How to Find a Roof Leak Without Climbing on the Roof

A leak is not an emergency until it is, and the first job is to keep yourself and the house safe. You do not need to be on the roof to learn a lot about where the water is coming from. Looking from the inside and from the ground will usually tell a roofer what they need to know.

Do not go up on the roof. Roofs are slippery, steep and unforgiving, especially when wet or covered with frost, and falls from roofs cause serious injuries every year. Everything in this guide can be done from the ground and the attic.

Step 1: Protect people and belongings first

1. Stay out from under wet ceilings. A wet ceiling can collapse.
2. Put a bucket under any drip, and move furniture, electronics and rugs out of the way.
3. Be careful near electricity. If water is near a light, a fan or an outlet, do not use it. Turn off the breaker for that room only if you can reach it without stepping through water. If you cannot, leave the area and call an electrician or the fire department.
4. Take photos. Photograph the stains, the drips and any damage, with the date. You may need them for insurance.

Step 2: Check the attic

If you have an attic you can reach safely and the rain has stopped:

1. Bring a flashlight and wear a dust mask. Step only on the wooden framing, never on the drywall between joists, because it will not hold you.
2. Look under the roof deck for dark stains, wet or compressed insulation, mold, water trails running down rafters or nails, and any daylight showing through.
3. Check around pipes, vents and the chimney. These openings are the most common places for leaks.
4. Measure from fixed points, such as a wall or a chimney, so you can tell a roofer exactly where you found the wet spot.

Step 3: Look from the ground

On a dry day, stand back from the house with binoculars or zoom in with your phone camera, and look for:

• Missing, curled, cracked or lifted shingles.
• Damaged or lifted metal flashing around chimneys, vents and where roof sections meet.
• Gutters that are clogged, pulling away, or full of shingle granules.
• Moss or staining, which holds moisture against the roof.

Step 4: Understand what you found

Water seldom drips straight down from the hole in the roof. It runs along framing and insulation, so the stain inside may be several feet from the real source. Match what you saw in the attic with what you saw on the roof, and write it all down.

In winter, leaks near the edge of the roof can be caused by ice dams, where melting snow refreezes at the eaves and backs water up under the shingles. Do not chip the ice with a hammer or an axe, and do not climb up to clear it. That damages the roof and puts you at risk. Call a professional.

Step 5: What to tell a roofer

Good information shortens the repair. Tell them when it leaks (every rain, only wind-driven rain, only with snow), where you found water inside, how old the roof is, and share your photos.

A temporary fix inside

Heavy plastic sheeting under the leak area, taped down and draining into a bucket, can protect your belongings until the repair. Roof repairs themselves, even temporary tarping, should be left to a professional.