If water is coming through your ceiling right now, stop reading and call (214) 326-3106. Sara, Mahmoud, or our on-call lead picks up. We’re CertainTeed ShingleMaster certified (top 3 percent of US roofers) and family-owned in Plano, see all credentials. Mahmoud Abu Saad and Sara Bannat run Roof Raiders, read why we started. Since 2022 we’ve registered every roof we install with CertainTeed at the highest tier our ShingleMaster certification unlocks, ranking us in the top 3 percent of US roofers. Everything below is what to do in the meantime, and what we’ll do when we get there.
what to do in the next 30 minutes if water is coming in.
Before we get there, your job is damage control. In order:
- Kill the breaker to any room where water is near a light fixture, ceiling fan, or outlet. The panel is usually in the garage or utility room. Don’t touch a wet fixture.
- Contain it. Buckets, trash cans, cookie sheets, whatever you have. Layer towels around the rim to stop splashing onto floors.
- Poke the bulge. If drywall is sagging from trapped water, push a screwdriver through the lowest point so it drains into your bucket instead of collapsing the whole sheet.
- Move valuables and electronics out of the room. Lift area rugs and pull furniture six feet from the drip zone.
- Photograph everything. Wide shots of the room, close-ups of stains, video of active dripping. Timestamp matters for your carrier.
- Do not climb the roof. Wet shingles, dark, wind. That’s an ER trip, not a fix.
Then call (214) 326-3106 for tarp dispatch. For a deeper walkthrough of the same situation, read what to do when your roof leaks during rain.
Call (214) 326-3106 for a free inspection.
when a self-tarp is fine and when it’s a mistake.
A self-tarp can hold overnight on a single-story home, under a 6/12 pitch, in dry weather, with a second person spotting from the ground. If you’ve installed roofing before and the entry point is obvious, you can buy yourself eight hours.
Call us instead when any of these are true: the pitch is steeper than 6/12 (most two-story Dallas homes built after 1995), it’s actively raining, the wind has any snap-back gusts above 15 mph, the roof is wet, it’s after dark, the leak source isn’t obvious, or the roof is two stories or higher. Mahmoud has pulled homeowners off ladders after falls more than once. The tarp is not worth a broken hip. We carry harnesses, ridge anchors, and the OSHA training to use them.
how fast we actually dispatch in dfw.
Same-day during storm season, which in DFW runs April through June and again October through November. During an active storm we’re rolling crews on a 4-hour window, sometimes faster if you’re inside our core area. We call this protocol our Rapid Roof Response, and it’s the same one Sara built after the May 28 2023 hailstorm overwhelmed every roofer in Collin County.
The Plano HQ on Legacy Drive puts us roughly 15 minutes from Frisco, 20 minutes from McKinney and Allen, 25 minutes from Dallas city proper and Richardson, 30 minutes from Fort Worth and Arlington, and 35 minutes from Grand Prairie. Off-storm-season calls (a random January leak, a July tree limb) typically dispatch within 90 minutes. Overnight calls between midnight and 6 AM go to whichever crew lead is on rotation, and that person is already in a truck.
dfw weather and the storm timeline carriers honor.
DFW averages 38 inches of rain per year, most of it slammed into April, May, and June, then again in October. April through June is peak hail season, and the heaviest cells run US-75 from McKinney south through Plano, Frisco, Allen, and Richardson before clipping Lakewood and Lake Highlands. May 28 2023, April 9 2024, May 23 2024, and June 17 2024 are the storm dates Texas carriers honor right now, which means a damage claim tied to one of those events gets processed differently than a vague “sometime last spring” claim. We pull the NOAA radar overlay for the address, match it to the date of loss, and attach it to the supplement so the carrier can’t argue the storm wasn’t on the property. Late-season cold fronts in November and December also crack older 3-tab shingles and lift ridge caps on homes built before 2010, which is where most of our December emergency calls come from.
the texas 25 percent rule, what carriers actually require.
