After a storm hits your Charleston-area roof: (1) stay safe and document the damage from the ground, never from a wet, storm-damaged roof; (2) check the attic for leaks and daylight; (3) have the water stopped with a professionally installed emergency tarp-over, since roof access after a storm is fall-protection work, while you catch what you can indoors and keep every receipt; (4) get a professional roof inspection; and (5) report the claim to your insurer as soon as you know there’s damage and decide to file. What you pay turns largely on whether your policy pays replacement cost or actual cash value on the roof, and on your deductible. Walk away from any contractor who offers to “waive your deductible”: in South Carolina, that offer is a misdemeanor.
Salt air, humidity and summer heat work on a Lowcountry roof every day, and storm season tests whatever they have weakened.
Important: General information for South Carolina homeowners as of October 2026, not legal or insurance advice. Your policy decides what is covered; your insurer and the SC Department of Insurance are the authorities on your claim.
Charleston’s 2026 Storm Season, by the National Weather Service’s Count
The National Weather Service logged 128 roof-relevant storm reports across Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties on 23 days between May 1 and September 29, 2026. That is more than over the same dates in 2023 (98 reports), 2024 (103) or 2025 (63), and most of the 2026 reports were of wind damage.
- July 10 and 11 were the busiest days, with 60 reports between them. At about 5 p.m. on July 11, a gust of 59 mph was measured at Charleston International Airport.
- The National Weather Service logged tornado reports on August 1 and August 8.
The reports record where storms were observed, not which roofs were damaged: a busy season is a reason to have your roof checked, not proof that it was hit.
How to Tell Storm Damage Apart: Wind vs. Hail vs. Debris
The Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center counts a thunderstorm as severe when it produces hail at least 1 inch in diameter, wind gusts at its severe threshold, or a tornado.
Wind damage
Wind pulls hardest at a roof’s edges, eaves and ridges, usually on the side facing the storm. It can break the seal strip that bonds a shingle to the course below or crease it; even when the shingle drops back flat, it no longer sheds water as it should, and one loose shingle exposes the next. On metal, gusts can bend panels, loosen fasteners and lift edge flashing. Look for shingles in the yard, bare underlayment, curled edges and bent flashing.
Hail damage
Hail damages by impact, and larger stones do more harm; 1 inch, about the size of a quarter, is the Weather Service’s severe threshold. On shingles, look for soft circular bruises, dark spots where granules were knocked off, and heavy granule loss. On metal, dents are often cosmetic, though a hard hit can damage the protective coating, and near salt water, exposed metal tends to corrode sooner. Shingles rated Class 4 under UL 2218, the standard’s highest impact class, resist hail better and may earn a premium discount with some carriers; amounts vary, and some carriers attach a cosmetic-damage exclusion to a Class 4 or metal roof, so ask first.
Wind-driven debris
Branches and flying objects leave localized punctures, gouges and tears: concentrated damage rather than the broad pattern of wind or hail.
The First 72 Hours: Safety, Documentation & Stopping the Water
Step 1 — Stay safe; document from the ground
Stay off a storm-damaged roof: wet surfaces, hidden structural damage and downed power lines make it dangerous. The SC Department of Insurance’s Post-Disaster Claims Guide tells homeowners to check for safety issues like downed electrical lines or broken gas lines, and to take photos or videos of the damaged areas. Photograph each slope you can see and any shingles in the yard, a few hailstones beside a coin if it’s safe, and note the storm’s date and time.
Step 2 — Check the attic
With a flashlight, look for daylight through the roof deck, fresh stains on rafters or insulation, a musty smell, or granules below the vents: early signs that water has found a way in.
Step 3 — Stop the water (professional emergency tarp-over)
Stay off the roof. The Department’s guide tells homeowners to prevent further damage with essential repairs, like covering a roof with a tarp, and notes you may want to hire a contractor for them; its homeowners FAQ says the cost of protecting the property from further damage is generally covered. That is loss mitigation: a professional temporary dry-in, such as a tarp-over, protects the house from further water damage until the permanent repair, and it is roof-access work that calls for fall protection, not a homeowner’s job on a wet roof. Your part is indoors: catch the water, move valuables and keep all receipts for your insurer. Hold off on permanent repairs until you talk with your insurer, which, the guide says, may not pay for repairs it didn’t authorize. For the permanent fix, see our page on storm damage roof repair in Charleston.
Step 4 — Report the claim promptly
Check your deductible first: for minor damage, such as a few damaged shingles, the guide says you might be better off paying out of pocket, but you might not see all the damage, so it suggests having a contractor inspect your home. Once you decide to file, notify your insurer as soon as you know there’s damage, and ask whether separate deductibles apply to hail, hurricane or wind damage.
The Professional Inspection: Drone-Assisted and Hands-On
A ground-level look may not reveal or confirm all functional damage, so a thorough inspection layers three views:
| View | What it does | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Ground & attic | A walk around the house and a look inside the attic | The safest view; it records damage around the property and water inside, which the adjuster will want to see. |
| Drone-assisted | High-resolution aerial images | No fall risk, and it reaches steep or complex roofs slope by slope, but it can’t feel a soft hail bruise. |
| On the roof, by hand | An inspector checks bruises, seals and flashing by touch | Confirms functional damage when the roof is safe to walk. |
Big Bear’s inspections are free and no-obligation, drone-assisted when appropriate, and we document what we find to support your claim.
