(813) 295-7872
UNIVERSALRoof & Contracting
Tampa Bay neighborhood roof after a storm, with debris scattered across the property
4.6/5 on Google · 1,200+ reviews online
Tampa Bay

Storm Damage Roof Repair in Tampa

In October 2024, Hurricane Milton made landfall at Siesta Key as a Category 3 storm and caused major damage across the Sarasota and Tampa Bay areas. Many Bay roofs took real hurricane wind for the first time in 2024 — and a lot of that damage was never documented.

Same-day tarping
Tampa office
$0 Inspectionfree
Get a Free Roof InspectionSchedule Free InspectionGet My Free InspectionBook Free Inspection(813) 295-7872

Free Roof Inspection

What does your roof need? Pick one to start.

RepairReplaceInspectStormCommercialMetal
Get a Free Roof InspectionSchedule Free InspectionGet My Free InspectionBook Free Inspection

No obligation. We'll tell you if your roof doesn't need work.

4.6/5 on Google · what Tampa homeowners say
Bonnie M.

Mike Emrich was our initial contact person right after Hurricane Milton. Although we were out-of-state at the time, he was sent to Tampa, and he was flooded with work, he kept in contact with us and was always quick respond. He organized that a colleague would assess our roof so that we would know the extent of the damage and if the roof was leaking or not. Next, he got us in contact with Damian Crawford who organized the scheduling and repairs. We are very pleased with Mike's responsiveness, even late into his evening, and also with Damian and his crew. We would definitely recommend them to friends and will return when we need a full roof replacement. Honest assessment and quality work!

Nov 21, 2024Verified customer
Kim T.

Fantastic customer service. Kenneth was great. Very professional. Found problem within minutes and fixed. Would recommend for repairs and full roof replacement.

Aug 10, 2022Verified customer
Ryan T.

Universal roofing did an amazing job. Everyone I worked with was very professional and polite. They professionally helped me out throughout the entire process. In the middle of summer it only took them a day and a half and I have a wonderful roof.

Aug 4, 2017Verified customer

1 of 1

Local conditions

What 2024 changed for Bay roofs

Milton brought major damage to the Sarasota and Tampa Bay areas in 2024, and Bay roofs are still catching up to it.

The 1921 hurricane was the most destructive to hit the Tampa Bay area since 1848, according to the National Weather Service. Then in October 2024, Hurricane Milton made landfall at Siesta Key as a Category 3 storm and caused major damage across the Sarasota and Tampa Bay areas.

The consequence we still find on Bay roofs is undocumented damage. When a named storm hits, the visible failures get attention and the subtle ones — broken seal strips, backed-out fasteners, shifted flashing — do not. Those are the roofs that started leaking in 2025 for reasons nobody connected back to 2024.

The Bay also has far more flat and low-slope roofing than our other markets: Florida rooms, additions, mid-century blocks and small commercial. Those roofs fail by ponding and seam separation rather than by losing shingles, and after a storm they need a completely different assessment.

Sources: NOAA hurricane records · National Weather Service Tampa Bay

When it can't wait

Tampa Bay storm response

Our Bay office is on Adamo Drive and the crews are based here. After Milton our team kept homeowners informed and scheduled assessments. One customer's review of that week is on this page.

We tarp the same day when water is getting in, pitched or flat. We handle flat and low-slope roofs in-house as well as pitched roofs, because a large share of Bay storm damage is on low-slope sections.

Call (813) 295-7872Get a Free Roof InspectionSchedule Free InspectionGet My Free InspectionBook Free Inspection
On Tampa roofs specifically

The damage pattern we actually find here

Four things our crews write up most often after a storm in this metro — and how each one hides from a look from the driveway.

Undocumented 2024 storm damage

Damage from the 2024 storms that looked cosmetic at the time, was never photographed, and has been quietly letting water in since. It is still one of the most common things we find on Bay roofs.

The tell: Anything that changed in 2024 and was never written up by anyone.

