What If My Roof Still Leaks After a Repair?
A leak after a repair doesn't always mean the repair failed. Record what happens, report it promptly, and give the contractor the chance to come back.
The short answer
Contain the water, record the leak, and ask the contractor to come back.
If your roof still leaks after a repair, protect the room first, then record when and where the water appears and what the weather was doing. Report it to the contractor who did the repair in writing, with photographs, and ask for a return visit. The leak may be the same fault the repair didn't fix, a fault in the repair itself, or a different problem somewhere else on the roof. The contractor should look at it before anyone decides which. If it comes from their work, they are generally expected to put it right, usually under their workmanship warranty.
Leaks are often slow to pin down, and water can travel a long way inside a roof before it shows. A calm, well-recorded report gets you to the answer faster. For the wider context, see dealing with defective workmanship.
Step by step
What to do when the water comes back
Contain it
Put down containers and towels, move belongings, and keep people away from any ceiling that is bulging. If water is near lights or sockets, turn off the power to that area and get an electrician to check it before using it again.
Record it
Take dated photographs of the stain or drip, and note the time, the weather and the wind direction. Leaks that appear only in driving rain from one direction point to different causes than those that appear in any rain.
Report it in writing
Email the contractor with the photographs and your notes. Say it relates to the repair they carried out on a given date and ask when they can inspect it.
Allow a return visit
Give them reasonable access. Ask what they see and what they propose, and ask them to confirm it in writing.
Keep a record of what follows
If the leak returns again after a second visit, your notes and photographs will show the pattern.
Why it might still leak
Three explanations, and what each means
The repair didn't fix the original fault
The contractor may have repaired the wrong spot, or only part of the problem. If they diagnosed and quoted for the fix, it is usually for them to revisit it.
The repair itself is faulty
Poorly fitted flashing, a badly bedded tile or a gap in a seal. This is squarely a workmanship issue and what a workmanship warranty is for.
A different problem
Older roofs can have more than one weak point. A leak from an area nobody touched may be a new job. A good contractor will explain which is which, with photos.
What the repair covered
Check what was actually agreed
Look at the quote or invoice for the repair. If it describes a specific piece of work, such as replacing flashing around a chimney, the contractor is responsible for that work. They aren't automatically responsible for every leak anywhere on the roof afterwards. If the description is vague, it is harder to say what was promised, which is why a clear written scope matters. Our guide to what a roofing quote should include shows what good looks like.
If the contractor says the new leak is unrelated, ask them to show you why, with photos from the roof. If you are still not satisfied, an independent inspection can settle it. Our answer on how to prove work was defective explains how.
Try not to have another roofer carry out repairs before the original contractor has had a chance to look, other than emergency work to keep water out. If you do need emergency work, photograph everything first and keep the invoice.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill. If a repair wasn't, you can generally ask the trader to redo it at no extra cost, and in some cases a price reduction may be appropriate. Citizens Advice publishes guidance on problems with building work. This is general information, not legal advice.
While you wait
Keeping the damage down in the meantime
A return visit may take a few days, especially after a spell of bad weather when every roofer is busy. In the meantime, keep containing the water and check the loft, if you can do so safely, for damp timber, wet insulation or water tracking along the underside of the roof. Photograph what you see. Wet insulation should be lifted or moved to let it dry, but leave any repair to the roof itself for the contractor.
If the leak has damaged ceilings, decorations or belongings, tell your home insurer. Their policy may respond to the internal damage even while the question of the roof repair is being settled with the contractor, and they will want to know early. Keep receipts for anything you have to buy or replace. Our guide on keeping evidence and records sets out what is useful to hold on to, and should I get another builder to fix it? covers what to do if the contractor doesn't come back.
If you use Mortaro
Send us the photos and we get your contractor back
If your roof work was coordinated by Mortaro, send us your photographs and notes. We raise it with your contractor, who carried out the work and provides the workmanship warranty, and push for a return visit. You won't be left chasing someone who is up a ladder on another job.
Every contractor in our network agrees to a minimum 12-month workmanship warranty, with the exact terms in your quotation. Contractors who fail to meet our standards are removed from the network. See putting things right.
Straight answers
Questions about leaks after a repair
Will I have to pay for the return visit?
If the leak comes from the contractor's own work, you generally shouldn't. If it turns out to be an unrelated problem, they may quote for a new repair. Ask them to explain which it is in writing.
How soon should I report it?
As soon as you notice it. Prompt reporting helps the contractor diagnose it and keeps you within any warranty conditions.
Start here
Tell us about the work you have in mind
We will confirm we cover your postcode, arrange a site visit with a contractor from our network and send you a written quotation. No charge, no obligation.