How a Storm Claim Pays on the Charleston Coast
- Replacement cost or actual cash value. A replacement-cost (RCV) policy pays to repair or replace without deducting depreciation; an actual-cash-value (ACV) policy pays the depreciated cost, and even an RCV policy may pay only ACV on the roof. On an RCV claim, the insurer may pay the ACV first and the difference, called recoverable depreciation, once the roof is repaired or replaced, usually within a time limit.
- Your deductible. It can be a specific dollar amount or a percentage of the dwelling coverage (Coverage A), set on the declarations page, and some policies carry a special deductible for wind, hurricane or other storm losses, or one for the roof alone.
- Like kind and quality. Replacement-cost policies generally pay for “like kind and quality,” not upgrades: the Department’s example is a 3-tab shingle roof replaced with another 3-tab roof, not a more expensive slate one. A standard policy doesn’t cover the added cost of meeting current building codes unless you carry Ordinance and Law coverage. Whether an insurer pays to replace undamaged matching shingles depends on the policy language.
The deductible is your share of the claim; what South Carolina prohibits is a contractor paying or rebating it for you. Big Bear offers flexible financing options — ask your estimator. See our page on roof financing alongside insurance proceeds. For what moves the price of a new roof here, see our 2026 Charleston roof cost guide.
How to Choose a Storm-Damage Roofer Who Helps With Your Claim
A roofer helps a claim with evidence: inspecting, photographing and documenting the damage. South Carolina law draws the line there: S.C. Code § 40-59-25(D) bars a contractor from representing or negotiating for a homeowner on a roof insurance claim, or offering to, while leaving you free to use a contractor’s evaluation of your roof with your insurer.
- Check the state record and the insurance. Residential roofers register with the SC Residential Builders Commission at the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR), which lists roofers as a specialty classification. On LLR’s Licensee Lookup, an ACTIVE status means the licensee “is current and properly licensed to work and pull permits in the state of SC.” The Department’s guide suggests getting copies of the contractor’s workers’ compensation and liability coverage and calling the insurance company to verify them.
- Expect documentation, not promises. Look for photos of the damage on your own roof and a scope you can compare with the adjuster’s; no roofer can promise what your insurer will approve. The guide says you should be there when the adjuster comes, with your photos and any contractor bids.
- Keep the claim yours. Negotiating or settling a first-party claim for compensation is, with the statute’s own exceptions, public adjusting, and it requires a South Carolina public-adjuster license under Title 38, Chapter 92 (2026 Act No. 209); a roofer cannot do it for you. The Act bars property repair contractors from getting around that license through your power of attorney, and the Department warns that an assignment of benefits can give up some, most or even all of your rights.
- Refuse deductible deals and full prepayment. Section 40-59-25(E) makes it a misdemeanor for a contractor to advertise or promise to pay or rebate any part of your deductible, including through discounts, sign allowances or referral fees. The guide says never pay the full amount before the work is complete, and get an estimate from more than one contractor.
For the claim itself, step by step, see our South Carolina roof insurance claim guide.
Don’t Get Scammed: Storm Chasers After a Charleston Storm
After storms and other disasters, the Department warns, fraudsters and scam artists often arrive quickly, and many travel from state to state. Watch for these red flags:
- Unsolicited door-knocking, “leftover materials,” or an offer to do your repairs with upgraded or free building materials, which the Department warns about.
- “We’ll waive your deductible.” Knowingly submitting an inflated invoice, or concealing a rebate or discount so the insurer is billed more than the actual charge, can be insurance fraud under South Carolina law (S.C. Code § 38-55-540).
- Manufactured damage: an “inspection” that ends with damage the storm didn’t cause.
- Pressure and blank paperwork: artificial deadlines, prices “filled in later,” or pressure to sign over your claim or the insurance check.
- Large up-front cash demands, especially by wire transfer, gift card, payment app or cryptocurrency.
How to hire safely: run the checks above on every roofer who knocks, ask for references before you sign or pay anything, as the Department suggests, and choose a locally established company that will still be here to honor the warranty. Run the same checks on any Charleston roofing contractor you talk to, including us.
Solar After a Storm: Can a Storm-Damaged Roof Come Back Solar-Ready?
If the storm leaves you replacing the roof anyway, it can come back solar-ready: replacing an aging roof before or with solar avoids paying later to remove and reinstall panels.
- What the claim pays for. Insurance restores the roof you had at “like kind and quality”; the Department says a policy isn’t intended to pay for expensive improvements or upgrades. The claim covers the like-kind roof, and solar shingles are an upgrade you pay for.
- What Timberline Solar is. GAF Energy’s Timberline Solar ES 2 is a nailable solar shingle that installs alongside Timberline asphalt shingles, at about 57 watts per shingle.
