What to do if…
you notice your roofline sagging after severe weather

What to do now

1. Move everyone away from the affected area. Stay out of rooms directly under the sag and keep everyone out of the attic.
2. Leave and call 911 if there are signs of immediate danger. Leave immediately if you hear shifting or unusual noises, see falling debris, smell gas, see sparking, or the sag appears to worsen.
3. Check only from safe places. From ground level outside, look for a newly dipping ridge line, separated joints, leaning sections, loose roof materials, or parts sitting lower than before.
4. Look from safe interior doorways only if the area feels stable. Do not go under the sag. Watch for new ceiling cracks, doors or windows suddenly sticking, gaps where walls meet ceilings, bowed ceilings, or water coming through.
5. Contact local officials for safety guidance. Your local building department, code enforcement office, emergency management office, or fire department non-emergency line can tell you what local inspection or unsafe-building process applies. After a major storm, stay away from damaged buildings until local authorities or building inspectors say it is safe.
6. Arrange a structural assessment quickly. Ask for a licensed structural engineer, or a qualified building inspector recommended by local officials or your insurer, to decide whether the structure is safe and what temporary make-safe steps are appropriate.
7. Notify your homeowners insurance and document safely. Take photos or video only from ground level outside or from safe interior doorways. Note when you first noticed the sag, what severe weather happened, and any new cracks, sticking doors, leaks, or noises.
8. Keep receipts for urgent safety measures you are told to take. This can include temporary lodging, tarping by a professional, boarding, or other emergency steps, but do not start permanent repairs until the unsafe area has been assessed unless your insurer or local officials instruct you otherwise.
9. If recent construction or roof work may be involved, report it without deciding the cause yourself. Pull builder warranty papers, roof contractor invoices, permits, inspection records, and photos from before the storm if you have them. Tell both your insurer and the builder or roof contractor that the roofline appears newly sagged after severe weather.
10. Screen repair offers carefully. Before signing anything, check licensing and insurance where required, ask for a written scope and contract, avoid cash-up-front pressure, and do not sign over an insurance check to a contractor.