How much does it cost to fix a leaking roof in Gloucester?
Water coming through the roof? Post the job for free and it goes to local roofers who cover your area. If it’s urgent, choose the emergency option and we text them straight away.
Free to post, and only the tradesperson who takes your job on gets your details. Read our privacy notice.
Tracing a roof leak
Where water shows inside is often not where it gets in. It can run along a rafter or across the felt for some way before it drips. Common causes are slipped or cracked tiles, failed lead flashing around chimneys and where the roof meets a wall, blocked or worn valleys, cracked ridge mortar and splits in flat roofs. Condensation in the loft can look like a leak too, especially in cold weather.
A roofer will usually look in the loft first and then outside. Photos from inside and out, and notes on when it leaks, help narrow it down.
While you wait, put a bucket under the drip and move anything you don’t want soaked. If a ceiling is sagging with water, keep people out of the room. If water is near light fittings or sockets, switch off the electricity at the consumer unit and leave it off until it’s been checked. Don’t go on the roof yourself to find the leak.
In bad weather a roofer may make it watertight first, with a tarpaulin or a temporary seal, then come back in dry weather for the proper repair. If the damage came from a storm, speak to your home insurer early and check what your policy says about emergency repairs.
What to include when you post
The more a roofer knows about the leak, the quicker they can track it down.
- Photos of the damp patch or drip inside, and of the roof above it from outside
- When it leaks: every time it rains, only in heavy rain, or only when the wind is from one direction
- What’s above the leak: a chimney, valley, roof window, flat roof or wall
- How many storeys, and whether the roof is pitched or flat
- Whether water is near any electrics
- Whether there’s a loft hatch the roofer can use
- If it’s urgent, choose the emergency option so local roofers are texted straight away
Choosing a roofer and what to ask
Ask the roofer what they think is causing the leak and how sure they are. Some leaks take more than one visit to trace, and an honest roofer will say so.
The quote should separate any temporary work from the permanent repair and say what each covers. It should list materials, such as new lead flashing or replacement tiles, and say whether scaffolding is needed.
Repairs inside, such as replastering or redecorating a stained ceiling, are usually a separate job for another trade. Ask the roofer to check the loft insulation near the leak, as soaked insulation can need drying out or replacing.
Get any guarantee in writing, check they hold public liability insurance, and keep photos and receipts if you’re claiming on insurance.
Not quite the right job?
See every job on our Roofer page, or post it anyway and describe it in your own words.
Before a tradesperson starts work
Registrations
Some work must be done by a registered professional. Work on a gas boiler, cooker or fire must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, which you can check on the Gas Safe Register.
Our business check
Limited companies are checked with Companies House and sole traders upload their insurance certificate. Trade registrations are confirmed by the tradesperson when they sign up.
Get the price in writing
Ask for a written quote that sets out the work and the price before anything starts. Your contract for the work is with the tradesperson.
Questions
What people tend to ask before booking this job. For anything specific to your home, ask the tradesperson who takes it on when they get in touch.
If there's storm damage or water damage inside, check your home insurance and speak to your insurer before repairs start. Keep photos and receipts.
They can often make a temporary repair, but a lasting fix usually needs dry weather.
Condensation tends to show as damp on the underside of the felt or on nails in the loft, and it's often worst in cold weather whether it's raining or not. A leak usually follows rain. A roofer can tell you which, and condensation often comes down to loft ventilation.
If water is near light fittings, sockets or wiring, yes. Switch off at the consumer unit and leave it off until it's been checked.
No. Leave the roof to a roofer with proper access equipment. From inside, you can take photos of where the water appears and note when it happens.