October 2024 is when the Upstate got to know storm chasers. A few days after Helene, pickups with out-of-state tags were cruising every subdivision between Riverside and Reidville, and plenty of homeowners signed contracts standing in their own doorways. Some of those crews did fair work. Many put down a tarp and a fast patch and were gone before the insurance money came through. We still get calls to roofs where the so-called repair was new shingles nailed on top of broken decking.
What follows is how the job ought to go. When a tree has hit the house, we look at the framing as well as the shingles. With wind damage, every creased or raised tab gets photographed, including the slopes you cannot see from the driveway. With hail, we mark test squares and record dents in soft metal for the carrier. When the damage is really wear, or when it falls under your deductible, we say so, since a denied claim stays on the record for your house.
The work, piece by piece
Tarping in an emergency
Day or night. Keeping the water out comes first, and the permanent repair gets planned once it is light.
Repairs after a tree strike
Decking, rafters and trusses are checked and repaired before a new roof goes on. Nothing gets shingled over.
Storm inspection at no cost
A roofer on your roof with a camera, normally within 24 hours of your call after a storm.
Paperwork for the claim
A photo report, hail test squares and an estimate itemized in the format insurance carriers work from.
Meeting the adjuster
We are on the roof with the adjuster so that no damage is overlooked and none is overstated.
Deductibles stay yours
We never waive a deductible or absorb it. In South Carolina that is fraud, and a crew offering it is one to stay away from.
Storm repair prices and who covers them
| Item | Usual price, installed | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency tarp | $250 – $600 | Carriers often reimburse it; credited toward the job |
| One slope repaired after wind | $450 – $1,800 | Varies with area and how well shingles match |
| Decking and framing repair after a tree | $1,500 – $8,000+ | Structural work is priced once the tarp is up |
| Storm or hail inspection with photo report | Free | The report is yours whatever you decide |
| Full replacement approved by insurance | Your deductible | The carrier covers the rest under the adjusted scope |
Your insurance carrier normally pays for storm work under the adjusted scope, minus the deductible. You get our written estimate regardless, so you can hold it up against the adjuster's figures.
Two years after Helene
During the early morning of September 27, 2024, Helene brought gusts of 90 mph to Greenville and Spartanburg counties. Trees did most of the harm. Hundreds of roads were blocked, parts of Greer and Taylors went without power for a week or longer, and debris still lined the roadsides into December. The roofs that suffered most sat beneath mature pines, and they ended up with crushed decking, cracked rafters and valleys ripped open. If yours only ever got a tarp and a patch, we will inspect it at no charge and tell you what is really underneath.
From the job photos
Storm & tree damage: what people ask us
What should I do first if a tree lands on my roof?
Get everyone away from the rooms underneath, then call us at any hour. We tarp it that night to keep rain out, photograph it all for your carrier, and return in daylight to look at the framing. Do not let anyone start pulling the tree off until someone has checked the roof structure.
Can I still file for damage from Helene?
Most homeowner policies in South Carolina allow one to two years to report storm damage, and some carriers are still working through Helene claims in 2026. If your roof got a tarp or a patch and now leaks again, have it inspected soon, and we will document what the storm caused.
Is my roof damage worth an insurance claim?
Only when there is enough damage that the carrier would pay more than your deductible. Finding that out is the point of the free inspection. If the damage is minor we will tell you, since a denied claim stays with your property for years.
Must I hire the roofer my insurer suggests?
No. South Carolina homeowners pick their own contractor. A carrier's preferred list exists for the carrier's convenience and is not something you have to follow.
Will insurance cover a whole new roof?
When wind or hail damage is spread across the roof and passes the carrier's threshold, the adjuster writes it as a replacement. When it is limited to one slope, they may pay to repair that slope. In both cases we document the damage and meet the adjuster on site.
How can I tell if a roofer is a storm chaser?
Watch for out-of-state plates and a door hanger the morning after a storm, pressure to sign an assignment of benefits before anyone inspects, an offer to waive the deductible, and no local address or LLR registration number to show you. Any single one of these is reason enough to call a local company.