How much does insurance pay to tarp a roof?
Short answer. Insurance usually pays the reasonable cost of an emergency tarp needed to stop further damage after a covered loss, and that cost is part of your claim rather than an extra benefit. The amount depends on the roof area covered, pitch, height, and materials, so keep the invoice and photos showing what was done and why.
Why insurers pay for tarping
Most homeowners policies require you to protect the property from further damage after a loss, and they reimburse reasonable costs of doing it. Tarping a roof after wind tears off shingles or a limb punctures the deck is the classic example. The cost counts toward your claim and your coverage limit; it is not paid on top of the limit.
What affects the price
- Square footage covered, including the overlap past the ridge
- Pitch and height, which drive labor and safety setup
- How the tarp is anchored, such as fastened battens versus sandbags
- After-hours or storm-surge timing
- Removing a tree from the roof, which is often priced separately
Getting it reimbursed
- Photograph the damage before the tarp goes on.
- Get an itemized invoice listing size, materials, and labor.
- Send it with your claim, and if you paid it yourself, ask for reimbursement.
Watch out for
Emergency services that charge far more than local norms, or that require you to sign over your claim. Georgia's SB 201 makes it an unfair practice for a contractor to take an assignment of your insurance proceeds within one year of a declared disaster. Pay for the tarp; do not assign the claim.
Related: your duty to mitigate and emergency tarps and assignment of benefits in Georgia.