Roof storm damage · Triage

How bad is it, and what do I do right now?

Sixty-second triage. Tell us what you can see from the ground, and we'll tell you whether to monitor, schedule, hurry, or treat it as an emergency. Plus an honest read on whether to file an insurance claim based on your roof's age.

Built by Benefitra. We're a licensed insurance brokerage AND we run marketing for Art Slate Roofing in Boston, so we see both sides: what the damage costs to repair, and what insurers will actually cover before your premium goes up. We don't take referral fees from roofers and we don't push claims that won't pay back — the recommendation below is honest about whether to file or just fix it.

Step 1 — The event

What hit your roof?

Different damage types leave different signatures. Hail dents metal and strips granules; wind tears shingles and bends gutters; falling debris causes localized impact damage. Time since the event matters for what damage you can still see and for documenting an insurance claim.

Step 2 — What you can see from the ground

Visible damage signs

Check every box that applies to what you can see without getting on the roof. Stay on the ground — damaged roofs are dangerous and you don't want to make a small problem into a fall injury. Use binoculars or your phone's camera zoom if you need a closer look.

Step 3 — Emergency conditions

Anything happening right now?

These three conditions override everything else — if any of them are true, you're in emergency territory regardless of how everything else looks. Be honest, this is the part of the form that gets the right people on the phone fast.

Active water leak inside the house RIGHT NOW?Water actively dripping, pooling, or staining a ceiling. Doesn't have to be heavy — any active intrusion forces emergency status. If yes, treat this as an emergency. Catch the water with a bucket, photograph the source.
A tree or large branch fell on the roof?Different from "branches on the roof." This is a tree trunk, large limb, or whole tree resting on or having struck the roof. Structural concern, often a homeowner-insurance-covered event. Stay out of any rooms below the impact area. Document with photos from a safe distance.
Visible hole — daylight from the attic, OR a hole through the roof from outside?If you can see sky from inside the attic, or you can see a clear puncture from outside, the roof envelope is breached. Water is coming in even if you don't see active dripping yet. Tarp the area if you can do it safely. This is an emergency regardless of weather.
Step 4 — Your roof + insurance

Roof age and policy basics

Whether it's worth filing a claim depends heavily on roof age (carriers depreciate older roofs aggressively) and your deductible (filing makes no sense if the repair is below it). These two inputs drive the honest claim recommendation below.

Your triage result

Damage severity + next steps

Updates live as you change inputs above. The action card below tells you exactly what to do right now based on your severity.

Severity score
0/100
Cosmetic
Likely repair cost
$0
Range based on damage severity and Northeast contractor midpoints.
More precise estimates require an inspection.

Next steps

  1. Fill in the form above to see your tailored action plan.

Should you file an insurance claim?

File the claim

A real recommendation appears here once you've answered the form. Roof age, deductible, and damage estimate all factor in.

No damage signs checked yetEach symptom you check above will appear here with its severity weight.
Free inspection

Get on the calendar this week

A Benefitra advisor will line you up with a vetted roofer for an inspection and walk you through how to document everything for a potential insurance claim. No upsell pressure, no referral fees — we work for you, not the contractor.

We'll never share your info. Severity-flagged requests (Urgent / Emergency) are escalated. You'll hear from a real human within 1 business day; emergencies get a call within hours during business days.

How this estimate works. Severity scoring is a heuristic blend of visible damage indicators, industry severity weighting, and recency of event. It is not a substitute for a professional roof inspection. Repair cost ranges are Northeast contractor midpoints (2026 dollars) and will vary by region, roof complexity, and material. Insurance-claim recommendations are general guidance based on category norms — your specific policy language, deductible structure, and carrier behavior may differ. Benefitra is a licensed insurance brokerage; this calculator provides estimates and does not constitute a binding insurance opinion or coverage determination.