As a roofer and carpenter, I’ve had to do many emergency roof repairs. I always feel empathy for my clients when I show up to the job: There’s nothing more stress-inducing for a homeowner than experiencing a major house failure and having to suddenly consider potential emergency roof repair costs.
In this article, I’ll provide an overview of different types of emergency repairs and how much they cost based on my expertise and experience as a roofing contractor and also the cost of a new roof. That way, if you experience a roofing emergency, you’ll have a better idea of what kind of expenses to expect.
If an emergency has damaged your roof beyond repair and a roof replacement is in your future, consider checking out our recommended roofing companies to get a quote today:
What Is the Cost of Emergency Roof Repair?
An emergency roof repair can cost anywhere from $250 to $10,000. It’s a huge range, but costs here can vary wildly based on the severity of the damage that needs to be repaired.
The other important factor here is the markup that repair companies charge for emergency work. I have, at times, worked for companies that did emergency repair and remediation. That meant being on-call 24/7 with the possibility of being dispatched to a client’s house at any time of day or night.
This kind of service comes at a premium. How much of a premium depends on the company, but you can expect a base charge of at least a few hundred dollars tacked on to the normal costs.
Costs can be even higher in the case of extreme events, like the total loss of a roof to a tornado or hurricane. I’ve excluded those extreme events from this article, as most homeowners will never experience them. But for a quick point of reference, for an average 1,700-square-foot roof, a complete rebuild would cost between $20,000 to $30,000.
Below is a quick overview of costs based on a general damage assessment.
| Damage | Cost |
| Minor | $250–$750 |
| Moderate | $1,000–$3,000 |
| Severe | $4,000–$15,000 |
| *Based on the national average, a 1,700-square-foot roof | |
What Is the Cost of Emergency Roof Repair by Type?
The first way we can look at emergency roof repair costs is by the part of the roof that’s damaged. The three major systems of a roof are the shingles, decking, and framing (or structure).
Shingle damage is the easiest and cheapest to repair. Decking is more involved, and damage to the framing will be the most expensive by far. Compounding matters: If the decking or framing of your roof is damaged, your shingles almost certainly will be, as well.
The chart below approaches costs from that perspective and assumes cumulative damage. This means my estimation for minor damage to the roof decking accounts for having to take off and replace shingles to repair it, for example.
| Location Affected | Cost for Minor Damage | Cost for Moderate Damage | Cost for Severe Damage |
| Shingles | $250–$700 | $1,000–$2,000 | $2500–$10,000 (or cost of complete replacement) |
| Decking | $500–$800 | $1,200–$2,000 | $3,500–$4,500 |
| Structure | $1,200–$1,800 | $2,000–$3,200 | $4,100–$6,000 |
| *Based on the national average, a 1,700-square-foot roof | |||
Shingle Damage
Because shingles are the top layer of the roofing system, they take most of the beating from weather and debris. That’s why shingle damage is the most common type of roofing damage. It can run you anywhere between $250 and $10,000 to repair.
This is a rough average across roofing material types (such as metal roofs, slate roofs, tile roofs, flat roofs, or asphalt shingle roofs). Some roofing types are more expensive, but repair costs are similar — even if the materials aren’t exactly the same.
Repairs to damaged or missing shingles can be as simple as replacing a few or as involved and costly as replacing all of them — in essence, a full roof replacement. Assessing the cost of repair depends in large part on the extent of the damage. The larger the area of damaged shingles, the higher the cost. After a certain point, if the extent of damage is large enough, it may justify a full roof replacement, even if all the shingles aren’t technically damaged.
In my experience, hail is the biggest threat to shingles. It can ruin all or most of the shingles on a roof, necessitating a complete replacement. Luckily, most reputable insurance companies include hail damage as part of their standard homeowners insurance policies, so you generally won’t have to pay out of pocket for a repair or replacement.
Decking Damage
Roof decking is the oriented strand board (OSB), also sometimes incorrectly called plywood, that creates the flat surfaces of the roof. Damage to the decking is often caused by either impact that causes the OSB to fail or water damage that leads to degradation.
Decking a roof itself isn’t very expensive or technically difficult. The problem is that most roofs have shingles on them. So, to get to the decking to repair it, you have to remove shingles, fix the decking, then replace the shingles when you’re done. This adds an extra step to the process and requires additional labor.
The good news? Damage to the decking is usually localized. Unlike shingles that can all be damaged and in need of replacement, damage to decking almost always occurs in just a small area, meaning repairs aren’t massive projects.
This is why damage to the roof decking is one of the cheaper roof repairs. The range of potential cost is narrower in comparison to other types of damage. The average cost of decking repairs is between $500 and $4,500.
Structural Damage
Structural damage is damage to the underlying wood framing of a roof. The framing keeps the roof up and bears the load created by weather, water, and snow. If you have a sagging roof or your roof is otherwise misshapen, that’s a sign of structural damage.
Structural damage (like damage to roof trusses or rafters) is the most involved and costly type of damage to repair because of how many things sit above the framing structure. You have to remove shingles, underlayment, and decking to get to the framing, which takes a lot of work.