Ponding on low-slope sections

Florida rooms and flat additions are the Bay's leading leak source after a storm. Debris blocks drainage, water sits, and the seam gives out weeks later rather than during the storm itself.

The tell: Standing water more than 48 hours after rain; blistering or open seams.

Fastener corrosion accelerated by storm salt

Salt spray can reach inland during storms across Pinellas and Manatee. On metal roofs it attacks screws and flashing first, so the hardware fails while the panels still look sound.

The tell: Rust weeping from screw heads; staining running downhill from a fastener line.

Tile slippage and breakage

Older Bay tile stock takes wind badly at hips and ridges. Slipped tile often sits on sound underlayment, which is repairable tile-by-tile if it is caught before the underlayment goes.

The tell: Visibly uneven courses; tile fragments in gutters or on the ground.

Is this an emergency?

What counts as an emergency roof repair in Tampa

Not every Tampa storm call is an emergency, and treating a non-urgent problem as one costs you money. The dividing line is simple: is water getting into the building right now, or is it going to before the roof can be repaired properly?

Call for emergency roof repair now

  • Water is actively dripping into a room, or a ceiling is bulging
  • You can see sky, decking or underlayment from inside the attic
  • A tree, limb or debris is sitting on the roof
  • A section of covering has blown off and more weather is forecast
  • The roof is visibly sagging anywhere
Call (813) 295-7872

Urgent, but not an emergency

  • A few shingles are missing and the forecast is clear
  • There's an old stain on the ceiling that isn't growing
  • You found granules in the gutters after the storm
  • A neighbour's roof was damaged and you want yours checked
  • Dents in gutters or vent caps that suggest hail

These still want looking at — quietly, properly, and soon. A free inspection tells you what the storm did without an emergency callout, and the written report is worth having while the storm date is recent.

Get a Free Roof InspectionSchedule Free InspectionGet My Free InspectionBook Free Inspection

Not sure which side of that line you are on? Call and describe what you can see. We would rather talk you out of an emergency visit you do not need than sell you one — that conversation costs nothing either way.

In the first hour

What to do, and what not to do

Roof advice only — what protects the house and preserves the evidence. Anything about your policy belongs with your insurer.

Do this

  • Get everyone away from any sagging ceiling or standing water near electrics
  • Photograph what you can see safely from the ground, and date it
  • Move furniture and valuables out from under any active drip
  • Put a bucket down and cut a small relief hole in a bulging ceiling — it drains instead of collapsing
  • Call a licensed roofer to stabilise the roof before the next band of rain

Not this

  • Don't climb onto a wet or storm-damaged roof — that is how people get hurt
  • Don't let anyone start permanent repairs before the damage is documented
  • Don't sign anything with a door-knocker who shows up unsolicited after a storm
  • Don't throw away damaged material until it has been photographed
  • Don't wait for the ceiling to dry on its own — trapped moisture rots decking
The record

Everything documented, in writing

After a storm the useful thing a roofer produces is a clear record of what the roof looks like now — dated, photographed and described. What you do with that record is entirely your call.

  • Photographs of every damaged area on the property, dated
  • A written report describing what we found and where
  • An itemised, fixed-scope quote for what the roof needs
  • An honest read on storm damage versus existing wear
  • A copy for your records, whether or not you hire us

On the insurance side:we document the roof, and that is where a roofer's role properly ends. We can't file a claim for you. Questions about what your policy covers belong with your insurer or agent, and anyone representing you on the policy itself should be a licensed public adjuster.

What happens next

Free inspection firstPhotos and a written report of what the storm did — always free.RepairIsolated damage on a roof with life left in it.ReplacementWidespread damage, or a roof already near the end of its life.
The process

Five steps. Zero surprises.

The same streamlined process on every roof — from an accurate quote to an impeccable installation.

  1. 1

    Schedule Your Visit

    Book online or call — we arrive on time, ready to listen.

  2. 2

    Personal Consultation

    Your goals, your budget, and the right materials for you.

