What if it rains during roof replacement in Florida?

Does rain stop a roof replacement?

A little rain can pause the job. A torn-off roof should never sit open to the sky overnight.

Roofers plan around rain every week in Florida. They do not tear off the whole roof and hope. A good crew checks the forecast, strips only as much roof as it can cover the same day, and puts a waterproof layer on the bare deck before it leaves. The deck is the wood sheet layer, usually plywood, that the shingles or tile sit on. That waterproof layer is called dry-in.

Wet wood is the first problem. The Florida tile installation manual from FRSA and the Tile Roofing Industry Alliance says not to install underlayment over wet surfaces. Underlayment is the layer between the deck and the roof covering. So a crew cannot just roll it out on a soaked deck and call it done. If rain starts before the deck is covered, the crew has to cover what is open and wait for the wood to dry.

Some crews cancel the morning when the forecast looks bad. A Journal of Light Construction article on tile reroofing says its crews may cancel when the morning forecast shows a 60 percent or higher chance of rain, because the roof is torn off and covered within one day. Your roofer may use a different cutoff. What matters is that there is one, and that you know it before the job starts.

This page explains how rain is handled, what the dry-in layers can and cannot do, and what to ask your roofer before the crew shows up. It is general information. Your contract and the manufacturer's instructions for your roof control the details on your job.

What does a crew do when rain is in the forecast?

The goal is simple: no bare wood is left uncovered when the crew leaves or the rain starts.

Here is what careful practice looks like, based on the manufacturer and trade sources listed at the bottom of this page. Every roofer runs a job a little differently, so use this as a list of things to ask about, not as a promise from any one company.

1. Check the forecast before the crew starts

   Look at the radar and the hourly outlook, not just the daily percentage. If heavy rain is likely before the roof can be covered, the crew delays the tear-off.

2. Strip in sections, not all at once

   The tile reroofing article describes tearing off and covering the roof within one day. The same idea works for any roof: take off only what you can dry in before the day ends.

3. Check that the deck is dry and sound

   Underlayment should not go over wet wood. Soft or rotted boards get replaced first. See our guide on what roofers find during a tear-off.

4. Put down the dry-in layer

   This is the underlayment, with flashing at the edges, valleys and pipes. Section 553.844 of the Florida Statutes says a roof replacement on a site-built single-family home must include a secondary water barrier. That is a second line of defense against water that gets past the roof covering.

5. Cover with the roof covering the same day when possible

   Atlas Roofing's printed instructions say shingles should go on the same day as felt underlayment to avoid wetting and wrinkling.

6. Tarp what is still open

   If the roof cannot be finished, a waterproof tarp can cover the exposed area. NRCA, the roofing contractors' trade group, notes that in some cases a waterproof tarp is a better temporary cover than underlayment.

A tarp is a stopgap. Our guide on how long a tarp can stay on a roof covers how long it should last. Coastline does temporary repairs and tarps, including replacing worn-out FEMA tarps, so a tarp on a roof is something a roofer should be able to handle.

What if water gets inside during the job?

Take photos, cover what you can, and look at your contract. Do not argue on the roof.

Even careful crews cannot stop every storm. If water comes through the ceiling during a job, do these things:

• Move furniture and electronics away from the spot, and put a bucket or tarp under drips.
• Take dated photos of the roof, the ceiling and anything wet before anything is cleaned up.
• Call your roofer right away so the crew can cover the roof.
• Read the roofer's contract for how interior damage is handled, and ask for the answer in writing if the contract is silent.

Before the job, check the roofer's insurance. Our guide on how to check if a roofer is insured shows what to ask for. For a ceiling stain that appears later, see brown water stain on your ceiling and what to do until the roofer arrives.

Your own homeowner policy and your insurer decide what is covered. A roofer cannot interpret your policy for you. Florida Statute 489.147 bars contractors from advising an insured about coverage.