It’s also vital to consider that with all those things removed, the house is completely vulnerable, so roofers are under a time crunch to get the work done as quickly as possible to avoid any risks from rain or adverse weather. All those factors contribute to expensive repairs that can cost anywhere from $1,200 to $6,000.
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What Is Emergency Roof Repair Cost by the Cause of the Damage?
To approach repair costs another way, it’s best to consider the nature of the damage and its severity. This isn’t always cut and dry, but it can give us a general idea of where certain kinds of repairs fall on the cost spectrum.
| Nature of Damage | Minor Damage | Moderate Damage | Severe Damage |
| Water | $500– $750 | $1,200–$1,750 | $2,000–$3,200 |
| Wind | $250–$750 | $1,000–$2,200 | $3,000–$10,000 |
| Fire | $1,000– $2,500 | $3,000–$5,000 | $5,500–$15,000 |
| *Based on the national average, a 1,700-square-foot roof | |||
Water Damage
Water damage can be difficult to address from a strict roofing perspective, as it’s not uncommon that water damage extends into other non-roof parts of the house. Note that my chart only addresses water damage to the roof and roofing system (like decking and framing) and not beyond that.
However, with that disclaimer out of the way, water damage to a roof is usually a localized problem, which means it’s on the less costly side of repairs, even for major repairs (again, for the roof only, as damage to the interior can potentially be extensive and costly). Water damage is typically the result of a roof leak somewhere, either in the field of the roof or along edges and joints where roofs are particularly vulnerable.
Repair involves removing the shingles of the affected area, cutting and removing damaged decking, replacing it, then replacing the shingles. It takes a few steps but is relatively straightforward work with only a bit of material involved. As such, it has one of the narrowest ranges of repair costs, between $500 and $3,200.
Read also: Best Asphalt Shingles Options
Wind
Wind damage happens when high winds lift, damage, or remove shingles — not uncommon during severe weather events. Sometimes it’s only a few select shingles, while sometimes, it’s all over the roof. The extent of the damage will play a role in the cost of roof repairs.
Repairing wind-damaged shingles is as simple as it gets: replacing the affected shingles. Hopefully, it’s only a few shingles, but we’re not always that lucky. A complete shingle replacement is the most sensible solution if too many shingles are damaged over a significant area. Repair can cost between $250 and $10,000 or, in a worst-case scenario, the cost of a completely new roof.
Fire
Fire damage occurs from any sort of flame affecting the roofing system. This can be direct burning or smoke damage. While direct burning jeopardizes the integrity of a roof, smoke damage jeopardizes the health of the occupants of the home but otherwise doesn’t damage the physical roof.
Fire damage is costly and there’s no other way about it. I’ve done fire remediation, and it’s a lengthy and involved process, especially as there are building code and health requirements to be met. This not only involves extra materials and labor but can include inspections of the remediation work to ensure the health and safety of the home’s occupants. That’s why it can cost anywhere between $1,000 and $15,000 for repairs and remediation.
Which Factors Impact How Much Emergency Roof Repair Costs?
Costs can be tricky to assess on account of the multitude of factors. Professionals usually organize expenses into two principal groups: material and labor. As a general rule, for any given roofing or construction project, material and labor follow a 60/40 rule. Material accounts for about 60% of the final cost, and labor accounts for about 40%.
As such, cost estimation in construction is based almost entirely on projected material costs, followed by figuring out the labor costs. Below, I list the factors and considerations in estimating material cost.
Part of the Roof Affected
First, it’s essential to understand which systems are damaged: the shingles, decking, structure, or all three. The next step is determining where the damage is located. Both of these factors play a substantial part in determining the material costs associated with a repair.
For example, you’d think damage to shingles is cheaper to repair than damage to the roof framing, but this isn’t strictly true. All of the roof framing is rarely damaged, but it’s not uncommon for all or most shingles to be damaged (from hail, for example.) Because damage to framing is often localized to a small area of the roof, it can cost less to repair than having to replace all the shingles on a roof.
One must also take into consideration the removal of materials to get to a lower subsystem of the roof. New material is used when everything gets put back together. Shingles, for example, can be carefully taken off and replaced, but when you have to remove a lot of shingles, it’s unfeasible to safely remove and replace 50 of them. For that reason, it’s common to just replace them with new shingles. It ensures that the repaired area is adequately protected by properly installed new shingles.
Extent of Damage
A falling branch puncturing a hole in the home’s roof is a much less involved repair than an entire tree falling onto the roof, or even hail damaging a roof. Sure, they all cause damaged shingles and broken roof decking, but the extent of the damage is drastically different. Damage across a larger area means more material, more labor, and a higher repair bill. The square footage of the damaged area often plays a significant role in repair costs.
Certain facets of the roofing system are more affected by the concept of extent than others. For example, decking and framing rarely experience roof-wide damage. Usually, damage to those systems is in a small area and caused by something like a leaking roof or impact. As such, extent doesn’t play as big of a role there as it does when shingles are damaged. Sometimes a few shingles get damaged; other times, all or most shingles get damaged. If that happens, the house needs a roof replacement.
