Emergency roof repair for Philadelphia row homes and twins

Why a Philadelphia row-home leak is not like a suburban one

Most of the city's row homes and a lot of its twins have a flat or nearly flat roof, sometimes with a lower roof over the back kitchen. Water does not run off quickly. It sits, finds the weakest seam, and goes straight down into the top-floor ceiling. That is why a city leak often shows up fast and right in the middle of a bedroom.

The other big difference is your neighbors. Your roof is one strip of a long row, joined to the houses on each side over the party walls. A few things follow from that:

• The leak may not start on your roof. Water can travel along the joint over the party wall from next door. We look at the seams on both sides of the line.
• Parapets and coping leak. The short brick wall at the front or back of the roof, and the metal or stone cap on top of it, crack and open up with age. Water gets behind the flashing and runs down inside the wall.
• Drains and scuppers clog. A flat roof empties through an opening in the parapet or a drain to a downspout. Leaves, balls and debris block it and the roof turns into a shallow pool.
• Old roofs are layered. Many city roofs have been coated or patched over many times. A fresh coat of silver paint can hide a split underneath.

What to do right now in a row home or twin

1. Turn off power to anything wet. Top-floor ceiling lights are often right under the leak. Switch that circuit off at the breaker panel and do not touch the fixture.
2. Get a bucket under it and drain any bulge. If the ceiling is ballooning, put a bucket under it, stand to one side and poke a small hole at the lowest point with a screwdriver so it drains instead of falling. Older plaster ceilings are heavy; if one is cracking or sagging, keep everyone out of that room.
3. Check the drain if you can do it safely. If you have a roof hatch or can see the roof from a back window, look at the scupper or drain. If it is blocked and the water is standing, that alone may be the leak. Do not go out on the roof in a storm or in the dark.
4. Knock next door. If the neighbors share the roof line, ask whether they have water too. It helps us find the source, and if we need to step onto their roof to fix the seam, it helps to have asked already.
5. Take photos and tell us how to get up. Photos of the ceiling and anything wet. When you call, tell us if there is a roof hatch, a back deck, or only ladder access from the street or alley.

A quick check after every big storm: If you can see your roof from a window or hatch, look for standing water a day after the rain stops. Water that is still sitting there means a clogged drain or a low spot, and that is the leak you will have next.

What an emergency visit in the city looks like

On a flat roof a tarp is often the wrong tool, because water pools on top of it and wind gets underneath. More often the emergency fix is a temporary patch over the split seam or failed flashing, plus clearing the drain so the water can leave. On a pitched roof or a mansard front, we tarp.

Then we photograph what we found, write a line-item estimate for the permanent repair, and come back once the roof is dry. That can mean a new section of membrane, rebuilt flashing where the roof meets the parapet or a neighbor's wall, new coping, or a reworked drain. If the whole roof is cracked and blistered, patching will not hold for long, and we will say so and price a new flat roof.

We install EPDM rubber and modified bitumen flat roofs, the two systems you see most on city houses. For how emergency calls work in the suburbs, with shingles, trees and attics, see our main emergency roof repair page.

Where in Philadelphia we go

We are based in Horsham, so the Northeast and the Northwest neighborhoods are the closest drive, but we take emergency calls across Philadelphia County. If you are not sure we come to your street, call (215) 824-6932 and ask. We also cover all of Montgomery County and Bucks County.

What it usually costs

Clearing a drain and patching one split seam is at the low end. Rebuilding parapet flashing, replacing coping, or cutting out wet decking costs more.

• Flat Roof Repair: $350 – $1,800
• Emergency Roof Repair: $550 – $3,250
• Flat Roof Installation: $4,000 – $15,000

Questions we get asked

Do you do emergency roof repair in Philadelphia?

Yes. We answer 24/7 at (215) 824-6932 and take emergency calls across Philadelphia County, mostly flat roofs on row homes and twins. We stop the water first, usually the same day, and come back for the permanent repair.

Why is my row home leaking when the roof looks fine?

The most common causes are a clogged drain or scupper, a crack in the parapet or coping, or a failed seam over the party wall. Water can also travel over from the house next door. A fresh coat of roof paint can make a roof look fine while hiding a split underneath.

Will you tarp a flat roof?

Usually not. On a flat roof, water pools on a tarp and wind gets under it. We normally put a temporary patch on the split or failed flashing and clear the drain, then make the permanent repair once the roof is dry.

What if the leak is coming from my neighbor's roof?

It happens often with row homes. We check the seam over the party wall on both sides, and if the source is next door we will show you photos. Fixing their side needs their permission, so it helps to talk to them early.

How much does an emergency flat roof repair cost in Philadelphia?

Most flat roof repairs we do run $350 to $1,800, and emergency repairs generally fall between $550 and $3,250. Patching one seam and clearing a drain is at the low end; parapet flashing, coping and wet decking cost more. You get a written estimate before the permanent repair.

Should I just have the roof recoated?

A coating can buy time on a roof that is sound but weathered. It will not fix a split seam, a failed flashing or wet decking underneath, and coating over those usually just hides the problem. We will tell you which one you have.

Related pages

• Emergency Roof Repair: Active leak or storm damage? Call any time, day or night. We tarp it to stop the water, then make the permanent fix.
• Flat Roofing: Low-slope roofs over porches, additions and row homes, where ponding water is the enemy.
• Storm Damage Repair: Wind, hail and fallen limbs. We document the damage with photos and work with your insurance adjuster.
• Roof Repair: Leaks, missing shingles, flashing and vents. We fix the problem and tell you honestly how much life the roof has left.
• Commercial Roofing: Roof repair and replacement for small commercial buildings, offices and multi-unit properties.
• Abington: Stone and brick older homes where details matter.
• Willow Grove: Post-war Capes, ranchers and splits on their second or third roof.
• 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.