What to check on your roof and gutters after a storm

First, stay safe

• Don't go up a ladder or onto the roof, especially while it's still windy or wet.
• Keep away from anything hanging loose: a dangling gutter, a slipped ridge tile or a leaning chimney pot can fall without warning.
• Stay well clear of any fallen or damaged power lines. Call 105, the free national number for power cuts, to report damage to power lines that could put anyone in danger.
• If water is coming through a ceiling, turn off the electrics to that area if it's safe to do so, and put buckets down.

What to check outside, from the ground

What to check inside

• The loft: go up with a torch, carefully, and look for daylight through the roof, drips, damp patches on the timbers and wet insulation.
• Top-floor ceilings: look for new stains, especially near outside walls and chimney breasts.
• Around windows on the top floor: water can come in where a gutter has overflowed onto the wall.

Why ridges and verges go first

Ridge tiles sit at the most exposed point of the roof. Marley, one of the UK's biggest tile makers, explains that ridge tiles coming off in high winds relates "specifically to use of mortar to bed them", partly because driving rain and wind erode the mortar and dislodge the ridge from its bedding. If ridge or verge tiles have moved, the mortar has usually been weakening for a while, and a dry ridge system may be the better long-term fix.

Gutters after a storm

Storms strip leaves, twigs and moss from trees and roofs, and much of it ends up in the gutters. A gutter that was clear last month can be blocked after one night of wind. Look for gutters overflowing in the next spell of rain, and for brackets pulled loose by the weight of water and debris. Marley's advice is to "visually inspect the roof after any big storms", and the gutters are part of that.

Photograph it for your insurer

The Financial Ombudsman asks three questions about storm claims, including "Do we agree that there was a storm on the date the damage happened?" It looks at official weather records, including the Met Office, and at the condition of the property, usually shown through reports and photos. So:

• Photograph the damage as soon as it's safe, from the ground, and note the date and time.
• Make a note of the storm's name, if it had one.
• Keep any tiles or pieces that came down.
• Tell your insurer as soon as you can, and ask before arranging anything beyond an emergency repair.
• Keep invoices and photos of past maintenance. The Ombudsman says a claim is unlikely to succeed if "the storm just highlighted an existing problem".

Beware the knock at the door

Rogue traders follow storms. In January 2026, after a spell of bad weather, Hertfordshire County Council's trading standards officers urged residents to take their time over repairs, get trusted advice and a second opinion from a local trader, and report anything that didn't feel right. They warned in particular about small jobs that grow, quotes that drop if you agree on the spot, and requests for large deposits. Our guide to roof cold callers has the full list.

After a storm, we can help

If tiles are missing or water's coming in, we can make the roof weathertight and then quote for a proper repair, with photos you can send to your insurer. If it's the gutters, we'll clear the storm debris by hand, refix what's come loose and test the downpipes. Send us your photos first, and we'll tell you how urgent it is.

Written by Hawkes Roofing, roofers based in St Albans who repair roofs and clear gutters across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and north-west London. Last reviewed 26 October 2026.