Roof Damage After a Storm in Georgia: What to Do
Make the house safe and document the damage, then call your insurer before signing with a roofer. Under O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.12, if your insurer denies all or part of the claim you can cancel a roofing contract within five business days of that written notice, the roofer cannot require payment until that period has passed (except for agreed emergency work), and a roofer may not negotiate your insurance claim for you.
Right after the storm
- Stay off the roof. Look from the ground and from inside the attic for missing shingles, dents, and water coming in.
- Photograph the damage, the date, and anything that fell, before any cleanup.
- Stop water getting in with a tarp or other temporary cover if you can do it safely, and keep the receipts.
- Call your insurer to open a claim and ask what they need from you.
Your rights under Georgia law
Georgia's law on residential roofing contracts paid from insurance, O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.12, covers homes built for one to four families, including detached garages.
- Cancelling: if the insurer tells you in writing that all or part of the claim is not covered, you may cancel the roofing contract "prior to midnight on the fifth business day" after you receive that notice (§ 10-1-393.12(b)).
- Paying: the roofer "shall not require any payments" from you until that cancellation period has expired, except for emergency work you acknowledged in writing as necessary to prevent damage (§ 10-1-393.12(d)).
- Your claim is yours: a residential roofing contractor may not represent you or negotiate your insurance claim, or offer to (§ 10-1-393.12(e)).
- The contract must tell you about your right to cancel, in bold type (§ 10-1-393.12(c)).
Choosing a roofer after a storm
- Be careful with anyone who knocks on the door right after a storm offering a free roof. Take their details and check them before you sign anything.
- Get more than one written estimate, and look up the license yourself on the Georgia Secretary of State's license lookup.
- Do not sign anything that lets a contractor handle your insurance claim for you; Georgia law does not allow it.
Sources
- O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.12 (residential roofing contracts and insurance)
- Georgia Secretary of State license lookup
Sources last checked September 29, 2026. This guide summarises Georgia law as published; it is not legal advice. For a decision that matters, ask the Georgia Secretary of State's licensing division or a lawyer.