Stabilize and preserve
Start with life safety, active water entry, and loose material. Temporary work should be limited to reasonable stabilization and documented before, during, and after the repair.
Preserve damaged material when practical, record who performed the work, and separate emergency authorization from permanent construction approval.
- Protect occupants and interiors
- Record the date, time, and reported weather
- Photograph before temporary work
- Keep invoices, labor notes, and removed materials
- Use one management intake channel
Notify the right parties
The association should review policy notice requirements immediately. Prompt notice preserves options; it does not force the board to exaggerate damage or commit to a construction contract.
Management should notify the broker or carrier as required, obtain the complete policy, and ask for the claim number, assigned contacts, deadlines, deductible wording, and any instructions for temporary repair.
Do not wait for every building to be fully inspected before checking the policy’s notice requirements.
Build the evidence by building
A community-wide inspection should map each condition to the correct building, unit or address range, elevation, slope, and roof component. Preserve both contextual and close-up photographs.
Separate potential storm indicators from installation defects, active leak details, prior repairs, and deferred maintenance. Those categories can require different funding and different action.
- Storm-investigation priority
- Immediate leak-service priority
- Prior-repair or penetration review
- Community-wide maintenance
- Capital replacement or rehabilitation
Communicate without overpromising
Residents deserve verified milestones, not speculation. Explain what has been observed, what is being inspected, what the policy review will determine, and when the board expects the next update.
A legitimate storm claim does not automatically cancel coverage or automatically set HOA dues. Premiums, deductibles, renewal terms, reserves, and governing documents all matter.
Move from claim to capital plan
After the carrier’s scope and coverage decision are known, compare covered work, deductible, depreciation, excluded work, reserves, and the community’s desired roofing system.
The board can then authorize repair, phased rehabilitation, full replacement, or maintenance with a clearer financial record—and retain that record for the next reserve study and renewal conversation.
PRIMARY SOURCES & FURTHER READING