Storm Damage to Your Cheltenham Roof: What to Do First

Cheltenham sits at the foot of the Cotswold escarpment, directly in the path of south-westerly Atlantic weather systems. When these stall against the escarpment — as they regularly do between October and March — the town receives sustained wind and rainfall that causes genuine roof damage. This guide covers exactly what to do in the first 24 hours.

Step 1: Stay Safe

Do not attempt to access your roof yourself after storm damage. This applies even to single-storey sections, outbuildings, and apparently minor damage. Wet tiles are extremely slippery. Damaged roof structures may be unstable. Wind conditions following a storm can still be dangerous at height. Leave the roof to qualified roofers with appropriate safety equipment.

If a structural failure is creating an immediate hazard — a chimney stack has partially collapsed, a section of roof has come down, or there is structural instability — contact your local council’s emergency out-of-hours team in addition to an emergency roofer.

NFRC guidance recommends homeowners obtain a written, itemised quotation and verify a contractor's trade body membership and public liability insurance before agreeing any roofing work.

Step 2: Document the Damage Before Any Work Begins

This is critical for insurance purposes. Before calling a roofer, take as many photographs as you safely can — from the ground, from windows, from outside if safe to do so. If you can see into the loft safely, photograph any water ingress or damage there too. Timestamp these photographs (most smartphones do this automatically in the image metadata).

Insurance companies require evidence that damage was caused by a storm event rather than pre-existing deterioration. Timestamped photographs taken immediately after the event are your strongest evidence.

Step 3: Apply Temporary Protection

If water is actively entering the property, call an emergency roofer for same-day attendance. A professional emergency response will include: covering exposed sections with heavy-duty temporary felt tacked and battened in place, photographing and cataloguing all visible damage, and providing a written summary of findings for insurance purposes. Do not attempt to apply tarpaulins yourself from height.

We carry out 24/7 emergency call-outs across Cheltenham and will make your roof watertight the same day wherever possible. Response time within Cheltenham town is typically 2–4 hours.

Step 4: Contact Your Insurer

Report the damage to your insurer as soon as possible. Most building insurance policies cover storm damage, but there are common exclusions to understand:

• Pre-existing poor condition: If the roof was already in disrepair, insurers may argue that deterioration — rather than the storm — caused the failure. This is why maintaining a roof in reasonable condition matters, and why documenting storm event timing with photographs is essential.
• Definition of ‘storm’: Some policies define storm specifically and may require wind speeds above a threshold. Weather station records (Cheltenham has weather monitoring through the Cheltenham & Gloucester area Met Office records) can support your claim.
• Gradual deterioration clauses: Standard home insurance does not cover wear and tear — only sudden event damage.

We provide full written damage reports with timestamped photographic records for insurance claims. We liaise directly with loss adjusters where requested.

Most Common Storm Damage in Cheltenham

Displaced ridge and hip tiles

The most frequent call after storms on Cheltenham’s post-war estates. Concrete ridge and hip tiles bedded in deteriorating mortar are lifted by wind uplift. This exposes the underfelt below and creates water entry points.

Lost individual tiles

Wind-lifted individual tiles on properties showing nail sickness — common on Hester’s Way and Benhall estates — are a post-storm staple. We carry stock of the most common Cheltenham tile profiles for same-day replacement.

Chimney movement

High winds put lateral load on chimney stacks, particularly on Cheltenham’s tall Victorian and Regency stacks. This can crack mortar joints at the flashing or cause the stack to move fractionally on its base, breaking the lead flashing seal. Any suspected chimney movement should be assessed quickly as falling masonry is a serious hazard.

Damaged flat roof membranes

Storm-force wind can lift the edge detail of EPDM or GRP flat roofs if the perimeter fixing is inadequate. This is most common on older felt flat roofs rather than modern membrane systems.

Last reviewed: August 2026 by Cheltenham Roofing Experts.