After a windstorm, the roof edge is one of the first places damage shows. Soffit panels come loose, fascia covers peel back and gutters pull away. You don't need to climb anything to find most of it. This guide walks you around the house from the ground, following the Florida Division of Emergency Management's Hurricane Retrofit Guide, FEMA, and ladder safety guidance from OSHA and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Stop and call a pro before you start if:
- A power line is down, sagging or touching the house, gutter or a tree near it. Stay away and call your power company or 911. The CPSC says to keep ladders "away from power lines and live electrical wires to prevent electrocution," and OSHA's ladder guidance says to keep ladders and tools at least 10 feet away from power lines.
- There may be structural damage. The state's retrofit guide says to "check to make sure that there is no structural damage that would make it unsafe to go into certain areas of your home." A sagging roofline, a ceiling that's bowing or a section of overhang that's dropped are for a pro.
- Water is near outlets, light fixtures or the electrical panel. Stay out of that area, turn off power at the breaker only if you can reach it from a dry spot, and call a licensed electrical contractor.
- You'd have to get on the roof or work from a ladder above the first floor. The retrofit guide says "Don't go up there if you are not physically up to the task" or if it's "slippery or wet." Our advice: leave roof and second-story work to a pro.
- Debris or insulation you'd handle may contain asbestos or lead paint. The EPA says you generally can't tell whether a material contains asbestos by looking at it, unless it's labeled, and homes built before 1978 may have lead-based paint. Don't break up or sand old materials.
- You find mold over about 10 square feet in the attic or on a ceiling. The EPA says to consult its remediation guidance and use an experienced contractor if you hire one.
What you'll need
| Item | Why | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|
| Binoculars | The state's retrofit guide suggests looking at the roof from the ground with binoculars | Home Depot · Lowe's |
| Phone or camera | Safety Harbor's After the Storm page says to "Document any property damage with photographs" | Your pocket |
| Flashlight | For a look into the attic from the hatch and at ceilings | Home Depot · Lowe's |
| Work gloves and closed shoes | For picking up fallen panels and debris | Home Depot · Lowe's |
| Notepad | To note the side of the house, the date and what you saw | Any |
Step by step
Step 1: Make sure it's safe to be outside
Wait until the storm has passed. Look up before you look around: check for downed or sagging power lines, hanging branches and loose sections of gutter or trim that could still fall. If a line is down, stay away and call it in.
Step 2: Walk around the house with binoculars
The state's retrofit guide suggests using binoculars, or a neighbor's, to look at the roof from the ground. Go slowly around every side of the house and look along each roof edge for:
- Soffit panels that are missing, sagging, bowed or slid out of their channel.
- Gaps where the soffit meets the wall or the fascia.
- Fascia covers bent outward, lifted at the corners or missing.
- Shingles or the metal drip edge lifted or missing along the edge.
FEMA's Hurricane Michael advisory says soffits "are commonly damaged in high-wind events," and the retrofit guide says the fascia covers usually hold the soffit panels' outer ends, so a lifted cover is worth noting even if the soffit is still there.
Step 3: Check the gutters and downspouts from the ground
Look for gutters pulled away from the fascia, sections hanging at one end, downspouts that came off, and water staining on the wall behind the gutter. Safety Harbor's Prepare Your Home page suggests removing debris from gutters before a storm "if possible." After a storm, our advice is to do that only where you can reach safely from the ground or a short step ladder at a single-story eave.
Step 4: Look inside for water that came through the soffit
FEMA says water can get in "through soffits and soffit vents" in high winds even when the soffits don't fail. Check ceilings along the exterior walls for new stains, especially under the sections you flagged outside. If you have an attic hatch, look in with a flashlight from the ladder at the hatch, without walking out onto the ceiling, and look for wet insulation near the eaves.
Step 5: Photograph everything
Take a wide photo of each side of the house, then close-ups of each damaged section of soffit, fascia and gutter, plus any stains inside. Note the date and which side of the house each photo shows. Photograph fallen pieces before you move them.
Step 6: If you use a ladder at a single-story eave, follow the ladder rules
Our advice is to stay on the ground. If you do set up a ladder at a single-story eave for a closer look, OSHA's extension ladder guidance says to set the base one-quarter of the ladder's working length out from the wall, to extend the top three feet above the landing, and to keep three points of contact. The CPSC says to set the ladder "on stable ground," to "never stand on the top rung," and notes that people 65 and older are "80% more likely" than other adults to visit an emergency room for ladder or stool injuries.
Step 7: Pick up debris and check the city's rules
Wearing gloves, collect panels and trim that fell and set them aside. Safety Harbor's After the Storm page says debris "should be placed curbside, without blocking the roadway or storm drains," that debris placed from the sidewalk toward your property won't be picked up, and that construction debris other than fence panels requires a dumpster rental. So call the city before putting soffit or trim pieces at the curb. Check your own city's rules if you live elsewhere.
Step 8: Call the right pro
A licensed roofing contractor handles damage to the roof covering, deck and drip edge, including fascia replaced along with roof work (s. 489.105(3)(e), Fla. Stat.). Damage limited to the soffit or fascia can be repaired by a licensed general contractor. Ask your building department whether the repair needs a permit before work starts.
How long it takes
None of our sources give a time for this check. It depends on the size of the house and what you find.
Stop and call a pro if, once you start, you find:
- Missing or hanging soffit, or a fascia board pulled away from the roof.
- Lifted or missing shingles or drip edge.
- Water coming in, wet insulation in the attic or new ceiling stains.
- A sagging roofline or overhang, or anything that looks structural.
- A downed power line anywhere near the house.
For what the repairs cost, see our soffit and fascia repair price guide, and read our Safety Harbor post on soffit and fascia wind damage for how storms damage the roof edge and who fixes what.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my soffit is damaged?
Look from the ground for panels that are missing, sagging or out of their channel, gaps at the wall or fascia, and fascia covers that are bent or lifted. Inside, look for wet insulation near the eaves and new ceiling stains along exterior walls.
Is it safe to climb on the roof to check for damage?
The state's Hurricane Retrofit Guide says to look from the ground with binoculars first and not to go up if you aren't physically up to it or if it's slippery or wet. Our advice is to leave roof work to a licensed roofing contractor.
Can rain get in through a damaged soffit?
Yes. FEMA says failed soffits often lead to significant water intrusion, and water can get in through soffit vents in high winds even when the soffits stay in place.
Sources
- Florida Division of Emergency Management: Hurricane Retrofit Guide, recovering from storm damage
- Florida Division of Emergency Management: Hurricane Retrofit Guide, roof and attic water intrusion
- FEMA: Best practices for minimizing wind and water infiltration damage, Hurricane Michael Recovery Advisory 2 (2019; copy posted by the Florida Building Commission; PDF)
- OSHA: Reducing falls in construction, safe use of extension ladders (fact sheet; PDF)
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Home Safe outdoor repairs checklist (PDF)
- City of Safety Harbor: After the Storm
- City of Safety Harbor: Prepare Your Home
- U.S. EPA: Protect your family from exposures to asbestos
- U.S. EPA: Lead-safe renovations for DIYers
- U.S. EPA: Mold cleanup in your home
- Florida Statutes s. 489.105 (2026)