After the Storm: Gutter Damage, Claims and Scams

The first hours: safety and photos

After a storm passes, stay away from downed lines and stay off ladders and roofs until conditions are safe. Then document before anything is moved:

• Wide photos of each side of the house from the yard.
• Close-ups of torn, bent or hanging gutters, broken downspouts and pulled fascia.
• Photos of pieces in the yard where they landed.
• Photos of interior water stains if water got behind the gutter or through the eave.

Keep the damaged pieces until your insurer says you can discard them. A simple written list with the date and what you saw helps later.

Calling your insurer

Contact your insurance company or agent and ask how they want the claim reported, whether an adjuster will visit, and whether you can make temporary repairs to prevent further damage. Keep receipts for anything you buy for temporary protection. Coverage depends on your policy and the cause of damage, so ask rather than assume.

The windstorm inspection question

Coastal homes in the Texas Department of Insurance's designated catastrophe area, which covers 14 coastal counties and parts of Harris County, often carry windstorm coverage through the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. TDI explains that most new construction, roof replacements and major repairs there require an inspection and a certificate of compliance for a TWIA policy. It also lists project types that do not require an inspection, including repairs or replacement of fences, gutters, decorative shutters, steps and screen doors (Texas Department of Insurance, what you need to know about windstorm inspections).

So a gutter-only repair or replacement generally does not need a windstorm certificate. If the storm also damaged the roof, siding or structure, those repairs may. TDI advises contacting your insurance agent to learn whether repairs must meet building code requirements, and asking any contractor how they will meet inspection requirements when they apply (Texas Department of Insurance, making repairs after a storm).

Texas Department of Insurance scam warnings

TDI warns that out-of-town scam artists may be the first to arrive after a disaster (Texas Department of Insurance, how to avoid contracting scams). Its advice, in short:

• Get more than one bid. TDI suggests at least three written bids, on company letterhead with a phone number and address.
• Watch what you sign. Scammers may call a contract an "estimate" or a "release" just to get on your roof. Never sign a contract with blank spaces.
• Beware of misleading language. Do not sign contracts saying you agree to repairs "for the value of insurance proceeds."
• Don't pay up front. Be wary of large or full down payments. After a disaster, it is against the law for out-of-town contractors to ask for a down payment before they start.
• Skip deductible offers. It is against the law for a contractor to offer to waive your deductible or work it into a bid. TDI says to find a new contractor and you can report it to the Texas Attorney General.

TDI's repair page adds: avoid contractors going door to door, be wary of cash-only deals, demands for money before materials are on site and "specials," and keep copies of all signed agreements and warranty terms (Texas Department of Insurance, making repairs after a storm).

Reading a storm repair estimate

A trustworthy gutter estimate after a storm lists:

• Which runs and downspouts are being replaced, by linear foot.
• Gutter size, metal and gauge, matching or upgrading the original.
• Hanger type, spacing and fasteners.
• How damaged fascia will be handled.
• Removal and disposal of damaged material.
• Payment schedule tied to completed work.

Compare at least three. If one estimate is wildly lower, ask what it leaves out.

Perspective from past storms

The Coastal Bend has rebuilt before. The NWS Corpus Christi office notes that Celia in 1970 caused 15 deaths and 466 injuries in South Texas (NWS Corpus Christi, Hurricane Celia (Aug. 3, 1970)), and its Harvey summary documents extreme wind gusts in Rockport and near Port Aransas in 2017 (NWS Corpus Christi, Major Hurricane Harvey (Aug. 25–29, 2017)). After events like those, demand for repairs is high and patience matters. A few days spent collecting proper bids is better than a rushed deal with an unknown crew.

Building back better

Replacing storm-damaged gutters is a chance to improve fastening and sizing: hidden hangers at close spacing, stainless or coated screws, heavier gauge, strapped downspouts and correctly lapped drip edge. See the wind and hanger guide, the storm damage page and the estimate factors page.

For a sense of what a storm scope should list, see how storm damage scopes vary.

Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, making repairs after a storm; Texas Department of Insurance, how to avoid contracting scams; Texas Department of Insurance, what you need to know about windstorm inspections; NWS Corpus Christi, Major Hurricane Harvey (Aug. 25–29, 2017); NWS Corpus Christi, Hurricane Celia (Aug. 3, 1970).