Emergency Storm Roof Repair in Clare

*What to do the night a slate lifts in Ennis, Shannon or Kilrush — and how the call-out actually works*

If a slate has slipped or a gutter has torn loose in a Clare storm, ring for a same-day emergency roof repair, move anything valuable out from under the drip, and start taking timestamped photos before it gets dark. A qualified crew will make the roof safe within hours, tarp the exposed area, and quote the permanent repair separately once conditions allow a proper survey.

Summary

• Same-day call-out covers Ennis, Shannon, Sixmilebridge, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Ennistymon, Kilrush, Killaloe, Tulla and Clarecastle — 24/7, including bank holidays.
• The call-out makes the roof safe and stops the water; it is not the permanent repair — that is quoted separately once it is safe to assess.
• Storm damage is normally covered under the "storm peril" on standard Irish home insurance; general wear and tear is not, and excesses vary by policy.
• We supply timestamped photographs, before-and-after evidence and loss-adjuster liaison — the documentation an insurer actually asks for.
• Emergency call-outs are variable-cost depending on access and make-safe scope; the written quote for the full repair comes after the survey, with no deposit on jobs under €10,000.
• Munster Gutters carries €6.5m public liability cover (company 782157, VAT IE4415315DH) — the paperwork that lets us work on insurance jobs uninsured operators can't touch.

What counts as a roofing emergency in Clare?

Clare's western coast takes the direct Atlantic hit. When Met Éireann issues an orange or red wind warning, the properties that suffer are rarely the ones with obvious defects — they're the ones where a single nail-sick slate, a lifted ridge tile, or a tired lead flashing was one gust away from failure. By the time you notice water on the landing ceiling, the roof has usually been leaking for an hour.

A genuine emergency is anything that lets weather into the building envelope: a slipped or missing slate above a habitable room, a lifted ridge cap, a torn flat-roof membrane, a gutter run pulled off the fascia so water is sheeting down a wall, or a chimney flashing that has parted. Cosmetic damage — a slate on the lawn from an outbuilding with no ceiling below — can wait until morning. Water actively coming through a ceiling cannot.

If you're unsure which category you're in, ring anyway. Our Clare emergency roof repairs line runs 24/7 and the first conversation is free — we'd rather talk you through a two-minute check than have you climb a wet ladder at 11pm.

What to do the night the slate lifts

Before anyone gets on a roof — yours or ours — there are five things worth doing from the ground:

1. Move furniture and electronics out from under the drip. Put a bucket down, and a towel around the bucket to stop splash.
2. Turn off the electrics to the affected circuit at the consumer unit if water is anywhere near a light fitting or socket. Do not use ceiling lights in the affected room until an electrician has checked them.
3. Photograph everything — the ceiling stain, the puddle, any slates on the ground, the exterior of the roof from a safe distance. Use your phone; the timestamp in the file metadata is what the insurer wants.
4. Do not go up the ladder. Wet slate, gusting wind and a torch are how people end up in University Hospital Limerick. Roofs are our job.
5. Ring for the call-out and describe what you can see. We'll dispatch based on the actual risk, not the panic level of the caller.

If the leak is over a stairwell or a bedroom in use, tell the operator — that changes the priority.

How the same-day call-out actually works

An emergency call-out is a make-safe job, not a full repair. Here's what the crew will actually do when they arrive:

• Ground assessment first. They walk the perimeter, photograph the damage, and confirm what's fixable tonight versus what needs daylight and a dry roof.
• Access set-up. Ladder, roof ladder, harness. In sustained high winds, work at height stops — no exceptions. If Met Éireann has an active red warning, the crew will tarp from inside the loft where possible and return once the wind drops.
• Make-safe. A slipped slate is re-hooked or a temporary slate strap fitted; a lifted ridge is weighted and tarped; a torn flat-roof membrane is patched with self-adhesive flashing tape; a hole is covered with breathable tarpaulin, battened down at the edges.
• Timestamped documentation. Before, during and after photos. This is where the insurance path starts.
• Written summary and separate quote for the permanent repair. You get a clear note of what was done, and a written quote for the proper repair once it can be assessed in daylight and dry conditions.

The permanent repair — resetting slates properly, renewing torching or a batten, dressing new lead — is a separate job with its own written quote and a minimum 3-year workmanship guarantee, rising to 10 years on major repair work. If the storm has taken enough of the roof that a full re-cover is the honest answer, that carries a 10-year replacement guarantee in its own right.

Clare's housing stock and why it fails the way it does

Local geography matters. In Ennis and Clarecastle, mid-20th-century semis with concrete interlocking tiles tend to fail at the ridge — the mortar bedding cracks, the ridge tiles rock, and one gale finishes the job. In Shannon and Newmarket-on-Fergus, 1970s and 80s estate housing with natural or fibre-cement slate develops nail sickness at 40–60 years, and a whole slope can start shedding once the first course goes. Along the coast at Kilrush, Kilkee and Lahinch, salt-laden westerlies eat galvanised nails and standard fixings; marine-grade fixings and correctly sized lead flashings are not optional.