The Texas Insurance Code provision at 28 TAC 21.1006 sits behind almost every full replacement decision in this state. Carriers don’t always cite the rule by number, but it’s why an adjuster who finds 12 hail hits on a slope walks off and writes a partial repair instead of a full replacement. The threshold the rule supports is that 25 percent of the total roof area needs to show storm damage for a replacement to be the obvious call rather than a repair. Anything under that and you’re in a fight.
Here’s how we document to clear that threshold when it legitimately should be cleared. We grid the roof into 10 by 10 test squares, count hits per square, and photograph each square with a chalked perimeter and a tape measure in frame. We map vent boots, pipe collars, ridge cap, and step flashing separately because those count toward total area. We pull the NOAA Storm Events Database entry for the date of loss and attach it to the file. When the first scope comes back short, we file a supplement with the gridded photos, the square-foot calc, and the storm verification, and we cite the carrier’s own policy language on matching and code compliance. That’s the work most contractors skip. Mahmoud does it on every storm file.
Call (214) 326-3106 for a free inspection.
what a real emergency tarp looks like.
A proper tarp install is closer to a temporary roof than a sheet of plastic. Here’s the spec we run versus what most homeowners try.
| Element | What we install | What fails in 48 hours |
|---|---|---|
| Material | 6-mil reinforced poly or synthetic underlayment (GAF Deck-Armor or equivalent) | Walmart blue poly tarp, 3-mil |
| Fastening | 1-inch plastic cap nails, 6 inches on-center through 1x4 furring strips | Cinder blocks, bricks, paver weights |
| Orientation | Lapped uphill 24 inches over the ridge, edges over drip edge | Centered over the hole, no lap |
| Seams | Seam-taped, sealed at penetrations | Untaped, water tracks under |
| Edge detail | Weighted lath nailed through the tarp into deck | Loose edges that catch wind |
That spec holds 30 to 60 days through normal DFW weather. A Walmart tarp with cinder blocks holds until the next 20 mph gust, which in March is about 4 hours.
the rapid roof response process.
This is the named protocol Sara built and Mahmoud runs in the field. Six steps, every emergency call, every time.
- Triage on the phone. When you call (214) 326-3106, we’re scoring the call inside the first 60 seconds. Active interior water, structural collapse risk, electrical exposure, and elderly or medically vulnerable occupants jump the queue. We tell you exactly when the truck is rolling and who’s driving it.
- Same-day tarp dispatch. Within 4 hours during storm season, 90 minutes off-season. Crew arrives with synthetic underlayment, cap nails, furring strips, harnesses, and a ridge anchor. No Walmart tarp ever leaves our shop.
- Full damage scope within 48 hours. Mahmoud or a senior crew lead grids the roof, photographs every slope and penetration, and builds the Xactimate-formatted scope your carrier expects. You get a copy before anyone else.
- Adjuster meet and supplement. We meet your State Farm, Allstate, USAA, Travelers, or Farmers adjuster on-site, walk the roof together, and file a supplement with photo evidence when the first scope falls short. Most of our files trigger at least one supplement.
- Permanent repair or replacement. CertainTeed Landmark, Landmark Pro, or Presidential matched to your existing system, installed by W2 crew, never day-labor subs. Production schedule is locked the day the carrier releases funds.
- Warranty registration and follow-up. Every install is registered with CertainTeed at the highest tier our ShingleMaster certification unlocks. Sara calls you at 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year. If anything’s off, we’re back on the roof.
after the tarp: what comes next.
The tarp buys you 30 to 60 days. Here’s the sequence during that window.
Day 1 to 3: Full photo and video documentation, scoped in Xactimate format for your carrier. If the trigger event was a hailstorm or windstorm, this rolls into a hail damage or storm damage claim. We file with State Farm, Allstate, USAA, Travelers, and Farmers regularly.
Day 3 to 10: Adjuster meets us on-site. We walk the roof together so the scope reflects every covered loss, not just the obvious entry point.
Day 7 to 21: Leak source diagnosis. The entry point is rarely where the water lands inside. We chase the actual failure (flashing, valley, vent boot, decking gap) using moisture meters and an infrared camera.