Duration
In the case of water and fire damage, the duration of exposure to each factors into overall repair costs. A smoke-damaged framing member can be fixed, while a charred one will need a replacement.
In general, the longer a problem carries on (like a leak left to fester or a fire left to burn), the worse the damage to the roofing material. After a certain point, the damage can’t be remedied, and the material needs to be replaced, which increases the repair cost.
This also applies to weather events. A brief burst of hail might remove granules from a few shingles, but persistent hail could damage many. This also applies to high winds and heavy snowfalls.
Compound Damage
Sometimes major damage to the roof compromises its ability to protect the house’s interior. If a weather event destroys a roof section, water may pour into the house. That water goes on to destroy drywall, carpets, household items, and anything and everything in its path.
This kind of compound damage is the worst scenario for most homeowners. Now, the repair bill isn’t just the roof; it’s an entire section of the house. The material costs go through the roof, and the labor cost follows.
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What Are the Benefits of Investing in Emergency Roof Repair?
You should treat roofing emergencies quickly, especially when the roof’s ability to prevent water from entering the house has been compromised. As I outlined in the prior section, compound damage is the worst-case scenario, ending with massive repair and replacement costs.
Because the roof protects the rest of the house, along with everyone and everything in it, it’s essential to repair damage as soon as possible. Not only is it a matter of the immediate health and safety of occupants, it’s a matter of law in most jurisdictions. Authorities can condemn houses with roofs that are inadequate to provide basic protection as unsuitable for habitation.
Professional Vs. DIY Emergency Roof Repair Cost
The cost for DIY should be about half that of professional work. However, if you don’t have the expertise to properly repair your roof in a timely manner, you may end up paying more in the long run.
Emergency repairs cost the same as general repair, plus extra for the timely service. The difference is the urgency of the work — that’s what costs you extra. So, you can estimate material costs for repairs exactly like you would for normal repair costs. The exception to this is fire damage because it requires specialty sealants and chemicals to properly remediate the damage.
Doing Emergency Roof Repair Yourself
The best emergency repair is a tarp. Along with many other roofers, I’ve been out in neighborhoods after a severe storm tarping people’s roofs to provide basic protection until someone could do a proper repair.
You can do it yourself, but my best advice is to leave it to the roofing experts, if possible. It can be dangerous for all the standard reasons that roofing is dangerous, but after something like a severe storm, it can be even more dangerous because of downed tree limbs and power lines.
For the actual repairs, a confident DIY homeowner can tackle minor repairs with little issue. Replacing shingles or even a piece of decking is a project, but it doesn’t require years in the trade to do it. For larger projects, I would leave it to a professional. This is especially important for fire damage. Because of the specialty chemicals, safety procedures, and legal and roof inspection requirements, I strongly advise letting professionals handle fire repairs. Check out our article titled tips for locating a roofing professional.
Hiring a Professional for Emergency Roof Repair
Experiencing an emergency can be a frustrating time. To make it easier for you, find just the right roofer by following these three steps. They’ll help you find a professional roofing company and get you back on the road to a healthy roof:
- Find local experts near you: Most roofing companies handle emergencies, especially storm damage. The internet is a great resource to look up local companies and read reviews. Recommendations from friends and family are another good resource.
- Get a quote from a few options: As with all major work on a house, shop around to ensure you get a fair price. Check the internet for average rates for whatever type of roof you have.
- Consult them about their recommendations: The roofing company should explain the problem, the extent of damage, and the steps to repair. If you have any questions or concerns, be sure to tell them. Ensuring clients are satisfied is part of the job, and every good roofing contractor understands that.
So, Is Emergency Roof Repair Worth the Cost?
Repairing damage to your roof is always worth the cost. Little problems can easily turn into big problems, so promptly addressing them saves you money in the long run and ensures that your roof adequately protects your home and everyone in it.
FAQs About Emergency Roof Repair Costs
How do you temporarily repair a damaged roof?
A tarp can temporarily repair a damaged roof. It’s cheap, effective, and protects your home in a pinch. Even professional roofing companies tarp damaged roofs when they can’t immediately repair the damage. Securely tie the tarp off to anything you can with whatever you can.
How do you know if you need emergency roof repair?
Substantial leakage or obvious major damage means you need an emergency roof repair. A few drips here or there during a rain is a problem that needs to be fixed, but it’s not an emergency. If water is pooling and running or streaming into the living areas of the house, that’s an emergency.
How often do you need to replace a roof?
This depends on your roofing material. In general, you should follow the manufacturer’s warranty and guidance. The below list explains how long you can expect a roof to last based on its material.
- Shingles last 20 to 25 years
- Wood shakes last 40 to 50 years
- Concrete tile lasts 50 years
- Clay tile lasts 50 to 100 years
- Slate last at least 100 years
Can you repair just a section of a roof?
It’s possible to repair just a section of a roof, and that’s how professional roofers repair impact damage. Since impact damage is usually confined to a small area of the roof, there’s no need for a complete roof replacement procedure. If your damage is in multiple sections of the roof, I recommend getting them all repaired at once. It’ll be cheaper in the end.
