Emergency roof repair, day or night

Is this an emergency, or can it wait until morning?

Not every leak needs someone on the roof at midnight. The question is whether water is getting in right now and whether it will keep getting in before a normal appointment. Call us any time of day for these:

• Water actively dripping or running through a ceiling, light fixture or down a wall.
• A ceiling that is bulging or sagging with water behind it.
• A tree or large limb on the roof, or any hole where you can see daylight from the attic.
• Shingles or a section of roof torn off by wind, with bare wood or underlayment showing and more rain on the way.
• Flashing or a ridge cap peeled back so rain is driving straight in.

A small stain that has not grown, a single missing shingle with dry weather ahead, or a drip that stopped when the rain did can usually wait for a regular visit. Call anyway and describe it; if it can wait, we will tell you, and we can book a normal roof repair or free inspection instead.

What to do in the next hour while you wait

You can stop most of the damage inside the house yourself before a roofer ever arrives. In this order:

1. Kill the power to anything wet. If water is coming through or near a ceiling light, fan or outlet, switch that circuit off at the breaker panel. Do not touch a fixture that is dripping. If you are not sure which breaker it is, and the panel itself is dry, turn off the main.
2. Catch the water. Buckets, pots, a storage bin. Put a towel in the bottom so the drip does not splash, and lay old towels or a tarp around it. Empty them before they fill.
3. Drain a bulging ceiling on purpose. If the ceiling is ballooning with water, it will come down on its own, and all at once. Put a bucket underneath, stand to the side, and poke a small hole at the lowest point of the bulge with a screwdriver. The water drains into the bucket in a controlled way and the drywall is far more likely to stay up. If the ceiling is sagging badly or cracking, skip this, keep everyone out of the room and wait for help.
4. Move what matters. Get electronics, papers, photos and rugs out of the room. Push heavy furniture away from the drip or cover it with plastic sheeting or a shower curtain.
5. Take photos. Ceiling, walls, floors, anything that got wet, and any damage you can see on the roof from the ground. Your insurer will want them, and they are easier to take now than to recreate later.

Stay off the roof: A wet roof in the dark is how people get badly hurt. Do not climb up in a storm to throw a tarp yourself. Everything you need to do tonight can be done from inside the house.

Tarp first, permanent repair second

An emergency visit has one job: stop the water. Proper repairs need dry shingles, the right materials, and daylight, and trying to do a full fix in the middle of a storm usually means doing it twice.

1. You call and talk to us. We ask what you are seeing: where the water is, whether you can see daylight, whether anything fell on the roof. That tells us what to bring.
2. We stop the water. A heavy tarp fastened over the damaged area and run up over the ridge so rain cannot get under it, or a temporary patch over failed flashing. On a flat roof, a temporary membrane patch.
3. We photograph everything. The damage on the roof and inside, for your records and for your insurer if you file a claim.
4. You get a written estimate for the real repair. Line by line, before any permanent work starts. If the damage came from a storm, see storm damage repair for how the insurance side usually goes.
5. We come back and fix it properly. New shingles, flashing, decking where the wood is wet or broken, scheduled as soon as the weather allows.

Sometimes the emergency shows the roof was near the end anyway. If a permanent repair would cost more than about 30% of a new roof, we will say so and walk you through replacement instead. In Philadelphia row homes and twins the problems look different; see emergency roof repair in Philadelphia.

After the water stops

• Dry it out. Run fans and a dehumidifier in the wet room for a few days. Wet insulation in the attic often needs to come out.
• Call your insurer early if the damage came from wind, hail or a fallen tree. Ask how they want it reported and whether they will send an adjuster.
• Keep receipts for tarps, fans and anything you bought to protect the house. Many policies cover reasonable steps to prevent more damage; ask yours.
• Watch the ceiling. Stained drywall can usually be dried and painted with a stain-blocking primer. Drywall that stays soft or sags needs replacing.

What it usually costs

A tarp and a few replaced shingles sit at the low end. Broken decking, rebuilt flashing, or a limb that went through the roof push it up.

• Emergency Roof Repair: $550 – $3,250
• Roof Repair: $350 – $2,500
• Storm Damage Roof Repair: $550 – $6,000

Questions we get asked

Can I really call at 2 in the morning?

Yes. Our line is answered 24/7 at (215) 824-6932. For an active leak we get the damage tarped to stop the water, usually the same day, and schedule the permanent repair once the weather allows.

What counts as a roofing emergency?

Water coming in right now, a sagging or bulging ceiling, a tree or limb on the roof, or a section of roof torn off with rain on the way. A small stain or one missing shingle in dry weather can usually wait for a regular appointment. If you are not sure, call and describe it.

Should I poke a hole in a bulging ceiling?

Usually yes, if it is a small bulge and you are careful. Put a bucket under it, stand to the side, and make a small hole at the lowest point with a screwdriver so the water drains in a controlled way. If the ceiling is sagging badly, cracking, or near a light fixture, stay out of the room and wait for help.

Can you fix the roof permanently in the middle of a storm?

Usually not, and you would not want us to. Shingles and flashing need a dry surface to seal properly. We tarp or temporarily patch the damage to stop the water, then make the permanent repair once the weather allows.

How much does emergency roof repair cost?

Most emergency repairs we do fall between $550 and $3,250, depending on how much is damaged and whether the decking underneath is broken. You get a written estimate for the permanent repair before that work starts.

Will my homeowners insurance pay for an emergency repair?

It often covers sudden damage from wind, hail or a fallen tree, but not a roof that simply wore out. We photograph and document the damage and can meet your adjuster at the house. Your insurer makes the final decision.

Related pages

• Storm Damage Repair: Wind, hail and fallen limbs. We document the damage with photos and work with your insurance adjuster.
• Emergency Roof Repair in Philadelphia: Emergency leak and storm response for Philadelphia row homes and twins.
• Roof Repair: Leaks, missing shingles, flashing and vents. We fix the problem and tell you honestly how much life the roof has left.
• Flat Roofing: Low-slope roofs over porches, additions and row homes, where ponding water is the enemy.
• Roof Inspection: A free, top-to-bottom look at your roof with photos, so you know what you actually need before you spend anything.
• Roof Replacement: Full tear-off and new roof when repairs stop making sense. Written, line-item estimate before anything starts.
• Horsham: Home base. Our shop is here.
• Willow Grove: Post-war Capes, ranchers and splits on their second or third roof.
• Warminster: Our neighbor to the north; lots of 1950s-70s ranchers and splits.
• Abington: Stone and brick older homes where details matter.
• Lansdale: Twins, singles and older borough homes.
• Montgomery County: Where we do most of our work, from Horsham out across the county.
• Bucks County: Warminster, Doylestown, Newtown, Yardley, Chalfont and everywhere in between.