A monsoon cell can damage a roof in minutes, and the photos you take in the first day often shape how the insurance claim goes. Before you call your carrier, photograph the whole house from all four sides, every roof problem you can see from the ground, any debris in the yard, and every interior water stain, all with the date and time recorded. Then get a roof inspection so you know what the storm did before that first insurance conversation.
We handle roof repairs for storm damage in Tucson every monsoon season, and we see the same pattern each year. Homeowners with clear, dated photos have a much easier claim than homeowners with two blurry close-ups. Here is the shot list we would give a neighbor.
Stay Off the Roof
Wet tile is slick, cracked tile breaks underfoot, and a roof that just took a hit can have soft spots you cannot see. Everything on this list can be photographed from the ground, from a window, or from inside the house. Use your phone’s zoom. If you cannot see an area without climbing, leave it for the inspection.
If water is coming in right now, deal with that first. Our guide on how to stop a roof leak during a storm covers the immediate steps.
Start Wide: All Four Sides of the House
Adjusters need context before they need detail. Stand back far enough to fit the full roofline in the frame, then take one photo from each side of the house and the corners if you can. Make sure at least one photo shows your house number.
These wide photos show the overall condition of the roof and where each damaged area sits. Once you have them, move in closer.
What to Photograph on the Roof, by Roof Type
Tile roofs. Cracked, slipped, or missing tiles. Ridge and hip caps that have shifted. Any spot where the underlayment beneath the tile is showing. If the damage is widespread, our post on repairing or replacing a tile roof after monsoon damage explains how to make that decision.
Shingle roofs. Missing shingles, lifted or creased tabs, bare patches, and ridge caps that have blown off. Check where your downspouts empty. A pile of loose granules there after a storm is worth a photo, since granule loss is one of the signs of hail.
Flat and coated roofs. If you can see the surface safely from a second-story window or balcony, photograph standing water, blisters, tears, peeling coating, and debris packed around drains and scuppers.
Metal roofs. Dents, lifted panels, bent trim, and loose or missing fasteners.
On every roof. Flashing is installed around chimneys, vents, and skylights. Gutters and downspouts that are bent or pulled away from the fascia. Tree limbs resting on the roof, photographed before anyone moves them.
Photograph the Ground Too
Roof storm damage in Tucson often shows up in the yard before it shows up on the ceiling.
- Broken tile, shingles, or flashing pieces. Photograph them where they landed, then collect them and keep them.
- Fallen limbs and wind-blown objects near the house.
- Hailstones, if any are left, next to a coin or tape measure for scale.
- Dents in the AC unit, roof vents, mailbox, patio furniture, or vehicles. Hail marks on these surfaces support the case that hail hit the roof too.
- Damaged fences, shade structures, and patio covers.
Go Inside: Ceilings, Walls, and the Attic
Photograph every water stain twice. Take one wide shot that shows where it is in the room and one close-up with a tape measure across it. If water is actively dripping, take a short video.
If the stain grows, photograph it again each day. A dated series showing a stain spreading after a specific storm is hard to argue with.
If you can get into the attic safely, photograph wet insulation, dark or damp decking, and any spot where daylight comes through. Include damaged flooring, furniture, and belongings as well, because interior water damage caused by a storm opening is generally part of the same claim.
Keep in mind that a roof can look fine and still be letting water in. We covered that in hidden roof damage after Tucson monsoon season.
How to Make Your Photos Useful for a Claim
- Leave the timestamp data alone. Do not crop, filter, or edit the originals. The date and time attached to each file help tie the damage to the storm.
- Shoot wide, then close. Every close-up should have a matching wide shot that shows where it is.
- Add scale. A tape measure or a coin next to the damage tells an adjuster how big it is.
- Record a video walk-through. Walk the outside and inside of the house and say the date and what you are looking at.
- Photograph before the tarp goes on, then after. Do not delay temporary protection to get more pictures. Policies expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, so get the shots you can, get the roof covered, and keep every receipt. Our emergency storm repair crews carry tarps for this reason.
- Find your “before” photos. Old inspection reports, real estate listing photos, even a family photo with the roof in the background. Anything that shows the roof in good shape before the storm helps answer the argument that the damage is just age.
- Write down the storm date and time, and back everything up. Email the files to yourself or save them to the cloud the same day.
What Your Photos Cannot Show
Ground-level photos miss a lot. Hairline cracks in tile, hail bruising on shingles, lifted flashing, and damaged underlayment usually need someone on the roof to find them.
This issue matters for roof insurance claims. Tucson homeowners most often see a claim reduced or denied because the damage gets attributed to age or deferred maintenance instead of the storm. Your photos start that conversation, and a written assessment from a licensed roofer backs it up.
That is why we recommend an inspection before you file. Our inspections are free. We document our findings on the roof, provide the assessment your carrier needs, and stay involved so you don’t have to translate between your adjuster and your roofer. We are not public adjusters, and we do not take over your claim. You stay in control of it with better information. For the full process, read Can Insurance Cover Monsoon Roof Damage in Arizona?
Quick Answers
How many photos should I take? More than you think you need. Nobody has ever had a claim slowed down by too much documentation.
Should I call my roofer or my insurance company first? We recommend the inspection first, but do not sit on it. Policies have reporting windows for storm damage, and some are as short as 30 days.
Can I clean up before I take photos? Photograph first, clean up second, and keep the broken pieces until the claim is settled.
Get the Roof Documented Before You File
Kino Roofing LLC is a licensed, bonded, and insured Tucson roofing contractor (ROC 339345), BBB accredited, and a GAF Master Elite contractor. Our storm damage roofing work is done by our own in-house crews, and we warrant every job we complete.
If a monsoon storm hit your roof, call us at (520) 653-9731 to schedule a free storm damage inspection. Our office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.