing Contractors Association warned after Sandy that storm-related influxes of out-of-area contractors can open the door to disreputable ones. They suggest a permanent business location, a written proposal and caution about money up front.
Is storm work covered in Towaco, Pine Brook, Boonton and Lake Hiawatha?
Yes, all four, plus Montville. See Towaco roofing, Pine Brook roofing, Boonton roofing and Lake Hiawatha roofing for local notes. Say which street you are on when you call (862) 430-2399. Renters pass the news to the landlord first.
Before you call
Notes to jot down while it is fresh
The date and rough time of the storm. Which direction the wind came from, if you noticed. Where the limb or the shingles landed.
The claim number and the adjuster's contact details, if a claim is open. Then call (862) 430-2399 with those in front of you and describe the damage in the order you found it.
Habits that cost more
After the storm: habits that cost extra
Hiring the first crew to knock.
Throwing out damaged material before photographing it. Cutting a limb that is tangled in a wire. Going up on a wet roof to look.
One more: waiting for the next rain to see whether the stain grows.
A tarp or a patch put on early is cheaper than a ceiling later, in the plain sense that wet drywall gets worse the longer it stays wet.
The job in pictures
What a tarp is doing up there
A tarp over a damaged section is temporary cover. It keeps rain out until a permanent repair can be made, and it does nothing about the cause.
The state's insurance guidance asks policyholders to protect the property from further damage, with boarding over broken windows as its example, and to keep every bill for it.
Paperwork, briefly
Storm repairs and town paperwork
Putting back a few shingles on a one- or two-family detached house falls under ordinary maintenance in New Jersey's code. Work that touches structural or fire safety does not, so a limb that broke rafters is a different question from a few lost shingles.
The town construction office answers that question for your address. Phone numbers are on the rules page.
Before you call
Keep the street address, what you noticed and the roof's age close by, then call (862) 430-2399. If you rent, your landlord decides on roof work, so that conversation comes first. Served: Montville, Towaco, Pine Brook, Boonton and Lake Hiawatha.
