If your roof is leaking right now: catch the water, protect what's below, relieve any ceiling bulge with a small hole over a bucket, photograph everything, and call a roofer in the morning unless water is pouring in or near electrics, in which case call tonight. Most Lower Mainland leaks are flashing or vent problems that cost $400 to $1,500 to fix, not whole-roof failures. Here's what to do in order, where leaks come from and when it counts as an emergency.
Tonight: contain it
- Move things. Furniture, electronics, rugs out from under the drip. Lay plastic or towels and a bucket.
- Relieve a bulging ceiling. If drywall is sagging with trapped water, push a screwdriver through the lowest point over a bucket. A small controlled hole beats a collapsed ceiling.
- Kill the power to that area if water is near light fixtures, outlets or the panel. Don't touch wet fixtures.
- Look in the attic with a flashlight if you can do it safely. Follow the wet trail uphill on the underside of the sheathing to where it starts; that's roughly where the roofer needs to look. Photograph it.
- Photograph the inside damage with timestamps. Your insurer will want them, and so will the roofer.
- Don't go on the roof. A wet roof at night in the rain is how homeowners end up in hospital. Tarping is a job for a crew with fall protection; it costs $350 to $1,000 and roofers who offer emergency service will do it.
Is it an emergency?
Call tonight, or first thing, if water is coming in steadily rather than dripping, if a tree or branch has come through, if shingles or panels have blown off and the deck is exposed in rain, if water is near electrical equipment, or if the ceiling is sagging across a wide area. Those get a same-day tarp or temporary repair.
A slow drip from a known spot, a stain that appears in heavy rain and dries out, or a leak you've traced to a vent or skylight can wait for a scheduled visit, which is cheaper and gets a better repair in dry conditions. Our emergency repair page explains how urgent requests are handled.
Where roof leaks actually come from
Water almost never comes through the middle of a sound shingle field. It comes through the details:
| Source | What it looks like | Typical repair |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing vent boot | Stain near a bathroom or kitchen ceiling, roof 10 years or older | $250 to $600 |
| Wall, chimney or skylight flashing | Leak at an upstairs wall, around the chimney, at a skylight corner | $350 to $1,800 |
| Valleys | Leak below where two slopes meet, often with debris sitting in the valley | $600 to $2,500 |
| Wind-lifted or missing shingles | Leak after a storm, shingles on the lawn | $300 to $1,500 |
| Ice dam at the eave | Leak at the outside wall during or after a cold snap | Clear snow, improve insulation and ventilation |
| Clogged gutter overflowing behind the fascia | Water running down an inside wall at the eave | Gutter cleaning, drip edge |
| Flat roof seam or drain | Ponding, bubbles or lifted seams; leak after long rain | $400 to $2,500 |
| Nail pops and exposed fasteners | Pinhole leaks; on metal roofs, aged screw washers | Small repair |
| Condensation, not a leak | Damp attic, frost on nails, drips in cold weather without rain | Ventilation and air sealing |
That last row matters in our climate. A damp attic in January with no rain is condensation from a poorly ventilated attic and leaky ceiling, not a roof leak, and a roofer who looks at the attic will tell you so. See roof ventilation.
What a roofer will do
Find it first. Expect them to look at the attic, the roof above the stain and uphill from it, and to hose-test if the source isn't obvious. A good roofer tells you what they found before quoting the fix, and the fix should be a proper one (new boot, new flashing, new valley metal), not a bead of sealant over the old. Caulk is a temporary measure; a repair that relies on it is a repair you'll make again. The repair cost guide lists the ranges.
If the roof is old and the leak is one of several, expect an honest roofer to say so and to quote a replacement alongside the repair. When to replace your roof covers how to weigh that.
Will insurance pay?
For sudden, accidental damage (a windstorm, a fallen tree), usually yes, subject to your deductible and, on older roofs, depreciation. For a leak caused by age, wear or lack of maintenance, usually no; insurers call those preventable. The interior damage may be covered even when the roof repair isn't. Photograph everything, keep the roofer's report and call your insurer before you authorise major work. The insurance guide goes into the details.
Afterwards
Dry the inside properly. Wet insulation should be replaced; wet drywall that doesn't dry within a day or two grows mould. Run a fan and a dehumidifier, and open up the ceiling if the insulation above is soaked. Then put the roof on a schedule: an inspection every few years ($150 to $400) finds the next failing boot before it leaks.
Need someone to look at it? Request quotes and tell us how urgent it is; we'll send your details to up to three vetted roofers who handle repairs in your area.
Common questions
Should I go on the roof to look?
No, especially wet or in the dark. Look in the attic with a flashlight if you can reach it safely, photograph the stains, and leave the roof to a roofer.
Will my insurance pay for a leak?
If the cause is sudden (wind, a tree, a storm), usually yes, including interior damage. If the cause is wear and tear or an old roof, usually no. Document first, call the insurer early.