Montclair, CA
Storm damage, insurance and what to do first
Most storm claims are lost on documentation, not on damage. Photograph everything before anybody touches the roof.
Or call (909) 752-8730Describe the storm damage job
Three questions, then the address. Up to three Montclair contractors who do this work.
Your request is in.
We are matching it now against roofing contractors working in Montclair and the surrounding area.
- Today, usually within the hour. The first contractor calls or texts the number you gave us. ASAP requests go out first.
- Up to three of them, no more. We cap it at three so you can compare without your phone melting.
- They come and look. Estimates are given after somebody has been on the roof, not over the phone.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
If you do not hear anything today, check your voicemail and spam folder — contractors often call from a mobile number.
Before you let anybody on the roof
The things worth pinning down on a storm damage job. A contractor who has not raised them has not looked properly.
- Whether the contractor is licensed and insured in this state
- A written scope you can put in front of an adjuster
- Photographs of the damage before any work happens
- What the emergency tarp costs, separate from the repair
- A local address you could actually drive to
Do not sign anything that assigns your claim benefits to a contractor until you have read it twice. That signature can hand over control of the claim entirely.
Keep every receipt, including the tarp and the emergency call-out. Reasonable measures to prevent further damage are usually recoverable, and usually forgotten.
A local contractor who inspects and documents properly is more use to your claim than a fast one who is already on the roof.
Locally
The second problem is ember intrusion through vents and open eaves. Most houses lost to wildfire are lost to embers arriving ahead of the fire, not to the fire itself.
About storm damage here
Are gutters included in a re-roof?
Normally a separate line. It is the one add-on that genuinely costs less when done at the same time.
It is leaking right now. What do I do?
Contain the water, photograph everything, and get the request in marked as an emergency. A tarp is the right first job. The permanent repair is a separate conversation and a separate price.
Why does ventilation keep coming up?
Because a badly ventilated attic cooks the roof from underneath and takes years off it. Intake at the eaves and exhaust at the ridge, in balance. It is cheap during a re-roof and awkward afterwards.
Should I take the cheapest quote?
Not automatically. Put the quotes side by side on layers, not on totals — underlayment, ice-and-water, drip edge, valley treatment, ventilation, decking allowance, warranty. Cheap usually means less of those, not the same roof for less money.
Get the roof looked at
Three questions, about a minute, and up to three Montclair contractors come back to you.