Slipped or missing roof tiles after a storm: who to call, who pays

Stay on the ground. A roofer and your insurer do the rest.

The answer in 2 lines. Keep everyone away from the area under the roof edge and do not climb up. Check from the ground with your phone's zoom, photograph the damage and any fallen tiles, and look inside for water coming through the ceiling. A roofer makes the roof watertight, often first with a temporary cover. Storm damage is usually covered by buildings insurance, but each policy defines a "storm" and has an excess: tell your insurer as soon as you can. If you rent, tell your landlord in writing straight away: the roof is their responsibility.

The first 3 steps

Keep people, children and cars away from the area below the roof edge, without walking underneath it yourself. Only move the car once the wind has dropped and nothing looks ready to fall.
Look from the ground, using your phone's zoom: missing, slipped or broken tiles or slates, damaged ridge tiles, a leaning chimney. Inside, check ceilings and the loft hatch area for water.
Photograph and film the roof, fallen tiles and any damage, with the date and time. Keep the broken pieces.

Stop: danger

Never go on the roof or up a ladder, during the wind or just after it: a loose tile or a wet slate can slide under your feet.
More tiles can fall: keep people and cars away from the area under the roof.
Tiles, a chimney or masonry about to fall onto a pavement or road, or anyone hurt: call 999.
A power line down or touching the house: stay well away, never touch it, and call 105 (or 999 if there is immediate danger).
Water coming in near a light or a socket: switch off that circuit at the consumer unit, only if it is dry.

What you can do yourself, and where to stop

Pick up fallen tiles from the ground, wearing gloves, once the wind has dropped and nothing else looks likely to fall.
Inside: buckets under drips, plastic sheeting over furniture. See our roof leak guide.
Stop there: putting a tile back, even "just one", or fixing a tarpaulin on the roof is work at height for a roofer.

Possible causes

Strong winds: tiles lifted, most often at the edges, on the verge and along the ridge.
An old roof: rusted or failed nails ("nail fatigue"), porous tiles, crumbling ridge mortar. Insurers often treat this as wear and tear, not storm damage.
A falling branch or an object blown by the wind.

What not to do

Climbing a ladder to "have a look" or push a tile back.
Agreeing to a doorstep roofer who knocks after the storm offering a quick cash repair: get your own quotes.
Throwing away broken tiles or paying for a full new roof before your insurer has seen the damage.

Who to call, and how to choose

999: immediate danger to people or to passers-by.
A roofer: temporary repair to keep the rain out, then replacing the tiles. You can find one through the NFRC (National Federation of Roofing Contractors) TrustMark member search: members of a trade body and TrustMark are vetted and must follow a code of practice. Ask for a written, itemised quote before work starts, and photos of the damage they find.
Your home insurer's claims line: many insurers have approved repairers and a 24-hour emergency line; check before you book.
A tree surgeon: if a tree still threatens the roof.

Who pays and who to tell

Buildings insurance usually covers storm damage, including tiles blown off. Each policy says what counts as a "storm" (often a wind speed, or very heavy rain or snow) and sets an excess. Tell your insurer as soon as you can, with photos, and check your policy for time limits.
A temporary repair: policies normally expect you to limit further damage. Ask your insurer first if you can, then keep the invoice and photos.
If the insurer refuses because of wear and tear: the Financial Ombudsman Service looks at three questions: was there a storm, is the damage typical of a storm, and was the storm the main cause. Complain to the insurer first; if you get no answer within 8 weeks or disagree with it, you can go to the Financial Ombudsman Service (storm damage), free.
If you rent: tell your landlord in writing straight away. In England, landlords must keep the structure and exterior, including the roof, in repair (Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11). Your own contents insurance covers your belongings.
In a flat: the roof is usually the freeholder's or managing agent's responsibility; tell them, and they claim on the building's insurance.
A tile damaged a neighbour's car or property: each person usually claims on their own insurance; for the car, it depends on their motor policy.

Good to know

Check Met Office weather warnings and storm advice before a storm: bring in or tie down anything that could blow away, and do not park under a damaged roof.
Have the roof and ridge checked by a roofer after a windy winter, and trees near the house cut back.
Latest figures: UK insurers paid a record £6.1 billion in property claims in 2025, pushed up by bad weather (ABI, published February 2026). Full-year figures for 2026 are not yet published.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own tenancy laws; the safety steps and insurance principles are the same.

After a night of strong wind in Plymouth, Mark sees three slates on the drive and a gap near the edge of his roof. Once the wind drops, he keeps the family away from that side of the house and photographs everything from the ground. He calls his insurer's emergency line, which sends a roofer to cover the gap that afternoon, and sends the photos and the roofer's invoice with his claim.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on 1 November 2026, for England. Confidence: high for the safety steps, the landlord's repair duty in England and how the Financial Ombudsman Service looks at storm claims; medium for insurance cover, storm definitions and time limits, which depend on your policy; high for the 2025 ABI figure. This guide describes common cases, not insurance advice.