Emergency board-up and tarping on Long Island
The damage already done is fixed. The damage still to come is not — and securing the building is what stops the loss growing while everything else waits.
- Roof tarping, window and door board-up, structural shoring
- Most policies require reasonable steps to prevent further damage
- Prioritised after regional storms, when full crews are stretched
- Do not go on a wet, damaged roof yourself
24/7 Emergency Intake
Tell us what happened
Send the details and we'll call you straight back. If water is moving right now, calling is faster.
Active emergency? 516-905-5970
An open building keeps losing
After a storm or a fire, the loss is not finished. It continues for as long as the building is open.
The next rain band. A roof opened on Tuesday takes everything that falls on Wednesday, and each cycle drives water further into insulation, ceilings and wall cavities. A one-room loss becomes a multi-room one over a week of weather.
Wind. An opening lets wind inside, which lifts more material from within and enlarges the breach.
Animals. Racoons, squirrels, birds and rodents find an open building fast, and they are far harder to remove than to exclude.
People. Vacant damaged buildings attract theft and occasionally injury — which becomes a liability question on top of everything else.
Humidity. Even without rain, an open structure equalises with outdoor air, which on Long Island for much of the year means the building simply cannot dry.
Mitigation is an obligation, not a courtesy
Homeowners and commercial property policies almost universally require the insured to take reasonable steps to protect the property from further damage after a loss.
Failing to do so can reduce a settlement — the carrier pays for the original damage but not for the avoidable escalation that followed.
So the tarp is not only practical. It is evidence that you met an obligation, and the cost is generally recoverable as part of the claim.
Photograph the damage before it is covered. Once a tarp goes on, what is underneath is invisible to an adjuster who may not attend for days. Wide and close, outside and inside, then photograph the tarp once fitted — which documents that you mitigated, and when.
Securing a damaged building
Safety assessment first
Downed lines, compromised structure, gas odour, contaminated standing water. If it is not safe we say so and nobody goes in until it is.
Roof tarping
Reinforced tarp over the damaged section, secured against wind with battens rather than fastenings alone, and lapped so water runs off rather than under. A badly fitted tarp channels water into the building and is worse than none.
Window and door board-up
Plywood cut and fastened over openings and sealed at the edges, keeping weather, animals and people out.
Structural shoring
Where an element is compromised and at risk of further movement or collapse.
Perimeter securing
Fencing or barriers where the building is unsafe or attracts access.
Documentation
Photographs before and after, so the mitigation itself is recorded for your claim.
Ground level, sometimes. Roofs, no.
Boarding a ground-floor window or door is frequently a reasonable homeowner job with plywood and a drill, and doing it promptly genuinely helps.
Roofs are a different matter. A wet, storm-damaged roof of uncertain structural condition is where people fall, and falls from roofs turn a property loss into something far worse.
If you do secure anything yourself: photograph the damage before covering it, keep every receipt, and do not go up during or immediately after a storm.
Why we prioritise securing
Being straight about it: after a significant regional event every restoration company on Long Island is oversubscribed at once, and nobody can honestly promise a normal response window.
What we do prioritise is emergency securing, precisely because it is the thing that stops a loss growing while you wait for a full crew. A tarp today and drying next week beats waiting for both.
Position in the queue is set by when you called. Calling early, before conditions worsen and before you know the full extent, is a rational decision rather than an overreaction.
Call 516-905-5970Temporary means temporary
A tarp is a weeks-not-months solution. UV degrades the material, fastenings work loose, and wind eventually finds an edge.
If reconstruction is delayed by insurance negotiation or contractor availability, the temporary work needs inspecting and frequently re-fitting. An unmonitored tarp that has failed is doing nothing at all, and owners usually discover that when a ceiling comes down.
We will tell you when we fitted it and roughly how long it should hold. Check it after every significant weather event until permanent repairs are done.
Questions, answered
Does insurance pay for board-up and tarping?
Generally yes — emergency mitigation is usually recoverable as part of the claim, and most policies require you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. Keep receipts and photograph the damage before covering it, because reimbursement runs on documentation.
Can I tarp the roof myself?
Ground-level boarding is often reasonable to do yourself. Roofs are not, particularly wet, storm-damaged ones of uncertain structural condition. That is where people fall. Photograph it, then call.
How long can a tarp stay on?
Weeks rather than months. UV degrades the material, fastenings loosen and wind finds edges. If reconstruction is delayed, the temporary work needs inspecting and often re-fitting after each significant weather event.
How quickly can you get to us after a storm?
Slower than usual after a regional event, and we will tell you honestly rather than string you along. We prioritise emergency securing because it stops the loss growing while you wait, and the queue is ordered by when you called.
Do you board up commercial and vacant property?
Yes — commercial premises, vacant buildings and multi-unit property. Vacant buildings in particular benefit from perimeter securing as well as openings, because theft and unauthorised access become live risks once a building is visibly open.
What usually follows
Storm & Flood Damage
Surge extraction, salt removal and drying after nor'easters and tropical systems.
Storm damage →Fire & Smoke Damage
Soot removal by residue type, odour work and firefighting water extraction.
Fire & smoke →Commercial Restoration
Work phased around trading, with business interruption documentation.
Commercial →Insurance Claim Support
Documentation from hour one and direct billing to your carrier.
Claims →Serving Nassau and Suffolk
Dispatching from 30 Lynch St in Huntington Station. Response times are honest by zone — 45 to 60 minutes across the core townships, longer as you head east.
Building open to the weather?
Photograph it, then call. Securing it today is worth more than a faster full crew next week.
- 24/7 emergency line516-905-5970
- Service address30 Lynch St, Huntington Station, NY 11746
- HoursOpen 24 hours — every day of the year
- Why usCertified & experienced · Fast response · Local, trusted, Long Island proud