- Who does what. Solar shingles are installed by a GAF-certified solar contractor, a designation separate from GAF Master Elite. Big Bear readies the roof: sound, solar-ready and built to code.
- The federal credit. The IRS says the federal Residential Clean Energy Credit is not available for any property placed in service after December 31, 2025.
- Downtown. The Board of Architectural Review’s solar policy says collectors on Category 1 or 2 properties “shall not be visible from the public right of way.”
Ask your agent how your policy would cover a solar system before you add one, and see our page on solar-ready roofing for the roof side.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my roof has storm damage?
Look from the ground for shingles in the yard, exposed underlayment, creased shingles and bent flashing, and check the attic for daylight and fresh stains. Broken seals and hail bruises often don’t show from the ground, so have the roof inspected.
How many storms hit the Charleston area in 2026?
The National Weather Service logged 128 roof-relevant storm reports across Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties on 23 days between May 1 and September 29, 2026, most of them reports of wind damage. On July 11, a gust of 59 mph was measured at Charleston International Airport.
Can a contractor waive my insurance deductible in South Carolina?
No. S.C. Code § 40-59-25(E) makes it a misdemeanor for a contractor to advertise or promise to pay or rebate any part of your deductible, including through discounts, sign allowances or referral fees. The deductible is yours to pay.
How to choose a storm damage roof repair contractor who offers help with insurance claims in North Carolina and South Carolina
In South Carolina, check the roofer’s ACTIVE status on LLR’s Licensee Lookup, verify its workers’ compensation and liability coverage with the insurer, and expect photos and a scope you can compare with the adjuster’s. Walk away from anyone who offers to waive your deductible or to negotiate with your insurer for you; S.C. Code § 40-59-25 bars contractors from both. For North Carolina, see our North Carolina roof insurance claim guide.
Can I use insurance claim funds to finance a roof replacement for a storm-damaged home?
Yes, within your policy’s terms. The claim pays for the covered repair or replacement; with a mortgage, the Department says the insurer is obligated to include your lender on the check for major repairs, and you work with the lender to release it. Big Bear offers flexible financing options — ask your estimator.
Storm damage roof repairs vs integrated solar roofing: is adding solar a good move after a storm
It can be, if you’re replacing the roof anyway: replacing an aging roof before or with solar avoids paying later to remove and reinstall panels. The claim restores the roof you had, so solar is your cost, and the federal Residential Clean Energy Credit is not available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. Big Bear readies the roof; a GAF-certified solar contractor installs the solar shingles.
How do Timberline Solar shingles work with insurance claims and roof warranties in a coastal home?
Your policy pays for covered damage at like kind and quality; adding Timberline Solar is an upgrade you pay for. The solar shingles are installed by a GAF-certified solar contractor, so get that contractor’s warranty terms in writing before you sign. On the coast, South Carolina’s 2021 residential code requires photovoltaic shingles to be listed to UL 7103 (or to UL 61730-1 and 61730-2) and to meet the wind classification its table sets for the site (R905.16).
How Big Bear Helps After the Storm
Big Bear Roofing serves Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties from our North Charleston office. As a GAF Master Elite contractor, we offer free, no-obligation storm-damage inspections, drone-assisted when appropriate, and document the damage to support your claim; we don’t file, handle or negotiate claims, and we never pay, waive or rebate a deductible. Our phones are answered 24/7 at 843-544-9537.
Repairs and replacements follow the code in force: South Carolina enforces the 2021 International Residential Code, in effect since January 1, 2023, and its Building Codes Council has set January 1, 2027 as the effective date for the 2024 editions. Under the 2021 code, asphalt shingles are tested to ASTM D7158 and labeled with the classification required for the design wind speed at your address; shingles outside D7158’s scope are tested to ASTM D3161.
See our recent work, then request a free storm-damage inspection.
Authored by Matt Longo, Owner, Big Bear Roofing & Exteriors. This article is educational and is not legal or insurance advice; your policy and your insurer govern your claim.
Sources
1. NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center FAQ. https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/ · NWS Charleston, SC Local Storm Reports, tri-county, May 1 to September 29, 2023–2026 (Iowa Environmental Mesonet). https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu
2. SC Department of Insurance — Post-Disaster Claims Guide; homeowners FAQ. https://doi.sc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12147/Post-Disaster-Claims-Guide · https://doi.sc.gov/faq.aspx?TID=41
3. S.C. Code § 40-59-25 and § 38-55-540; 2026 Act No. 209. https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t40c059.php · https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/196.htm
4. SC LLR — Residential Builders Commission; Building Codes Council. https://llr.sc.gov/res/ · https://llr.sc.gov/bcc/ · 2021 IRC as adopted in South Carolina, Chapter 9. https://up.codes/viewer/south_carolina/irc-2021/chapter/9/roof-assemblies
5. GAF — Timberline Solar. https://www.gaf.com/en-us/roofing-materials/residential-roofing-materials/solar-roof/homeowners · IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit. https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/residential-clean-energy-credit · City of Charleston BAR solar policy. https://charleston-sc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/30884/BAR-Policy-Statement-for-Solar-