Roof Leaking in a Storm? What to Do First

A roof rarely leaks at a convenient moment. In the Lower Mainland it is usually the middle of a November atmospheric river, often at night, with water coming through a ceiling light or running down a wall. The first hour is about keeping people safe and limiting what the water reaches, not about fixing the roof. Here's what to do, in order.

The short answer

Stay safe first. Keep away from water near light fixtures, outlets and the electrical panel, and from any ceiling that is bulging or sagging.
Contain the water. Buckets, towels and plastic sheeting under the drips; move valuables, electronics and furniture out of the way.
Document it. Photos and video of the damage inside and, from the ground, outside.
Don't go up on the roof. A wet, windy roof is a dangerous place, and tarping is a job for a roofing crew with proper fall protection.
Call for emergency tarping. We provide 24/7 emergency roofing across the Lower Mainland.

Inside the house: what to do first

Start with electricity. If water is dripping from a light fixture, pooling near outlets or soaking a wall that carries wiring, keep everyone away from it. If you can reach your electrical panel without standing in water, switch off the breaker for that area. If you can't do that safely, keep the room off-limits and call a licensed electrician, and call 911 if there is any sign of fire or shock risk.

Then contain the water:

Put buckets or bins under each drip, with a towel inside to stop the splashing.
Move furniture, rugs, electronics, documents and anything valuable out of the wet area, and cover what can't be moved with plastic sheeting.
If a ceiling is bulging with water, keep people out from under it. Wet drywall can give way without warning, so leave the room clear rather than trying to drain it yourself.
If you can reach the attic safely, stepping only on the joists, look for water on the insulation or running along a rafter. Where it shows up helps whoever comes to tarp the roof find where it is getting in.

Don't go up on a wet roof

It's tempting to climb up with a tarp and a roll of tape. Don't. A wet roof in wind and rain is one of the most dangerous places on a property, and a tarp that is only taped or weighted down tends to lift in the next gust, which can make the leak worse. An emergency tarp needs to reach well past the damaged area, be lapped so water runs off it, and be fastened so the wind can't get under it. Stay on the ground and leave the tarping to a roofing crew.

Document the damage for your insurer

Before you clean up, take photos and video: the leak itself, stained or bulging ceilings, wet floors and belongings, and, from the ground, anything you can see on the roof, such as missing shingles or a fallen branch. Note the date and time, and keep receipts for anything you spend to limit the damage.

Whether a leak is covered depends on your policy and on what caused it, so call your insurer or broker and ask. Policies often treat sudden storm damage differently from wear over time, so don't assume either way. When we attend a storm leak, we document the damage and can provide the reports and photos you need to support an insurance claim.

When to call for emergency tarping

Call right away if any of these are true:

Water is coming through a ceiling, a light fixture or a wall.
Shingles, flashing or a section of roofing has blown off, or a branch or tree has come down on the roof.
A flat roof is ponding and dripping inside, or a blocked drain is backing water up.
A ceiling is bulging or sagging.

We provide 24/7 emergency roofing across the Lower Mainland, for homes, strata and commercial buildings. Tarping and leak control are usually the first thing we do on site: sealing the roof to stop water getting in before we scope the permanent repair, which is quoted before any of that work begins. Our emergency roof repair page covers how a call works.

Where storm leaks usually start

Storm leaks often start at the details rather than in the middle of a sound roof:

Flashing around chimneys, skylights and walls, where wind-driven rain gets behind old or lifted metal and sealant. Our chimney services include custom flashing repair.
Vents and pipe boots, whose rubber seals crack with age.
Lifted or missing shingles after a windstorm, which leave the underlayment exposed.
Flat roofs, at seams, around drains and wherever water ponds. See our flat roofing page.
Gutters and downspouts that overflow and push water back under the roof edge. See our gutter services.
Valleys packed with moss and needles, which hold water against the roof.

If a leak keeps coming back in the same place, or there are leaks in several places, the roof may be telling you something bigger. Our guides to roof repair vs. roof replacement and the warning signs you need a new roof cover how to tell.

After the tarp

A tarp is a temporary measure. It is there to keep the water out until the permanent repair is done. Once the roof is tarped and the weather allows, the damage is assessed and the permanent repair is quoted before any of that work begins. Whether that repair needs a building permit depends on your city and on how far it goes into the roof deck or structure; our city-by-city permit guide covers what each Metro Vancouver municipality publishes.

Before the next storm

Many storm leaks start with something small. Before the wet season:

Clear the gutters and downspouts, and check that they drain away from the house.
Clear moss and debris from the valleys and from around chimneys and vents.
Look over the roof from the ground for missing, lifted or curled shingles, and for flashing that has pulled away.
Trim branches that hang over the roof.
If the roof is older or has leaked before, book a free inspection while the weather is still dry.

Frequently asked questions

Is a tarp enough until spring?

It isn't meant to be. An emergency tarp is a temporary measure that stops water getting in while the permanent repair is scoped and quoted. Wind, rain and time all work on a tarp, so plan the permanent repair rather than relying on it through a whole Lower Mainland winter.

Does home insurance cover a roof leak?

It depends on your policy and on the cause, so the reliable answer comes from your insurer or broker. What you can do is document everything (photos, video, dates and receipts) and call them early. We can provide the reports and photos you need to support an insurance claim.

Do you handle leaks on strata and commercial buildings?

Yes. We respond to roofing emergencies for homes, strata and commercial buildings across the Lower Mainland.

Should I try to patch the leak from the roof myself?

No. Stay off a wet roof. Contain the water inside, document the damage, and leave the tarping to a crew working with proper fall protection.

Roof leaking in a storm? What to do in the first hour, and when to call for emergency tarping (Lower Mainland)