Roof problem
Emergency roof repair: what to do in the first 24 hours
This page is guidance, not a dispatch service. We do not send crews and we cannot attend. What we can do is help you limit further damage safely, document what happened, and avoid the mistakes that make a bad night worse.
The short answer
An active leak, a hole in the roof or a partially detached section is a safety situation first and a construction problem second. Keep people away from the affected area, protect what is underneath, arrange temporary weatherproofing from a qualified roofer, and only then discuss the permanent repair.
The first hour
- Keep people and pets out of the room below the leak, and move furniture and electronics away.
- Put a bucket under drips, and a towel or plastic sheet on the floor — but do not stand on furniture to reach a bulging ceiling.
- If a ceiling is bulging with water, do not puncture it yourself from below. Move belongings out of the room and get advice.
- If water is near light fittings, switches or a consumer unit, switch off the affected circuit at the breaker if it is safe to reach.
- Photograph everything: the drip, the stain, the floor, and the cause if you can see it from the ground.
- Call a qualified roofing contractor for temporary protection. Ask what they will do and what it will cost before they start.
What temporary protection can and cannot do
A temporary covering — usually a tarp or a sheet of membrane — sheds water from a damaged area for a limited period. It does not repair the roof, and it will not survive months of weather.
- Ask how the covering is fixed. Battens or weighted edges are more durable than weights alone.
- Ask for photographs of the finished temporary work.
- Ask what the realistic lifespan is — days, weeks, or the rest of the season.
- Get the permanent repair scheduled before the temporary work is done, and get it in writing.
Temporary protection is labour and material, and it is reasonable for it to appear on an invoice. It is also often treated differently from a permanent repair by insurers, so keep the paperwork separate.
Mistakes that make things worse
- Climbing onto a wet or damaged roof. This is the single most common way a roof problem becomes a hospital visit.
- Sealing a leak from inside with paint or filler, which traps moisture in the assembly.
- Paying a large deposit in cash to a crew that appeared after a storm.
- Accepting a verbal price. Nothing is agreed until the scope is written down.
- Signing a document that assigns your insurance claim to a contractor, unless you fully understand what you are signing.
After the immediate problem
Once the water is controlled, the real work starts: finding out why it happened. If the cause is a failed detail, a repair is sensible. If the roof is at the end of its life, repeated emergency call-outs will cost more than a planned replacement.
Use the storm damage guide if the cause was weather, the leak guide if it was not, and the repair cost calculator to see a planning range for the permanent work.
What to ask a roofing professional
- What are you doing to make this watertight tonight, and with what material?
- How long will the temporary protection last?
- When can you carry out the permanent repair, in writing?
- What is the cost of the temporary work, separately from the repair?
Questions this page answers
Can I tarp the roof myself?
We do not recommend it. Working on a roof — particularly a wet, steep or damaged one — is a fall hazard that requires proper equipment and training. Temporary protection is a job for a qualified contractor.
Does an emergency call-out cost more?
Often, yes: out-of-hours attendance and temporary work carry a premium. Our calculator can apply a documented 35% adjustment for temporary protection, and labels it as an assumption rather than a market rate.
Sources
Accessed 2026-11-10. Listed as general references for the organisations behind the guidance on this page; the page itself is our own explanation.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration — residential construction fall protection — US Department of Labor (OSHA)Supports: Why roof access is a regulated hazard and why homeowners should not climb onto a roof.
- Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association — residential roofing resources — ARMASupports: Industry reference material on shingle systems, roof components and maintenance.
- National Roofing Contractors Association — consumer and contractor resources — NRCASupports: Professional standards context and guidance on scoping roofing work.
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General safety guidance only. Roof Repair Roof does not perform roofing work, does not dispatch contractors, and is not an emergency service. In a dangerous situation, contact your local emergency services.