Day 14 to 30: Permanent repair. CertainTeed Landmark, Landmark Pro, or Presidential matched to your existing system.
Throughout: Interior trade referral for drywall, insulation, and floor repair so you’re not juggling four contractors.
Call (214) 326-3106 for a free inspection.
anti-storm-chaser warning.
After every major North Texas storm, out-of-state crews flood Plano and Frisco driveways with door-knock flyers and “free roof” promises. They sign you to an ACV-only contract, take the first carrier check, and disappear before the supplement gets filed. You end up with a half-finished roof, no warranty paperwork, no permit closed with the city, and a carrier file that’s already paid out. We’ve cleaned up four of these in 2025 alone. If someone knocks on your door wearing a logo you’ve never seen on a truck you can’t find on Google Maps, take their card, close the door, and call (214) 326-3106. We’ll tell you whether the damage is real before you sign anything.
dfw neighborhoods we serve.
Plano HQ on Legacy Drive puts us in driveways across the metroplex within 30 minutes. We’ve run emergency tarp and full restoration jobs in:
- Lakewood, Preston Hollow, Highland Park, University Park, Lake Highlands, Casa Linda
- M Streets, Knox Henderson, Bluffview, Devonshire, Stonebriar, Phillips Creek Ranch
- Frisco Lakes, Starwood, The Trails of West Frisco, Willow Bend, Preston Meadow, Legacy West
- Carpenter Park, Watters Creek, Twin Creeks, Tucker Hill, Whitley Place, Adriatica
- Trinity Falls, Fairview, Star Creek, Old Highland Park, Volk Estates, Beverly Drive
- Armstrong Parkway, Mira Lagos, Westchester, Lakeridge, Lakewood Heights
City-specific pages are live for Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Richardson, Dallas, and Highland Village if you want a hyper-local read.
paying for the permanent fix.
A 2,400 sq ft Plano replacement with Landmark Pro runs roughly $22,000. On qualifying projects we offer an in-house zero interest payment plan: a larger upfront deposit gets the work started and the balance is split over flexible terms depending on the size of the project. Cash jobs are always welcome, and on a covered storm claim insurance pays for most of the work after your own deductible. Details are on our payment plans page, and Sara walks every emergency caller through the options on the same call as the tarp dispatch, so you know what the permanent fix will look like before the truck pulls into your driveway.
Call (214) 326-3106 for a free inspection.
water coming in? call now.
(214) 326-3106. Real person answers, 24/7. We’ll triage on the phone and dispatch the closest crew. If you can wait until morning, we’ll tell you that too.
What's included
- 24/7 live emergency phone line answered by Mahmoud, Sara, or on-call crew
- Same-day emergency tarp deployment across Dallas and the metroplex
- Active leak stabilization and interior water containment guidance
- Photo and video documentation formatted for your insurance carrier
- Tree and debris removal off the roof deck
- Synthetic underlayment or 6-mil poly tarp, lapped uphill, cap-nailed, weighted lath
- Coordinated scheduling for the permanent repair or replacement
- Direct adjuster coordination so you don't chase paperwork
- Infrared moisture mapping to find the true entry point, not just the drip
- Interior trade referral for drywall, insulation, and flooring restoration
How it works
- Call us, any hour. (214) 326-3106 rings 24/7. A real person answers, never a call center, and we dispatch the closest crew immediately for active leaks.
- Same-day tarp. A crew is on your roof within 4 hours during active storms, with synthetic underlayment or 6-mil poly fastened to code, not a weighted blue sheet.
- Damage assessment. Full photo-documented inspection within 48 hours, scoped to match insurance carrier requirements (Xactimate-ready).
- Insurance navigation. We meet your adjuster on-site, walk the roof together, supply Xactimate-formatted scopes, and file supplements with photo evidence when the first scope falls short.
- Permanent repair. Scheduled within days, sooner if the damage is severe or interior water is still active. CertainTeed Landmark, Landmark Pro, or Presidential matched to your existing system.
- Warranty registration. Every replacement is registered with CertainTeed at the highest tier our ShingleMaster certification unlocks, then we follow up at 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year.
