The leak is almost never where the stain is
This is the single most useful thing to know before you call anyone. Water entering a roof lands on sarking or a batten and runs, sometimes several metres, before it finds a spot to drop through the ceiling. The wet patch on your ceiling marks the exit, not the entry. Sealing the tile above the stain is the classic wasted repair, and we get called out to redo that one regularly.
So a leak call starts as a search rather than a repair. We look at the whole roof surface, get into the roof space to trace the water back along the timber, and check the usual suspects first: flashings at chimneys, skylights and walls, valley irons, blocked or overflowing gutters, and cracked ridge pointing. In a lot of cases the fault turns out to be small and the fix is cheap. It is finding it that takes the time.
How we do it
Contain it and make safe
Contain the water, get anything electrical clear of it, and stop the damage spreading while we work out the cause.
Look from inside the roof
Into the roof space with a light, following the water back along the sarking and battens to where it started.
Search the whole surface
Flashings, valleys, penetrations, pointing and gutters. Photographed, so you can see the fault yourself.
Fix or make watertight
Small faults get fixed on the spot. Bigger ones get a temporary weatherproof fix and a written quote.
Test the repair with water
Water back onto the area where that makes sense, so you are not waiting for the next storm to find out.
Call straight away when
- Water is running rather than dripping, or the ceiling is sagging or bulging
- Water is anywhere near light fittings, a fan or the switchboard
- A storm has taken tiles or sheeting off and the roof is open
- There is water in more than one room
- The ceiling plaster has started to crack or come away
It can usually wait for a normal booking when
- There is an old dry stain you have only just noticed
- It is a small mark that appears in heavy rain and dries out afterwards
- The drip is into the roof space and not through the ceiling
- It only happens in wind-driven rain from one direction
None of these are safe to ignore for long, because water in a roof space rots battens quietly and the repair gets bigger the longer it runs. But they are a booking rather than an emergency.
What does a leaking roof repair cost?
Two separate things get priced here, and it is worth understanding them separately. The first is finding the leak, which is the part that takes time and skill. The second is fixing it, which is often surprisingly cheap once the cause is known: a re-sealed flashing, a few replaced tiles, a section of re-pointing.
Most straightforward leak repairs land in the low hundreds all up. It climbs when the cause turns out to be a rusted valley iron, a failed box gutter or widespread cracked pointing, because those are bigger pieces of work rather than a patch.
What we will not do is give you a number over the phone for a leak nobody has looked at yet. Anyone who does is guessing, and the guess will change once they are on the roof. We inspect, show you the photos, and put the repair price in writing before we start.
Common questions
My roof is leaking right now. What should I do first?
Put a container under the drip and move anything valuable clear. If the ceiling is bulging, that is water pooling above it, so keep out from under it. If water is anywhere near lights, wiring or the switchboard, turn that circuit off at the board and treat it as an electrical hazard. Then call us and take a few photos in the meantime, because they help.
Why does my roof only leak sometimes?
Usually because the fault needs a particular set of conditions to let water in: heavy rain, wind from one direction, or enough volume to back a gutter or valley up. That is normal and it does not mean the leak has fixed itself. It does make finding it harder, which is why we look at the roof space rather than waiting for it to rain.
Can you fix a leak in the rain?
We can usually make it watertight temporarily so the damage stops. A proper repair generally needs a dry surface, particularly anything involving sealant, mortar or a coating, so the permanent fix often happens on a second visit.
Will my insurance cover a leaking roof?
Sudden damage, such as a storm lifting tiles, is often covered. Gradual deterioration and lack of maintenance generally are not. We quote the work and document the damage with photos so you have something to give your insurer, but whether it is covered is a matter between you and them.
How much damage can a small leak actually do?
More than people expect, because most of it happens where you cannot see it. Water sitting in a roof space rots battens and timber, soaks insulation so it stops working, and grows mould in the ceiling cavity. A small leak found early is a cheap repair. The same leak in two years often is not.
Related services
Slipped and cracked tiles, failed pointing, rusted valley irons and flashing. We find what is actually causing the problem rather than patching the wet patch.
Learn moreRoof plumbing is its own licensed trade: metal roofing, guttering, downpipes, flashing and box gutters. If water is meant to move, this is the work that moves it.
Learn moreGutter replacement, downpipes and gutter guard. Blocked gutters are behind a surprising share of the leaks we get called to.
Learn more
Thinking about leaking roof repairs?
We will come and look at the roof, photograph what we find and put a price in writing. Free, across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter.