My roof is leaking. What do I do right now?

Take a breath. Most leaks I see turn out to be a repair, not a whole new roof. Right now, keep everyone away from water near lights or a sagging ceiling, catch the water, move your things, and take a few pictures. Then text me the pictures and your address and I'll tell you what I think is going on.

I'm James. I've been fixing roofs around Baltimore City and Baltimore County for 24+ years and have worked on thousands of homes. I'm usually up on a roof during the day, so a text is the fastest way to reach me. If it's urgent, say so in the text.

What to do in the next hour

1. Stay safe around water and power. If water is near a light fixture, ceiling fan, or outlet, don't touch it. Turn that circuit off at the breaker only if you can get to the panel without standing in water.
2. Keep people out from under a sagging ceiling. If the ceiling is bulging with water, it can come down. If the bulge isn't near a light or fan, a small hole at the lowest point with a bucket under it lets the water drain in one spot. Stand to the side when you do it.
3. Catch the water. Buckets, pots, a trash can. Put a towel in the bottom so it doesn't splash, and towels around it on the floor.
4. Move what matters. Furniture, electronics, rugs, and papers. Cover anything you can't move with plastic or a shower curtain.
5. Take pictures. The ceiling, the drip, anything that got wet, and the outside of the house from the ground. Write down the time and what the weather was doing. This helps me, and it helps if you talk to your insurance company later.
6. Look in the attic if you can do it safely. Use a flashlight, step only on the wood joists, and follow the wet wood uphill. The spot where water comes in is often a few feet away from where it shows on the ceiling. A bucket up there can save the ceiling below.
7. Text me. Send the pictures and your address to 443-900-4815.

What not to do

• Don't go up on the roof in the rain, the wind, or the dark. Wet shingles and flat roofs are slippery, and no leak is worth a fall.
• Don't paint over the stain. The stain goes away, the leak doesn't.
• Don't let it dry and forget about it. The EPA says wet materials should be dried within 24 to 48 hours to keep mold from starting, and damp wood in a closed attic is how a small leak turns into rot.

Is a roof leak an emergency?

If water is coming in fast, running near wiring, or the ceiling is sagging, treat it as urgent and say so when you text me. A slow drip or a stain that only shows up in hard rain can usually wait for the next dry day, but not for weeks. Every rain puts more water into the wood.

Where the water is probably coming from

After 24+ years on Baltimore roofs, these are the places I check first:

• Flat rowhome roofs. Open seams, old patches, and the flashing where the roof meets the back wall or the house next door.
• Chimneys. Old brick chimneys with worn flashing or loose mortar let water run down inside the wall. See chimney flashing repair.
• Vents and pipe boots. The rubber around plumbing vents cracks with age and sun.
• Valleys and missing shingles. Water runs heaviest in the valleys, and one missing shingle is enough to start a leak. If shingles blew off, see what to do about missing shingles.
• Where a porch roof meets the house. A very common one on older Baltimore homes.
• Clogged gutters. When they overflow, water backs up under the roof edge. See gutter cleaning and repair.

If the leak only shows up when someone runs the shower upstairs, it's probably plumbing, not the roof. See water coming through your ceiling: roof, plumbing, or AC?.

What I do when you text me

1. I look at your pictures and tell you straight whether it looks urgent or can wait for a dry day.
2. I come out and find where the water is really getting in. I start in the attic when I can, then the roof. On steep or tall roofs I can use the drone. I'm an FAA-licensed drone pilot.
3. You get pictures of what I find and a price before any work starts.
4. I fix the source, not just the spot on the ceiling. See roof leak detection and repair.

I'm licensed and insured, MHIC #154344, and I work all over Baltimore City and Baltimore County. See all my service areas.

Roof leak questions

My roof is leaking. Who do I call?

A roofer, if the leak shows up when it rains. If it shows up when a shower, sink, or AC is running, start with a plumber or an HVAC tech. If you're not sure, text me a picture and I'll tell you what it looks like.

How do I stop a roof leak from the inside?

You can't really stop it from the inside. You can contain it: catch the water, put a bucket in the attic under the drip, and move your things. The real fix has to happen on the roof once it's safe to get up there.

Why does my roof only leak when it rains hard?

Heavy or wind-driven rain gets into places a light rain doesn't, like worn flashing, a crowded valley, or under the edge when gutters overflow. That's useful to know, so mention it when you text me.

Will homeowners insurance cover a roof leak?

It depends on your policy and what caused the leak. I'm not an insurance agent, so check with yours. What I can do is give you pictures and a written description of what I found.

How much does it cost to fix a roof leak?

It depends on where the water is getting in, how easy the roof is to reach, and whether the wood underneath is wet. Many leaks are a small repair. I'll give you a price before any work starts. See what drives roof repair costs.

More help

Leaking right now?

Text me a picture of the leak and your address. I'll look at it as soon as I'm off the roof I'm on and tell you what I think. If it's urgent, say so in the text.