If it's dripping right now
Put a bucket under the drip and move furniture and rugs out of the way. Stay out of any room where the ceiling is bulging, and turn the power off at the switchboard if water is near lights or power points. For storm damage emergencies, the SES number is 132 500. Don't go up a ladder in the wet.
Why Sydney roofs leak when they do
The wettest months aren't in summer
Observatory Hill averages 1,149.7 mm of rain a year on 1991 to 2020 figures, and the wettest months are June (142.0 mm), February (131.5 mm) and March (117.5 mm). A stain that first appears in June can be a small gap that's been there for months and has only now had enough rain to show.
East Coast Lows drive rain sideways
East Coast Lows usually arrive between autumn and early winter. In April 2015 one kept gale-force winds going along the coast for about 30 hours. Wind-pushed rain gets under tile laps, up behind flashings and through gaps that ordinary rain never reaches, which is why some roofs only leak in a low.
Four days, 391.6 mm
During the storms of 7 to 10 February 2020, 391.6 mm of rain fell on Sydney in four days. Rain like that overwhelms valleys and gutters, and water can back up under the roof edge and into the ceiling. A leak that only shows in big totals often points to drainage rather than a broken tile.
The upper north shore gets the most
Turramurra averages about 1,400 mm a year, Parramatta 958.6 mm and Penrith 719.2 mm. Roofs in the wetter north stay damp for longer, collect more leaf litter and moss in the valleys, and see more leak call-outs from those blockages.
How a roofer tracks a Sydney leak down
Water rarely drips straight down from where it gets in. It can run along a batten or across the sarking (the membrane under the tiles or sheets) and come through the ceiling well away from the actual gap. A good roofer checks the roof space first, then the likely entry points above: valleys where two slopes meet, flashings at chimneys and walls, and the ridge.
If the leak only appears in wind-driven rain, ask them to hose-test the suspect area with someone watching inside. Our leak finder narrows things down by where the stain is and when it appears, and ceiling leaks explains what different stains usually mean.
What to ask before a roofer starts on your leak
- How will you find where the water is getting in, and will you water-test it?
- Could it be something other than the roof, like a gutter, a solar panel mount or condensation?
- If hail or wind caused it, is this something my insurer should see first?
- What warranty comes with the fix if it leaks again in the next big rain?
- Will you send me photos of what you found and what you did?
What we'd do tonight, and next week
Tonight, we'd catch the water, protect the electrics and take photos. If a storm caused it, we'd call the insurer before paying for anything. Once the roof is dry, we'd get a roofer to trace the leak properly rather than smear sealant on the first suspect. Longer term, we'd get valleys and gutters cleared each autumn, before the lows and the wet June. Our national roof leak repair page covers the common causes, and the Sydney hub covers what else is different here.
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.