Emergency Roof Tarping in Scottsdale: Cost and What It Buys
Emergency roof tarping is not a repair. It is a way to buy a week, or a month, with the house dry while the permanent fix is scheduled, the adjuster visits, or the roof dries out enough to work on. Knowing what a tarp costs, what it does and what it does not do keeps one monsoon leak from turning into three. Mid-October is a good moment to go over it: the monsoon is done, and any tarp that went on in August is past due to come off.
When emergency roof tarping is the right call
- Tile has been stripped from a section of roof and the felt under it is exposed or torn
- A branch has gone through the roof
- A monsoon leak is active and the roof is too wet to repair properly until it dries
- The damage may be an insurance claim, and your insurer wants to see it before it is repaired
- A flat roof has a tear or an open seam and rain is forecast
When it is not: a single cracked tile, a split pipe jack, a valley full of debris. Those are one-visit repairs that cost about what a tarp costs, and they are permanent.
How a tarp goes on a tile roof
This is where Scottsdale is different. On a shingle roof a tarp is stretched over the damage and nailed through wood strips into the deck. On a tile roof that cannot be done without breaking more tile, and nails through tile into the deck create new leaks. A careful roofer works like this:
- Loose and broken tile in the damaged area is removed and stacked, so the tarp lies on the felt, not on a jagged edge.
- The tarp — heavy-duty, 10 mil or better; blue hardware-store tarps are 5 mil and shred in a week here — is run from above the damage to past the eave, so water runs over it and off.
- The top edge is tucked under the course of tile above the damage, where the tile holds it.
- The sides and bottom are weighted with sandbags or held with tile laid back on top; on steep roofs, strips are screwed through the tarp into the deck at the top edge, with the screw holes sealed when the tarp comes off.
- Everything is photographed before and after, for your own records and for your insurer.
Tarp vs temporary seal on foam and flat roofs
On a foam or flat roof, a tarp is a last resort. It ponds water, the wind gets under it, and sandbags dent soft foam. A temporary roof repair — mastic and reinforcing fabric troweled over the tear, or a peel-and-stick patch on a modified bitumen roof — is usually faster, cheaper and more reliable. On a tile roof the tarp vs temporary seal question goes the other way: there is no continuous surface to seal to, so a tarp tucked under the course above is the standard stopgap.
What it costs
| Typical Scottsdale range | |
|---|---|
| Emergency tarp, one area, up to about 20×30 ft | $300–$700 |
| Larger or multiple areas, steep or two-story | $700–$1,500 |
| Temporary patch on foam or flat roof | $250–$500 |
| Tarp removal and tile relay after repair | usually folded into the repair |
These are typical market ranges, not quotes. Storm chasers after a big event can charge multiples of this, and some nail straight through tile to do it. Ask your insurer whether emergency tarping is covered under your policy, and keep the receipt and the photos either way.
How long a monsoon tarp lasts here
Not long. Scottsdale UV breaks down a polyethylene tarp fast; a good one starts to go brittle in six to eight weeks of summer sun and a cheap one in two. Wind gets under the edges. A monsoon tarp that went on for an August storm should not still be on in November. If the permanent repair is held up by a claim, plan on having the tarp re-secured or replaced monthly, and keep your insurer updated on the delay.
What a tarp does not do
It does not dry the deck under it. It does not stop the felt from degrading in the sun where it is exposed at the edges. It does not fix the reason the wind was able to get under the tile in the first place. And it does not last through the winter rains. A good tarp job comes with a date by which it should be gone, and it is fair to ask for that date in writing.
The insurance side
Your policy probably says something about preventing further damage after a storm; check the exact wording or ask your agent. The order that works: photograph the damage, call your insurer, and get a written repair estimate from a licensed roofer. The adjuster decides what's covered; in a dispute, a public adjuster licensed by the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI) or an attorney can advise. The storm damage page covers the rest of the process, and the monsoon checklist is what to look at before you call anyone.
Who should put it on
The night after a big storm, the first person offering a tarp is not always someone you would hire for the repair. Check a roofer's license with the Arizona ROC license lookup before anyone climbs on the roof, even for a tarp, and ask for a written price that includes removal. Requests sent through this guide go to an independent local contractor. We only use roofers licensed by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors — ask for their ROC number.
If you have to do it yourself
Sometimes there is no one available the night of the storm. If you must:
- Do not walk a tile roof in the dark, or wet. Ever.
- On a shingle roof, a tarp over the ridge weighted with sandbags on both sides is safer than nailing anything.
- On a flat roof, clear the scupper first. Many flat-roof "leaks" in a storm are a blocked scupper, and clearing it ends the leak.
- Inside, catch the water, and put a small hole in a bulging ceiling so it drains into a bucket rather than spreading.
Then call a roofer in the morning. When you look for emergency roofing in Scottsdale, say clearly whether water is actively coming in, ask how soon someone can come out, and ask whether the price covers taking the tarp off later. Once the roof is dry, the permanent repair is usually a valley, a wall flashing, or a section of tile reset over new underlayment, priced on the repair page — and if the felt turns out to be gone everywhere, repair vs. replacement is the next conversation.
Common questions
How long can a tarp stay on a tile roof?
Plan on weeks, not months. In summer sun a heavy tarp starts to go brittle in six to eight weeks and a cheap one in two. If the permanent repair is held up, have the tarp checked and re-secured about monthly, and aim to have it off before the winter rains.
Does a tarp stop wind-driven monsoon rain?
A tarp tucked under the tile course above the damage and run past the eave handles most monsoon rain, because the water runs over it and off. A tarp that is only weighted at the top, or thrown over the ridge of a tile roof, can lift in a microburst and let rain in sideways. Ask how the top edge will be held.
Should I tarp my own roof after a storm?
On a tile roof, usually not. Walking wet tile in the dark breaks more tile and is how people get hurt. On a low shingle roof or a flat roof you can reach safely, a weighted tarp or a cleared scupper can get you to morning; otherwise catch the water inside and call a roofer when it is light.
Is emergency roof tarping covered by insurance?
It depends on your policy and on whether the damage itself is covered. Ask your insurer or agent before you assume either way. Keep the invoice, and photograph the roof before and after the tarp goes on.
Need roof work in Scottsdale?
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