Emergency flat roof leak repairs

Guide price: £180–£450
Repair price: Confirmed once the leak or damage is found
Condition survey report: £150–£300
Coverage: England, Wales, Scotland, NI

What should I do if my flat roof is leaking right now?

Stay indoors, contain the water and keep away from electrics. Don't go up onto the roof, especially when it is wet, windy or dark.

Catch the water. Put buckets or bowls under drips and lay towels or old sheets around them. A plastic sheet under the bucket protects flooring.
Isolate electrics near the water. If water is coming through near a light fitting, socket or switch, turn that circuit off at the consumer unit if you can do so safely, and don't touch wet fittings. If in doubt, call an electrician.
Move valuables. Take furniture, electronics, rugs and documents out of the area.
Watch the ceiling. A sagging, bulging ceiling can be holding water. Keep people and pets out of the room beneath it and tell us when you call.
Keep a record. Note when it started, where water appears and what the weather was doing. This helps us trace the leak and may help with a home insurance claim.
Call us. Tell us roughly how big the roof is, how high it is and what is above the leak, so the team arrives with the right access and materials.

Never climb onto a flat roof to check it yourself. Many older roofs, and any rooflights in them, are fragile, and wet surfaces are slippery.

How quickly can someone come out?

We send a team for a temporary weatherproofing visit as soon as one is available. We don't promise a set response time, because demand jumps after storms and we would rather give you an honest answer on the phone than a figure we can't keep.

When you call, we ask a few questions about the roof and the leak so we can judge how urgent it is and what the team will need. Height matters: a single-storey garage or extension can usually be reached with ladders and edge protection, while a dormer or second-floor roof may need scaffold or a tower.

Safety comes before speed. In high winds, lightning or heavy rain, a team may not be able to work on the roof safely, and the visit may need to wait until conditions ease. Your best protection in the meantime is to contain the water indoors, as above.

What does a temporary weatherproofing visit involve?

A temporary visit stops the water getting in until a permanent repair can be made. It is not the finished repair.

Depending on the weather and the damage, the team may clear a blocked outlet or gutter that is backing water up, fix a heavy-duty temporary sheet over the damaged area, weight or secure lifted membrane and trims, or apply a temporary seal to a split or open lap. Where a rooflight or upstand is the cause, they make it as weathertight as they safely can.

Before they leave, the team will tell you what they found and what they did. They may also be able to give you an early view of whether the roof looks repairable or is due for replacement. That is followed by a written quote for the permanent work.

How much does an emergency flat roof repair cost?

A temporary weatherproofing visit costs £180–£450 as a guide. The permanent repair is priced separately once the roof can be inspected properly in dry conditions.

Work	Guide price
Emergency temporary weatherproofing visit	£180–£450
Localised patch repair (permanent)	£150–£500
Upstand, flashing or abutment repair	£250–£650
Outlet or drainage repair	£120–£350

These are guide prices including VAT at 20%. The cost of the permanent work is confirmed in writing after the roof has been inspected. If the roof needs replacing, the survey and written quote for that are free, and you can compare figures in our cost guide. Scaffold, if a high roof needs it, adds £450–£950.

Should the roof be repaired or replaced after an emergency leak?

It depends on what the inspection finds once the roof is dry. A single storm-damaged area on a sound roof can usually be repaired. Widespread damage, wet insulation or a soft deck point towards replacement.

Emergencies tend to happen on roofs that were already near the end of their life. A storm lifts a tired seam, or a winter of frost opens cracks in old felt. We will give you a straight answer about which applies to your roof, and our repair or replace guide explains how to weigh it up.

Water that got in during the leak needs to dry out. Saturated insulation inside a roof doesn't insulate well and can keep the deck damp, so if it is soaked, it will need replacing as part of the permanent work.

How long does a temporary repair last?

A temporary repair is designed to hold for days or weeks, not years. It buys time for the roof to dry and for the permanent work to be planned.

Temporary sheeting can be lifted by high winds, and a cold-weather seal on a wet surface won't bond as well as a proper repair. We recommend booking the permanent repair or replacement promptly rather than relying on the temporary fix through a season. If the temporary work moves or the leak returns, call us again.

