Emergency Tarping: Standards and Documentation

Browse the full Resources Index

When a Minnesota roof loses shingles or sustains a puncture during a summer hailstorm or a spring windstorm, the interval between the damage occurring and permanent repairs beginning can stretch to weeks, particularly during a season when contractors across the region are handling similar work for many properties at once. Emergency tarping exists to protect the structure during that interval, and how it is performed and documented can matter considerably later if the extent of damage or the cost of repair becomes disputed.

A properly installed tarp typically uses a heavy-gauge polyethylene sheet, rated for the size of the affected roof area with margin for overlap, secured with wood furring strips called battens screwed through the tarp into the roof deck or framing members, rather than relying on adhesive alone, which tends to fail under wind load and temperature cycling common in Minnesota’s climate. The tarp should extend well beyond the visibly damaged area, since wind-driven rain can travel laterally under a shingle field, and it should be installed with attention to water shedding at the ridge and proper overlap at any seams, similar in principle to how underlayment is lapped in permanent roofing work.

Documentation at the time of tarping serves several purposes. Photographs taken before the tarp goes on establish the extent and pattern of the original damage, which can otherwise become harder to assess once the tarp itself, and any additional weather exposure during the tarping process, has altered the visible condition of the roof. Photographs of the completed tarp installation, along with a description of materials and methods used, create a record that supports the emergency repair invoice and shows what reasonable steps were taken to prevent further damage during the interval before permanent repairs.

Cost documentation matters as well. Emergency tarping is typically billed separately from the permanent roof repair or replacement, and many policies address temporary repairs to protect property from further damage as a distinct, often mandatory, obligation of the policyholder. Itemized invoices showing labor, materials, and square footage covered give both the carrier and, if the claim proceeds to appraisal, the appraisers something concrete to evaluate rather than a lump sum that is harder to substantiate.

Standards published by roofing manufacturers and by organizations such as the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants and the National Roofing Contractors Association offer general reference points for temporary protection practices, though no single standard governs every situation, and site-specific factors such as roof pitch, deck condition, and expected duration before permanent repair all influence what a reasonable temporary repair looks like on a given property. The interval between tarping and permanent repair also matters to how the tarp itself is inspected and maintained. A tarp installed in early spring, ahead of continued storm activity common across the Upper Midwest through the summer months, may need reinspection and re-securing after subsequent wind events, and each of those follow-up visits is worth documenting in the same way as the original installation. Insurers and appraisers alike generally view a maintained, periodically inspected tarp as stronger evidence of reasonable mitigation than one installed once and left unexamined for the full duration before permanent repairs finally begin, particularly on claims where the gap between the storm and the eventual roof replacement stretches across an entire season.

This article is provided as general education on the appraisal process. It is not legal advice, and procedures vary by state and by policy.

Based in Minnesota and serving clients nationwide, Russ Lis is a working property insurance appraiser and umpire. Contact Appraisal Resolution.