Wind or hail damage on a Syracuse roof: find out what the storm did first

The city's section of the county hazard plan lists straight-line wind damage on two 2011 dates, April 25 and May 26, and on the second one large hail and damaging winds hit central New York. Storms like that can lift, crack or strip shingles. They can also leave a roof next door untouched.

So the first job is to learn what the storm did to your roof, not what it could have done. One lifted tab is a repair. A slope with dozens of bruised shingles is a different job. The roofer's written estimate should say which one it is.

Keep to what you can see from the ground until someone with the right gear goes up. Take photos of the yard, the gutters and anything on the ground that came off the house.

Not every storm leaves marks on the shingles. Hail can bruise a surface without breaking it, and wind can lift a tab and let it fall back. The roofer's estimate should say what was found and where, so you are not paying to replace a roof that only needed a few tabs resealed.

State guidance shows two ways a roof loss can be settled: actual cash value, which subtracts depreciation for the roof's age, or replacement cost. Which one you get depends on your policy and how much of the home's value it covers.

We do not file claims or deal with adjusters, and a roofer's estimate does not decide what your insurer pays. What it does give you is a written scope of the work, which is a better thing to hold than a guess.

Be careful about several small claims in a short period. The state warns that some carriers restrict the number before treating a homeowner as a higher risk. Ask your insurer how it counts before you file.

Ask your insurer which kind of payment your roof would get, and whether depreciation applies. The state's worked example values an older roof far below the cost to replace it, so ask before the estimate arrives.

Replacing a storm-damaged roof in the city usually needs a permit from the Central Permit Office, the same as any other replacement. If the house stands in one of the four preservation districts, or is a protected site, ask the Landmark Preservation Board whether a roof covering change needs a certificate of appropriateness.

Ask the roofer to say, in the estimate, who files and whether a landmark review applies to your address. A storm does not skip those steps.

If a stranger knocks and says your roof is damaged, you do not have to answer on the spot. Ask for a written estimate, take three business days if the contract offers them, and compare it with a second one. A storm is not a reason to sign on the spot.