What a storm claim looks like on Charleston roofs.
When a named storm pushes up the harbor, the peninsula takes wind from the water on three sides and tidal surge from below. Steep single-house roofs South of Broad and along the Battery catch wind at the ridge and the piazza edge, and terne and standing seam seams open where the metal has fatigued. From the street that damage is easy to miss.
After a storm we photograph every slope, meet your adjuster on the roof and show them what we found, and give you and your insurer a written repair estimate. For a BAR-district home we also document the existing profile, so the repair estimate and the Board submission describe the same roof.
The peninsula's claim problem is age. Many Charleston roofs South of Broad and in Harleston Village are original or decades old, and a policy that pays actual cash value on an older roof will depreciate the check hard. Before you sign anything, ask your agent whether your roof is covered at replacement cost or actual cash value. The claim is yours, and our published metal price is the same whether insurance pays or you do.
After a named storm the peninsula fills with out-of-state trucks and door hangers, and the Old and Historic District is where a fast, wrong roof does the most damage. A storm-chaser shingle on a Wraggborough single house is a BAR violation you will pay to undo. Choose your own contractor, keep the profile the Board already approved, and make sure the repair estimate and the BAR file describe the same roof.
1800s to early 1900s single houses and Charleston doubles with standing seam, slate and terne metal (South of Broad, Ansonborough, Harleston Village, Wraggborough, Cannonborough-Elliotborough); 1920s to 1940s bungalows and cottages with hip and gable roofs in Wagener Terrace and Hampton Park Terrace; 1940s to 1960s ranches and duplexes in North Central and the upper Eastside; steep pitches, dormers and piazza roofs throughout.
Based in Mount Pleasant, about fifteen minutes over the Ravenel Bridge from the peninsula, so crews dispatch to Charleston without a highway day in between.
(843) 284-6333
Jeff Ramsden, founder. 5+ years as a VP at Reimagine Roofing, 1,000+ roofs overseen.
Call (843) 284-6333Every Charleston storm damage job starts with a free inspection. We look at the roof, photograph what we find, and give you a written price before any work starts.
What is included in every Charleston job.
Asked in Charleston.
How much does storm damage repair cost in Charleston?
We inspect and document storm damage on the peninsula for free, with a written photo report and a meeting with your adjuster on the roof. Repairs run $850 to $4,950; replacement starts at $14,900 on the published ladder. The claim is yours, and we never pay your deductible. Age and the BAR drive peninsula storm costs: many South of Broad and Harleston Village roofs are decades old, so ask your agent about actual cash value versus replacement cost, and a repair must match the profile the Board already approved.
Can I replace a roof in a Charleston historic district without going before the full Board of Architectural Review?
Often, yes. Under the City of Charleston Board of Architectural Review's policy statements, staff can approve repairs and in-kind replacements that do not change how the building looks. In kind means a material that matches the original's material, profile, dimensions, texture and color. A change in material or color goes to review. Where terne metal is no longer available, staff may approve aluminum or coated copper as an in-kind replacement, and the policy expects a historic roof to be repaired unless it is documented as beyond reasonable repair. We document the existing roof and prepare the staff application, and we tell you up front if your plan needs the full board.
Will a claim raise my premium?
Ask your agent. Every insurance company treats weather claims differently. We give you the photos either way.
How long do I have to file after a storm?
Your policy sets the deadline. Get the damage photographed within a few weeks, before the weather wears it down.
Do you waive deductibles?
No. The deductible is yours. We never pay it. Same price whether insurance pays or you do.
How fast can you get out after a storm?
Inspections within 48 hours, sooner when a storm has come through. You get a written, photo-documented damage report either way.
Will you handle my insurance claim?
The claim is yours. We meet your adjuster on the roof, show them what we found, and give you a written repair price.