Repairing a roof can be difficult under the best of circumstances. A calamity is imminent when severe winds, heavy rain, and ice surfaces are added to the mix. When dangerous conditions arise, it is not always safe to do extensive repairs.

Emergency roof tarping is a temporary precaution to prevent additional roof damage until a thorough inspection and repair can be performed. If you believe that a recent storm or accident has caused damage to your roof, roofing professionals can provide emergency roof tarping services.

Tarping is often done to make the living surroundings more secure and liveable. Continue reading to learn about tarping your roof and the fundamental factors you’ll need to consider. 

When Is Emergency Roof Tarping Needed?

Emergency roof tarping is sometimes needed if unexpected weather strikes. Poor weather can destroy roofs. Ice, snow, hail, wind, and severe rain can loosen, shift, or shatter shingles. In rare situations, bad weather can damage your roof, such as when lightning strikes a tree and knocks a branch onto it. Finally, Vandalism also may damage your roof. 

Consequences Of Avoiding Emergency Roof Tarping

Without a barrier between your roof and the elements, your home is susceptible to more damage. Minor roof damage, such as a missing or loose shingle, can quickly escalate into more significant, expensive issues if not repaired.

Similarly, water damage can occur without a tarp. When water is allowed to seep through a broken roof, it can cause damage to insulation, discolor walls and ceilings, and promote mold growth. If water accumulates on an old or broken roof, the structure is at risk of collapse.

How Much Does It Cost To Tarp A Roof?

The average cost to tarp a roof varies significantly. Typically, the national average cost of roof tarping is between $200 and $1,300. This assumes that the roof is 1,500 square feet in size and easily accessible. 

In addition, the job is performed during a standard workday, as opposed to an emergency application or repair. In the following sections, we will break down the variables involved so that you can better understand all the aspects involved. 

Standard Hourly Rate Pertaining To Location

Standard hourly rates will vary depending on your location and the cost of living in your area. You may likely Google “roofing hourly rates” and the name of your city to get a basic sense of the per-hour cost, but it is preferable to ask contractors how many hours they anticipate the job will take and their exact rates.

Material Expenses

The cost of the materials required to cover your roof will follow. This will vary based on the scope of the project and the provider, however, contractors frequently have their own suppliers and may be able to obtain these goods at considerable discounts.

Dimensions Of The Area To Be Tarped

Are you merely tarping a small portion of the roof damaged by bad weather, or are you tarping or re-tarping the entire roof? If it is the former, it will be less expensive, but if you are re-tarping the entire roof, the cost will depend on the area that needs to be covered.

Type Of Service: Standard Or Emergency

This is yet another crucial component. If you do not require the service to be completed outside of normal business hours, but rather during normal business hours, your costs will vary significantly. Typically, if the work is an after-hours/emergency service, you will be charged 1.5 times the standard hourly rate, or “time and a half.”

Cause Of The Damage

This is yet another crucial factor. Storm-related lightning damage necessitates the removal of burned sections before re-tarping and re-shingling can commence. If a tree has fallen on your home during a particularly violent storm, additional fees will be associated with removing the tree in addition to the job’s hourly rate.

The Roof’s Accessibility

How convenient is it to access and work on your roof? Is it a single-story home, or are there additional floors? If the latter is the case, it will take longer to tarp these places due to their inaccessibility, which will impact the job’s final cost.

How Much Does It Cost To Tarp A Roof If You Do It Yourself?

When it comes to do-it-yourself solutions, you may save a lot of money if you know what you’re doing. The only considerations when tarping a roof yourself are the actual material prices and the size of the space to be covered.

Occasionally, repairing small or minor holes in your roof can be accomplished for less than $100. If the complete roof has to be replaced, we must consider the roof’s dimensions and change accordingly. Materials from a local retailer such as Home Depot will likely cost between $180 and $330 for a roof of around 1,500 square feet.

This is a significant saving, but you should only try this work if you have experience with roofing. If you are unfamiliar with the work and do it wrong, you risk water damage that will be significantly more expensive than if you had hired a professional.

Market Cost To Tarp A Roof When Hiring A Professional

If you are unconcerned with prices or simply not the do-it-yourself type, you can always hire a professional and then consider the hourly rates for the project. For the labor itself, you will likely employ one to three contractors at a rate of approximately $60 per hour plus materials.

Moreover, if you include the cost of the 2 x 4 wood for securing reasons and the tarp, as well as labor, and assuming your roof is a standard, 1500-square-foot roof that is easily accessible, you will incur a total cost of $1,500. 

You are looking at an approximate price range of $1,000 to $1,300. A smaller project for an area of less than 500 square feet is more likely to cost between $300 and $450 in total, which is pricey.

How Long Does It Take To Tarp A Roof?

Depending on the damage to your home, it may take time to fix, and you may require services following any of the following occurrences.

Fire

A home damaged by the fire may have weakened walls, ceiling or roof holes, and a vulnerable structure. After the fire has been contained, emergency board-up service and roof tarping prevent further damage and loss of property until restoration is complete.

Flood

In the event of flooding, the water source may affect the type of necessary home services. For example, a leak in the roof caused by severe rain requires tarps to temporarily cover the gaps. In contrast, an underground pipe rupture or natural disaster-caused flood can permeate flooring and drywall materials, damaging the integrity of the walls and necessitating quick board-up services.