Once the permanent work is done, how long it lasts depends on the repair and on the rest of the roof. Our lifespan guide gives typical service lives for each roof system.

What's included when we do the work?

Advice by phone on keeping the water contained safely
Temporary weatherproofing as soon as a team is available
Blocked outlets and gutters cleared where they're the cause
Damage recorded and explained before the team leaves
Written quote for the permanent repair or replacement
Safe working, with edge protection on every job

What do guide prices look like?

Guide prices including VAT at West Midlands rates; regional pages adjust these for your area. We confirm the price once we've traced the leak or seen the damage.

Job	Guide price inc VAT
Emergency temporary weatherproofing visit	£180–£450
Localised patch repair	£150–£500
Upstand or flashing repair	£250–£650
Condition survey and leak investigation	£150–£300

Does anything differ outside England?

Wales: Wales is wetter than most of England, and exposed hill and coastal sites take more wind. A temporary repair is only a stopgap. If the permanent work replaces more than about a quarter of the roof, check whether building regulations approval is needed.
Scotland: Western and upland parts of Scotland see much higher rainfall and stronger winds, so temporary repairs there need to be well secured and the permanent repair booked promptly. Check with the council's building standards team if the permanent work turns into a re-roof.
Northern Ireland: In Northern Ireland, temporary weatherproofing doesn't need approval, but contact the district council's building control before a permanent re-roof. Safety on domestic jobs is governed by CDM (NI) 2016.

How does the job run from start to finish?

Call us
Tell us where the water is coming in, how big and high the roof is, and whether any ceilings are sagging. We'll tell you how to keep things safe in the meantime.
Temporary weatherproofing
A team visits as soon as one is available and makes the roof as weathertight as conditions safely allow.
Inspect when dry
Once the roof has dried, we inspect it properly and trace the full cause of the leak.
Permanent repair
You get a fixed written price for the permanent repair or replacement, and we book the work in.

Questions about emergency leak repairs

Can I put a tarpaulin on my flat roof myself?

We'd advise against it. Getting onto a flat roof in bad weather is dangerous, and many roofs and rooflights are fragile. Contain the water indoors and call us instead.

Will my home insurance cover an emergency roof repair?

It depends on your policy and the cause. Storm damage is often covered, while wear and tear usually isn't, so check with your insurer. Notes made at the time, plus our written report, can help with a claim.

Is a leaking ceiling dangerous?

It can be. A ceiling that is bulging or sagging may be holding water and could come down, so keep people out of the room beneath it. Water near light fittings or sockets is a serious electrical risk, so isolate that circuit if you can do so safely.

Can you repair a flat roof in the rain?

A temporary repair can often be made in wet weather if it is safe to work. A permanent repair needs a dry surface for the materials to bond, so it is done once conditions allow.

Do you do emergency repairs for landlords and businesses?

Yes. We carry out emergency visits for landlords, managing agents and commercial owners as well as homeowners. Let us know who will give access and how to reach the roof when you call.

What causes a sudden flat roof leak?

Common causes are storm damage that lifts seams, edges or trims, outlets blocked by leaves so water backs up over upstands, and old felt cracking after a cold snap. Sometimes the cause is a wall or coping above the roof rather than the roof itself.

Why can't you give me an exact arrival time?

Because we would rather not promise a time we can't keep. Demand spikes after storms and safe working depends on the weather, so we send a team as soon as one is available and keep you updated.

What should I do if my flat roof is leaking right now?

How quickly can someone come out?

What does a temporary weatherproofing visit involve?

How much does an emergency flat roof repair cost?

Should the roof be repaired or replaced after an emergency leak?

How long does a temporary repair last?

What's included when we do the work?

What do guide prices look like?

Does anything differ outside England?

How does the job run from start to finish?

Call us

Temporary weatherproofing

Inspect when dry

Permanent repair

Questions about emergency leak repairs

Related services

Flat roof repairs

Flat roof surveys and leak tracing

Edge trims, outlets and drainage

Flat roof replacement

Where do you offer emergency leak repairs?

Get a fixed price for your flat roof