When a tree is in the attic or rain is blowing past a broken window, the clock started the moment the storm hit. One call to Water Heater Repairer connects you with an independent storm response contractor around Manhattan for tarping, board-up and water mitigation.
The morning after a bad storm, the whole street is calling the same handful of companies. Our job is to get you to a contractor who can actually show up.
Every big storm draws storm chasers who disappear once the deposit clears. Calls go to independent, licensed and insured contractors who work here year-round.
During a surge, we keep tabs on which local crews still have tarps, plywood and people free. Response depends on downed lines, blocked roads and how many homes were hit.
You get a written quote that splits the emergency tarp and board-up from the later rebuild. Adjusters generally expect to see it broken out that way.
Storm crews arrive with reinforced roof tarps, furring strips, plywood, chainsaws and moisture meters. Closing up the envelope always comes first.
Storm water is sneaky because it rarely comes in where you expect. Sideways rain forces its way behind siding, in through soffit vents and past window flashing that never leaks in a normal shower. By the time a ceiling stain shows up, the attic insulation above it may already be soaked.
The other problem is timing. When a line of storms rolls through, hundreds of households call at once and the best crews book up by mid-morning. We track which independent contractors still have room that day, so you are not leaving message after message while the ceiling drips. After the cover-up, drying starts right away and the roofer follows for the permanent work.
From the first tarp to the final drying readings, here is what independent storm contractors handle.
A real storm tarp wraps over the ridge and is screwed down with batten strips instead of held by sandbags. A good one rides out several more storms while you wait for the roofer.
If a tree punches through, the contractor clears the limb and closes the opening with plywood sheathing. Shattered windows and slider doors are boarded on the same trip.
Ice dams form at the eaves and back meltwater up under the shingles, into the wall and down the inside. Pros steam a channel through the ice and then dry out the walls and ceilings it soaked.
Hail cracks skylight domes and splits the rubber vent boots around plumbing stacks. Those small openings leak quietly for weeks before a stain shows.
Wet blown insulation gets heavy and pushes ceiling drywall into a sag that can come down. The pro relieves the water, bags the wet insulation and dries the joists and decking.
With the envelope sealed, the crew extracts standing water and sets up dehumidifiers and air movers. Overflowing gutters and downspouts dumping at the foundation often add a wet basement to the list.
Here is the order things happen once you call.
Tell us what hit the house, where water is coming in and whether power is still on. If a line is down or the ceiling is sagging, we walk you through safety steps first.
The contractor arrives ready to tarp, board up and run equipment off a properly placed generator if the grid is down. Stopping new water from entering always comes first.
The pro photographs every opening and wet area, notes the storm date and writes up emergency and permanent work separately. Nothing past the emergency tarp moves forward until you sign.
After the structure is dry, the contractor hands over photos and drying records for the claim. When a roofer takes over the permanent repair, the handoff is coordinated so the tarp stays until the new roof is on.
Most homeowner policies include a duty to mitigate, meaning you have to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. Same-day tarping and board-up shows the adjuster you held up your end.
| Temporary repair | Permanent repair |
|---|---|
| Roof tarp with battens | Re-sheathed and reshingled roof section |
| Plywood board-up | Replacement window or door |
| Extraction and drying | Rebuilt ceiling and walls |
Have an independent storm contractor around Manhattan dispatched now.
A big oak branch crashed through our bedroom ceiling around 2 a.m. Every number I tried went to voicemail; this line had a contractor in the driveway by dawn. They cut the limb out, sheeted the hole and had dehumidifiers running by noon.
Every sunny afternoon in February, water dripped down the inside of our front wall. It turned out to be an ice dam; the pro steamed it off and dried out the wall behind the drywall. They pointed out that poor attic venting was feeding the problem.
Our insurance company asked for dated photos of all the hail damage. The contractor photographed the cracked skylight, the split vent boots and the wet insulation before touching anything. Those pictures made the claim go smoothly.
Wind blew rain sideways into our rental for six hours, and the tenant called me at midnight. The pro found water coming in around the window flashing and soffits, covered the gable end and dried two rooms. I was handling it from two hours away and never had to drive over.
Get the house covered first if water is actively coming in, then call your insurer. Policies generally require you to limit further damage, and emergency cover-up is normally part of the covered loss.
Take wide shots of each side of the house, close-ups of every opening, and photos of interior stains and wet areas. Note the storm date, and keep any hail or debris you collected.
A tarp fastened with battens over the ridge typically holds for weeks to a few months. It covers the wait for a roofer; it is not a substitute for the real repair.
Only outside, well away from doors, windows and vents, because exhaust carbon monoxide can kill. Never backfeed a house through an outlet; that can energize downed lines and injure utility workers.
A bowed ceiling usually has water and soaked insulation pressing down on it. Clear the room, set a bucket under the lowest point and let the contractor relieve it safely.
It depends on the damage; some storm contractors handle tarping and drying, then bring in a roofer for the permanent roof. What matters is that someone manages the handoff so the house is never left open.
Storm calls get routed throughout Manhattan and nearby suburbs, including 10169 10168 10167 10165 10162 10282 10280 10040 10044 10271 10279 10278 10075 10103 10028 10029 10026 10027 10024 10025 10022 10023 10020 10021 10152 10153 10154 10128 10004 10005 10006 10007 10001 10002 10003 10009 10170 10171 10172 10173 10174 10177 10039 10038 10035 10034 10037 10036 10031 10030 10033 10032 10065 10069 10199 10119 10115 10112 10110 10111 10019 10018 10013 10012 10011 10010 10017 10016 10014 10008 10041 10043 10055 10060 10081 10087 10090 10101 10102 10104 10105 10106 10107 10108 10109 10113 10114 10116 10117 10118 10120 10121 10122 10123 10124 10125 10126 10129 10130 10131 10132 10133 10138 10150 10151 10155 10156 10157 10158 10159 10160 10163 10164 10166 10175 10176 10178 10179 10185 10203 10211 10212 10213 10242 10249 10256 10258 10259 10260 10261 10265 10268 10269 10270 10273 10274 10275 10276 10277 10281 10285 10286. If one part of town takes the worst of it, we pull in contractors from neighboring areas.
Big old trees bring more roof and porch strikes when the wind picks up.
Flat roofs, parapets and shared walls need coordinated tarping across units.
Open lots catch more wind-driven rain and hail than sheltered blocks.
Calling early matters, because the line gets longer every hour after a storm. The sooner the roof is closed in, the less insulation, drywall and flooring you lose.
Call +1-877-637-9008