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Basics 5 minute readStorm Season Checklist for Los Angeles
By Anthony Limpert, Founder
Author Source EEAT Authors · Anthony's Author Page
A short list to run every fall before the first real rain, from the gutters and valleys to the attic and the photos that make a claim easy.
Twenty minutes of checking in October prevents most of the February drywall repairs in this city.
First Things
- Clear gutters and valleys of leaves and needles.
- Look for slipped tile and lifted shingle edges after wind.
- Test every downspout with a hose.
- Take dated photos so damage later is easy to prove.
From the ground
Walk the whole house and look up. You are looking for gaps in a tile field, curled shingle edges, a sagging gutter line, and any daylight where fascia meets roof.
Binoculars work better than a ladder and are far safer.
In the attic
Go up with a flashlight on a bright day. Look for pinholes of daylight, dark stains on the sheathing, wet or matted insulation, and rust on nail tips.
Mark anything you find with tape so a roofer can find it fast.
Around the house
Run a hose into each gutter and watch where the water leaves. It should exit well away from the foundation. Clear anything blocking a scupper or a drain on a flat section.
Trim branches that touch or overhang the roof. Wind turns them into brooms and worse.
On paper
Photograph the roof from all four sides with the date. Save the last roofing invoice and permit in the same folder.
If a storm damages the roof later, that folder is the difference between a smooth claim and a fight.
What Buyers Want to Know
When is rainy season in Los Angeles
Most rain falls between November and March, with the biggest storms in January and February.
Should I clean my own gutters
On a single story, carefully, with a stable ladder. Two stories is worth paying for.
What if I find a soft spot in the attic sheathing
Call a roofer before rain. Soft sheathing means water has been getting in for a while.