A roof is leaking. What should you do first?
Answer a few questions to get a short checklist of your rights, deadlines and next calls under Virginia rules. It does not tell you how to repair a roof.
Safety first. Do not go onto the roof. If anyone is in danger, or water is near electrical fixtures or outlets, call 911 and stay out of that room.
Your checklist
Confirm with the law itself and with a lawyer: Va. Code §55.1-1220 and Va. Code §55.1-1244. Talk to a legal aid office or an attorney before you change how you pay rent or go to court.
Central Virginia Legal Aid Society (Richmond office): 804-648-1012 or toll-free 800-868-1012 · 115 S. 15th Street, Suite 400, Richmond, VA 23219 · Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 16:30. Whether the Society can take a case is up to its own screening. cvlas.org
Richmond General District Court, Civil Division: (804) 646-6461 · John Marshall Courts Building, 400 North 9th Street, Room 203, Richmond, VA 23219 · clerk's office 8:00 to 16:00. court page
Confirm with your insurer or insurance agent, and read the rule: 14VAC5-400-50 and the deductible rule 14VAC5-342-70.
Confirm with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Bureau of Insurance if you have questions about an insurer or a claim: (804) 371-9741 · 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219 · state agency page.
Confirm with DPOR before you sign with a roofer: license lookup.
Confirm with Richmond Permits and Inspections: online application portal · 804-646-4169 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 17:00). For historic districts, the Commission of Architectural Review (CAR): (804) 646-6304.
Rules checked against the sources below on 2026-10-29.
Related guides and tools
- After a storm in Richmond: a 24-hour roof check and how to trace a leak
- Roof leak in a Richmond rental: what to send your landlord, and what Virginia law says happens next
- Wind and hail deductibles in Virginia: what the 10% cap means for a Richmond roof claim
- Wind and hail deductible calculator
- Reroof permit and CAR checker
- Roof contract and contractor checkup
Sources
Code of Virginia §55.1-1220
Verified: 2026-10-29 · Source date: 2026-10-27
Code of Virginia §55.1-1244
Verified: 2026-10-29 · Source date: 2026-10-27
Virginia Administrative Code 14VAC5-400-50 / -70
Verified: 2026-10-29 · Source date: 2026-10-27
Virginia Administrative Code 14VAC5-342-70
Verified: 2026-10-29 · Source date: 2026-10-27
Virginia DPOR news release: Beware of Unlicensed Contractors Following Storms
Verified: 2026-10-29 · Source date: 2026-10-27
Virginia DPOR License Lookup; Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC50-22-30
Verified: 2026-10-29 · Source date: 2026-10-27
Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC50-22-260
Verified: 2026-10-29 · Source date: 2026-10-27
Virginia Administrative Code 13VAC5-63-80 (USBC 108.2)
Verified: 2026-10-29 · Source date: 2026-10-27
City of Richmond – Commission of Architectural Review; Planning & Development Review FAQ
Verified: 2026-10-29 · Source date: 2026-10-27
City of Richmond – Permits and Inspections
Verified: 2026-10-29 · Source date: 2026-10-27
Virginia.gov – State Corporation Commission
Verified: 2026-10-29 · Source date: 2026-10-28
Virginia's Judicial System – Richmond City General District Court
Verified: 2026-10-29 · Source date: 2026-10-28
Central Virginia Legal Aid Society
Verified: 2026-10-29 · Source date: 2026-10-28
General information only, not legal advice. Courts, your insurer and the City of Richmond decide what applies to your situation.
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