Roof Leak Detection & Repair

Roof leaks are sneaky. Water enters at one point, runs down a rafter or along a piece of decking, and shows up on the ceiling several feet away. The most common roofing-repair mistake is patching the spot where the water appears inside, instead of finding where it's actually getting in. We don't make that mistake.

The Most Common Sources of Roof Leaks

• Failed flashing — at chimneys, walls, dormers, and skylights. Flashing failures cause more leaks than worn shingles do.
• Cracked or missing pipe boots. The rubber gaskets around plumbing vents fail every 7-10 years. They're cheap to replace and a frequent leak source.
• Damaged or lifted shingles from wind events, even if they don't appear visibly damaged from the ground.
• Valley failures — where two roof slopes meet, water concentrates and finds any weakness in the underlayment or flashing.
• Ice dams or improper attic ventilation causing condensation that mimics a leak.
• Improperly installed ridge vents letting wind-driven rain into the attic.
• Nail pops — fasteners that have backed out and broken through the shingle above.

How We Find a Leak

Finding a roof leak takes more than a quick look. We use a combination of attic inspection (looking for water staining, daylight, or moisture on the underside of the deck), roof inspection (focused on the area above where the leak appears), and sometimes a controlled water test where we systematically wet sections of the roof to identify the entry point.

Repair vs. Replacement

Some leaks are isolated and repairable — a single failed pipe boot, a piece of damaged flashing, a few missing shingles in one area. Others are symptoms of a roof at the end of its life, where repairing one leak just means another will appear next month somewhere else. We'll tell you honestly which situation you're in. If your roof has 5+ years of useful life left and the leak is isolated, we repair. If the system is failing, repair is throwing good money after bad and we'll recommend replacement. Read more about our roof replacement services →