Elevated cliff-walk properties and exposed rural bungalows in west Clare need secure bracketing on gutters and downpipes too — a torn gutter run in a storm frequently drags the fascia with it, and the repair moves from a €500 gutter job to a full roofline replacement. If yours is looking suspect before storm season, our Gutter Services Clare team can assess brackets and joints as part of a standard survey.

Insurance claims — the paperwork that gets them paid

Storm damage claims fail more often on documentation than on cover. Irish home insurance policies almost universally include a storm peril, but the burden of evidence sits with the homeowner: date of damage, weather conditions on the day, photographs before any remedial work, and an estimate in a format the insurer recognises.

We handle the documentation side as part of the emergency service:

• Timestamped photographs of the damage on arrival, the make-safe in progress, and the completed temporary work.
• Before-and-after evidence cross-referenced to the specific slates, flashings or membrane sections affected.
• Cost estimates in insurance-company format — line-itemed, with materials and labour separated.
• Direct loss-adjuster liaison — we speak the language, and we've done enough of these to know what a claim handler is looking for.

Practical note: don't let anyone remove damaged slates or tiles before they've been photographed in situ. That evidence is what turns a disputed claim into an approved one. If a neighbour has offered to "just tidy it up" before we arrive, ask them to hold off.

What does an emergency roof repair cost in Clare?

Emergency work is variable by definition — a slipped slate on a two-storey semi at 8am is not the same job as a stripped ridge on a coastal cottage at 2am. What we can be honest about:

• The call-out itself covers travel, make-safe materials (tarp, battens, temporary fixings), and the crew's time on site. It is quoted per job.
• The permanent repair is a separate written quote after survey. A single slipped slate reset with proper fixings and torching is a modest job; a stripped ridge across a full run, new lead flashings and a section of new battens is a larger one.
• Extensive storm damage sometimes tips a marginal roof into full re-cover territory. If that's the honest call, we say so — and the full replacement carries a 10-year guarantee on the workmanship and manufacturer warranties on the materials.

Every figure is indicative until we've seen the property. The written quote after survey is free and comes with no obligation, and there is no deposit on any job under €10,000.

After the storm — the follow-up jobs worth doing

Storms expose weaknesses that were already there. Once the immediate crisis is dealt with, the calls we get in the following week are usually about:

• Gutters torn or bent — a single storm can pull a whole run off its brackets. Repair versus replace depends on the material and how much of the length is affected; a proper gutter cleaning and condition report tells you which.
• Fascia and soffit damage — when a gutter goes, the timber behind it is often already rotten. Painting over it is a false economy; a full fascia, soffit and guttering replacement is often the sensible call.
• Chimney flashings — lead that has lifted once in a gale will lift again. Re-dressing with code 4 or code 5 lead, properly wedged and pointed, is the permanent fix.
• Ridge and hip re-bedding — where mortar has cracked, the honest repair is to strip and re-bed with a modern mortar mix or dry-fix ridge system.

Owners in Ennistymon and north Clare in particular tend to find that one storm reveals two or three of the above. Our local Guttering Services Ennistymon crew can survey the whole roofline in one visit rather than making you book three separate trades.

Frequently asked questions

Do you really answer the phone at night?

Yes — 24/7, including weekends and bank holidays. In a red or orange wind warning we prioritise by risk to the building envelope: active leaks over habitable rooms go to the top.

What if the wind is too strong to work in?

Work at height stops in sustained high winds — no responsible crew goes up in a red warning. Where we can't get on the roof, we'll tarp from inside the loft, help you move belongings, and return the moment conditions allow. The documentation for insurance starts on that first visit either way.

Will the call-out fix the roof permanently?

No. The call-out makes the roof safe and stops the water. The permanent repair — resetting slates, dressing new lead, replacing battens — is quoted separately once the roof can be assessed in daylight and dry conditions. That repair carries a written guarantee of at least 3 years, up to 10 years on major work.

Is storm damage covered by my home insurance?

Usually yes, under the storm peril in a standard Irish home insurance policy. General wear and tear is not covered, and excesses vary. We provide the timestamped photographs, before-and-after evidence and insurer-format estimates that a successful claim needs, and we liaise with the loss adjuster directly.

How much does an emergency call-out cost?

It's quoted per job because the work is genuinely variable — travel distance, access, scope of make-safe and materials all move the number. You get a clear price before we start, in writing, and there's no deposit on any job under €10,000.

Do you cover all of Clare?

Yes — Ennis, Shannon, Sixmilebridge, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Ennistymon, Kilrush, Killaloe, Tulla, Clarecastle and the rural areas between them. Response time depends on where the nearest crew is when you ring.

Can I climb up and put a tarp on myself?

Please don't. Wet slate, gusting wind and darkness are how people get seriously hurt. Ring us — the first conversation is free, and if it's genuinely something you can do safely from a stepladder in the loft, we'll tell you.

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If your roof has taken a hit in the last storm and you want a same-day survey with a written quote, ring 061 535761 or request a free emergency quote from our Clare team — we'll be on the road within the hour.