Carriers say “prevent further damage.” They mean it. They also mean “do not remodel before we look.” That line is thinner than people think when the ceiling is open.
A tarp, a board, a wet-vac run, a hotel night because the roof is gone: those are the usual temporary pile. A granite upgrade is not.
If you pay cash at the hardware store and lose the ticket, you donated that money to chaos.
Do this now
- Photograph the damage before the temporary fix.
- Buy what you need to stop more water. Keep the paper or email receipt.
- Write the address, the date, and “emergency tarp” or “board-up” on the receipt.
- Send the receipt batch to your adjuster or upload it to the claim portal the same week.
What usually counts as temporary
Tarps, plywood, plastic, fans you had to buy, a reasonable emergency roofer to dry-in, a night you could not stay because the house was open. Policies differ. Read yours. Additional living expenses, if you have them, are a separate conversation from the tarp. Do not blend the hotel folio into a contractor’s invoice and hope.
What gets people in trouble
A full reroof before the adjuster sees the deck. A cousin’s cash job with no invoice. A contractor who wants assignment of benefits you do not understand. Paying for a “whole house” dry-in when one corner is open. Houston heat will push you to hurry. Hurry the hole closed. Do not hurry the scope.
One folder, even if it is a grocery bag
Paper, photos, claim number, contractor cards. If the house is wet, store the folder in the car or the cloud. People lose the only copy of a $400 tarp invoice in a puddle by the back door. That is a stupid way to lose $400. If you used a card, download the statement line too.
Verify live. Status changes hourly. Ask your carrier how they want temporary-repair receipts submitted. Portal rules differ. Keep originals until the claim closes.
Do this next
- Blue tarp basics that keep more water out tonight
- When roof leaks and flood are both happening
- Commercial providers hub
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