Storm Damage to Your Roof? Here's What Moncton Homeowners Should Do

By Mackenzie Mazerolle, third-generation roofer · July 2026

New Brunswick weather earns its reputation. Winter nor'easters, summer thunderstorms, wind that peels at anything loose. Your roof takes the hit so the house underneath stays dry, and sometimes the roof pays for it. Here's exactly what to do after a storm, step by step.

Step 1: stay on the ground and look

Once the storm passes, walk the property and check from ground level. Stay off the roof itself. A damaged roof is unstable, doubly so when it's wet.

Outside, look for: missing or damaged shingles, roofing material in the yard, flashing pieces on the ground, bent gutters or soffits, branches on the roofline, any visible sag.

Inside, check for: ceiling stains or drips, damp spots on upper-floor walls, water in the attic, musty smells that arrived with the storm.

Step 2: document everything

Photos and video from multiple angles. The date and time of the storm. Any debris that came off the roof, kept. Notes on what you saw and when. Your insurance claim gets built on this record, so build it well.

Step 3: limit the damage

Buckets under active leaks. A weighted tarp over exposed areas if you can place one safely. Furniture and valuables moved clear. Insurers expect reasonable steps to prevent further damage, and the supplies are often reimbursable, so keep the receipts.

Step 4: call your insurance company

Report the damage promptly. Give them the date and type of storm, describe what you found, ask how their claims process runs, and get a claim number.

One more thing: read anything you're asked to sign, and read it twice if it's called an assignment of benefits. That document hands control of your claim to a contractor. Keep that control with you.

Step 5: get a professional inspection

A roofer sees what the ground view hides: bruised shingles, lifted flashing, underlayment damage, soft decking. For storm work, pick a company that's local and established, carries insurance, works alongside your insurance adjuster, and puts the scope in writing.

After big storms, out-of-province crews sweep through Moncton offering fast, cheap fixes. The company you want is the one with local reviews, a local number and a reason to stand behind the work for decades. A local roofer answers the phone next year, and that matters when warranty questions surface.

Step 6: get the repair done right

Minor damage (a few shingles, a small flashing repair): usually fixed in hours, often covered with just your deductible.

Moderate damage (a larger section, several areas): plan for a full day, and the decking under the damage should be inspected too.

Major damage (structural or widespread): may mean a partial or full replacement. Your adjuster should assess before major work starts, and the scope goes in writing first.

What Moncton storms actually do to roofs

Wind pulls shingles in patterns that follow the gust direction, creases what it can't remove, and exposes underlayment. Ice dams push meltwater back up under the shingles at the eaves; big icicles are the tell. Hail bruises shingles in ways you can only confirm up close. Falling branches crack shingles and flashing even when they look harmless from the ground.

How we handle storm calls

• Storm damage goes to the front of the line
• We photograph and document everything for your claim
• You get a written scope and cost breakdown
• We work with your adjuster so the claim covers what's actually damaged
• We fix it once, properly, with materials that meet or beat what was there
• We follow up after to make sure it's holding

Storm Damage Moves Fast. Move Faster.

A small breach today is soaked insulation next month. Water travels quickly once it's inside, and the secondary damage (rot, mould, ruined insulation) costs multiples of the original fix. Get eyes on it this week, while the evidence is fresh and the fix is still small.

Plus Ultra Roofing. Third-generation roofers serving Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe, New Brunswick.