  3. 3

    Inspection & Quote

    Photos, a written report, and a transparent quote that holds.

  4. 4

    Convenient Scheduling

    The install lands on your calendar, not ours. No surprises.

  5. 5

    Expert Installation

    A trained crew, a clean yard, and a roof installation done right.

Get a Free Roof InspectionSchedule Free InspectionGet My Free InspectionBook Free Inspection
Storm response area

Where our Tampa crews respond

Across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota counties, from our office at 5112 E Adamo Dr, Tampa, FL 33619.

St. Petersburg Brandon Clearwater Riverview Lakeland Sarasota Wesley Chapel

Outside Tampa Bay? See storm damage repair across Florida.

From the field

Tampa storm and roof-damage guides

Wind-damaged asphalt shingle roof with lifted and missing shingles
Storm & Damage

The Storm Damage You Can't See From the Ground

Read the guide
Getting a Florida Roof Ready for Hurricane Season
Storm & Damage

Getting a Florida Roof Ready for Hurricane Season

Read the guide
Impeccable Metal Roofs Palm Coast Fl Universal Roof And Contracting
Metal Roofing

Metal Roofs in St. Petersburg, FL Pros, Cons & Cost Breakdown

Read the guide

Tampa storm damage questions

My roof came through Milton fine. Should I still get it checked?

Worth doing. Many Bay roofs took real hurricane wind for the first time in 2024, and one of the most common things we still find is damage that looked cosmetic at the time and was never documented. Seal strips break without the shingle moving, fasteners back out, flashing shifts — none of it visible from the ground.

Do you tarp and repair flat roofs?

Yes, and it matters here more than anywhere. Tampa Bay has far more flat and low-slope roofing than our other markets, and those roofs fail after a storm by ponding and seam separation rather than by losing shingles. Flat-roof capability is in-house, so a low-slope storm call gets the same same-day response as a pitched one.

How fast can you get out after a Bay Area storm?

Our office is on Adamo Drive in Tampa and the crews are based in the Bay. After Milton our team kept homeowners informed and scheduled assessments. We triage active water first, tarp the same day where a permanent repair isn't safe yet, then return for the lasting fix.

Which Bay Area cities do you cover?

St. Petersburg, Brandon, Clearwater, Riverview, Lakeland, Sarasota and Wesley Chapel, across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Storm-chasers knocked on my door after the last storm. Should I use them?

They follow weather into the Bay and leave when the work dries up, which is a problem two years later when a warranty question comes up. Look for a Florida state licence, a local address you can visit, and a history here that predates the storm. Universal has operated in Florida since 1993 — licences CCC057165 and CBC1258484.

How much does emergency tarping cost in Tampa?

It depends on the area that needs covering and how safely it can be reached — flat roofs and pitched roofs price differently. We quote before we do it and the inspection that determines what's needed is free. Tarping stops water entering; the permanent repair is scoped once the full extent is visible.

Water coming in? Call now.

Same-day tarping to stop it, a free inspection to find the cause, and a written report either way.

Call (813) 295-7872Get a Free Roof InspectionSchedule Free InspectionGet My Free InspectionBook Free Inspection

Universal Roof & Contracting · 5112 E Adamo Dr, Tampa, FL 33619 · Florida licences CCC057165 and CBC1258484

Sources (9)
  1. Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Milton (AL142024) · NOAA National Hurricane Center
  2. The Tampa Bay Hurricane of 1921 · National Weather Service Tampa Bay
  3. Section 626.854, Florida Statutes (public adjusters) · The Florida Legislature
  4. Universal Roofing Group, Inc., corporate record P93000013124 · Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz)
  5. License CCC057165, Certified Roofing Contractor · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
  6. License CBC1258484, Certified Building Contractor · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
  7. Avoiding ponding water by achieving positive drainage · National Roofing Contractors Association
  8. Universal Roof & Contracting reviews · GuildQuality
  9. Universal Roof & Contracting, Orlando (Google Business Profile) · Google