When Is a Roof Problem an Emergency?

Some roof problems have to be dealt with immediately because of what could happen if they are left. They fall into a few groups, and each has a plain test: is someone or something at risk right now?

Which problems count?

Water coming through near a light, a socket or the fuse board is one. A ceiling that is bulging or sagging with water is another, because it can fall without warning. Falling or loose tiles, slates or chimney pieces over a path, a door or a neighbour's garden are a third. So is a roof with a gap open to the sky, and so is a tree or large branch on the house.

In each case, keep people away from the area, switch off affected circuits, and call. If anyone is hurt, ring 999. Somerset Building Control treats a chimney that has become unstable, or roof tiles about to fall, as dangerous structures, and the cost of making them safe falls on the owner.

Our answer on a roof leak near a light fitting explains the first steps for the electrics.

Not every roof problem is an emergency, and calling for one when it is not can cost more than it needs to. Some faults are worth fixing soon, but not in the middle of the night.

What can wait?

A single slipped or cracked tile with no water coming through is one. A stained patch on a ceiling that has stopped growing and is dry is another. So are moss on the roof, a dripping gutter, a loose piece of fascia and a small amount of mortar missing from a ridge. All are worth attending to, but they can be surveyed and priced in daylight.

Waiting does not mean ignoring. A small fault left through a winter can become a large one, because water finds the gap again and again. Our answer on delaying roof repairs sets out how a small fault grows.

When in doubt, photograph the problem and look at how it changes over a day or two. If the stain grows, if water drips in dry weather, or if the damage is spreading, treat it as urgent and call.

For planned work, a survey comes first and you get one written price. There is no rush to commit.

A real emergency starts with a make-safe, a temporary measure that stops further damage. That can be a sheet fixed over the opening, a refixed tile or a membrane patch. The lasting repair follows once the cause is found.

Is a make-safe the same as a repair?

No. It protects the roof until the proper repair is done, and it is meant to be replaced. Our answer on temporary roof repairs explains how long one can reasonably be left.

The customer who asks for an urgent repair visit is treated differently from a customer who books a planned job. The 14 day cancellation right does not apply where you have specifically asked the trader to come for urgent repair work (reg 28(1)(e) of the 2013 Regulations). Our answer on cancelling an emergency roof repair sets that out.

Photographs help the roofer decide what the visit needs. Photograph the damage, any water and the outside of the house. Keep them for the insurer too, since an insurer will want to see what the damage looked like before it was dealt with.

A few questions help. Is anyone in danger? Is water near electrics? Is the structure moving, sagging or leaning? Is the roof open to the weather? If you answer yes to any of these, treat it as an emergency, make the area safe and call.

What if I am not sure?

Photograph the problem and note the time. If water is coming through but is easy to contain, put a bucket under it and wait for daylight. If a tile is missing but nothing is leaking, book a survey. If in doubt about the structure, keep out of the room and ask for advice.

Our guide to a roof leaking at night goes through what can wait until morning. If a storm caused it, tell your insurer early and keep the receipts for anything bought to make the house safe.

Whichever group your problem falls into, a photograph and a few lines on what you can see are enough to start. A survey follows, and you see photographs of the roof before you get one total in writing. The emergency roof repairs page explains how it works.