Severe Weather Conditions

They are capable of producing numerous sorts of property damage. Strong wind gusts can uproot trees and bring branches crashing through windows, while hailstones and precipitation cause havoc on rooftops. 

Don’t forget that a tornado can also pull siding off homes and shingles from rooftops. In any of these situations, you will want to cover your windows, walls, and roofs to protect your home from more weather and damage.

Vandalism

Unfortunately, vandals can also cause a significant amount of damage. Windows shattered by rocks and doors broken by forceful entry are two instances in which board-up services may be required. While you wait to install your new windows or doors, you will need to secure your home’s entryways.

Accidents

Accidents happen, From minor catastrophes, such as a baseball shattering glass, to significant events, such as a car driving into the side of your home. Emergency board-up services offer the interim security answer you require while you determine your next steps. 

Until repairs are finished, you may rest easy knowing that your house is safe from natural elements and intruders. This has multipurpose uses. However, this remains a temporary solution.

What To Consider When Selecting A Tarp For Your Roof?

Resistant To Water

Keeping water out is the top issue when tarping the roof. Therefore, you’ll need a waterproof tarp. Numerous available waterproof tarps may not adequately protect your roof, so double-check.

 Almost all tarps are treated with a fungistatic agent to make them resistant to mold and mildew. This is vital for preventing the growth of mold in your home. Because you will cover the attic’s exhaust and intake vents, appropriate ventilation will be prevented. 

When a heating system malfunctions, it will overheat, resulting in the deterioration of roof shingles. Condensation caused by a clogged chimney might result in mold growth and extra water damage to your property.

Consider utilizing a spare tire that resembles a tarp as a precautionary measure. It is a short-term emergency remedy that works well. Then, you should address the issue as quickly as possible, although not necessarily permanently.

Durability

A lightweight tarp will be affordable and simple to store, but it will not withstand the elements long. A tarp at least 12 mils thick will better resist the elements and roof scuffs.

How Long Will A Tarp Last On A Roof?

The maximum time to leave a tarp on your roof is 120 days. Tarps fail for several reasons, including the materials used in their manufacture and the conditions they are exposed to. Some tarps may last for one or two years, depending on their construction.

Does Insurance Cover A Roof Tarp?

Yes, quite possibly. It depends on your specific policy and the nature of the harm. The damage is typically caused by weather-related events, such as storms, that are explicitly included in the insurance policy. Obtaining a local estimate and contacting your insurance company to determine whether they would cover the costs is recommended.

The Emergency Roof Tarping Process

Emergency roof tarping takes several stages to protect against damage. First, choose tarp insulation. Depending on the weather and season, a heavier tarp may be needed as insulation. 

Property insurance may require photos. Roofing professionals may provide an estimate for future roof repairs or replacements while tarping an emergency roof. Most experts propose short-term tarping.

Precautions To Prevent Further Damage 

Trim Your Trees

The downspout of a rain gutter system flowing correctly and effectively could benefit from upkeep. Weather can stress your roof. Even with emergency roof tarping, take steps to minimize damage. Trim trees surrounding your home to prevent falling branches. Remove dead branches.

Clear Your Gutters

Leaves, twigs, and other debris clog gutters and downspouts. Check your gutters for obstructions when leaves fall. Also, check your gutters. Off your roof, through your gutters, and away from your home’s foundation.

Regular Visual Checks And Insulation

Check your roof’s surface for further damage from the roof or the ground. Missing gravel, bubbles, or broken roofs or tiles should be addressed. Attic insulation can prevent ice dams. Too much heat from your home might melt roof snow and ice. When water refreezes, an ice dam can force water into your home.

Aspects That Influence The Price Of Roof Tarping

You may feel somewhat overwhelmed by information at this point, so let’s review the actual criteria so that you have a quick summary of them. These include labor and type cost (standard or emergency), Material costs, Size in square feet of the area being tarped, Single or several stories, and Damage variable (i.e., fire damage, tree removal required, and such).

How To Save Money When Roof Tarping?

If you can complete the work independently, you will save the greatest money in total expense. If you choose this approach, bear in mind that the job must be performed flawlessly; otherwise, you could unintentionally cause further harm, such as costly structural damage from an incompetent installation or water damage.

Find A Help

The second-best choice is if you have a trusted friend who can conduct roofing work for you or with your help. However, proceed with caution if you lack confidence in their abilities. For starters, the work is not guaranteed, and if your friend goes off the roof, you may be held liable.

Reference Of Contractor

You will save the most money by hiring an expert in the long run. They are covered by insurance, and your job will be guaranteed. Get multiple bids and check the references of the contractors with the lowest bids to maximize your savings.

Temporary Patch

Lastly, if after-hours emergency work is required, rather than completing the entire task at once, see if your contractor can apply a quick, temporary patch so that the work may be completed during regular business hours. This can save you a significant amount of money while providing you with an emergency answer when you need one.

Conclusion

It is probable that managing house repairs, especially on a large scale, might be challenging. It may be difficult to determine where to begin and whether to do it yourself or hire someone. Your roof can be protected from further damage by tarping it, but this should only be a temporary measure.