Before anything else
If water is near light fittings, power points or the switchboard, turn the power off at the switchboard if you can do it safely. Stay out of any room where the ceiling is sagging or bulging, because a soaked plasterboard ceiling can come down without much warning. For storm damage that needs urgent help, call the SES on 132 500. If anyone is in danger, call 000.
What to do right now
Catch the water
Buckets, bins, saucepans, whatever you've got. Put a towel in the bottom so the drips don't splash. Move furniture, rugs and electronics out of the way, or cover them with plastic.
Let a bulging ceiling drain, carefully
If water is pooling above the plasterboard and making a bulge, a roofer or plumber will often poke a small hole at the lowest point so it drains into a bucket instead of spreading. Only do this yourself if you can reach it from the floor or a stable step, the power to that area is off, and you're standing clear of the bulge.
Take photos and video
Photograph the ceiling, the water, anything damaged, and the outside of the house if you can see it from the ground. Note the date and time. Your insurer will ask for this, and it helps the roofer find the cause.
Look from the ground, not the roof
From the yard, look for anything obvious: a slipped or broken tile, a section of ridge capping that's moved, a gutter overflowing, a branch on the roof. Binoculars help. Stay off the roof, especially while it's wet.
Call your insurer early
If it's storm damage, most insurers want to hear about it quickly and may arrange emergency repairs themselves. Ask what they need before you pay anyone. Our guide to storm damage claims covers what to ask.
Get a roofer booked
Even if the drip stops when the rain does, the water got in somewhere and it will again. A roofer can make it safe now and quote the proper repair once it's dry.
Why you shouldn't go up there yourself
Wet tiles and metal are slippery, and tiles crack under a boot. A tarp in the wind is hard to handle even for a roofer with the right gear.
A roofer has the harness, the ladder setup and the know-how to put a temporary cover on safely. A few hours of drips into a bucket does a lot less damage than a fall.
Where the water is probably getting in
The drip on your ceiling is rarely right under the hole. Water runs along battens, sarking and rafters before it drops, so the leak can be a metre or more away.
The usual suspects are cracked or slipped tiles, worn mortar along the ridge, rusted or lifted flashing around chimneys, skylights and solar mounts, blocked valleys where two slopes meet, and gutters overflowing back under the roof edge. Our guide on how to find a roof leak goes through each one.
Tonight, what's yours and what's theirs
You can
- Turn off power to the affected area at the switchboard
- Catch the water and move your things
- Photograph everything for the insurer
- Clear a blocked downpipe at ground level if it's safe to reach
- Call your insurer and book a roofer
Leave to a roofer
- Anything on the roof, wet or dry
- Temporary tarps and covers
- Finding where the water actually gets in
- Replacing tiles, ridge mortar or flashing
- Anything involving an older roof that might be asbestos cement
What to ask the roofer when they call
- Can you make it safe now, and quote the proper repair separately?
- Will you give me photos of what you find up there?
- Is this storm damage or wear and tear? (Your insurer will want to know.)
- What's your licence number? (Check it on your state's register before work starts.)
- Will the quote be in writing, with what's included?
What we'd do tonight
Power off near the water, buckets down, photos taken, insurer called. Then leave the roof alone until a roofer can get up there safely. If the leak is bad enough to soak a ceiling, it's worth getting someone out as soon as the weather allows, because every rain after this makes the damage worse.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.