What to Do When Your Roof Is Leaking Right Now

Your roof is leaking and it’s raining. Here’s exactly what to do — in order — to protect your home and set yourself up for a proper repair.

Step 1: Contain the Water (Right Now)

Before anything else, slow the damage. Put buckets under active drips. Spread plastic sheeting or towels around the bucket to protect your floor. If water is pooling on the ceiling, use a screwdriver to poke a small hole at the lowest point of the bulge — this releases the water in a controlled stream instead of letting it build until the drywall collapses. It feels counterintuitive but it prevents far more damage.

Move furniture, electronics, and valuables out of the affected area immediately.

Step 2: Document Everything Before You Touch It

Take photos and video of:

• The water coming in (timestamp on the photo)
• The wet ceiling, walls, and flooring
• Any standing water or pooling
• The exterior of the roof if you can safely see it from the ground

This documentation is critical for your insurance claim. Don’t clean up or dry out before you photograph — adjusters need to see the extent of damage as it happened.

Step 3: Call for Emergency Roof Repair

If there’s active structural damage or a large section of your roof is compromised, call a roofer immediately — not tomorrow. Net Roofing LLC’s emergency roof repair team is available same-day throughout DFW. We can tarp the affected area to stop water intrusion while we plan the permanent repair.

Do not go on the roof yourself in wet conditions. Wet shingles and decking are extremely slippery and the structural integrity may be compromised.

Step 4: Call Your Insurance Company

After you’ve called a roofer, call your insurance company to open a claim. Have your policy number ready. The key things to communicate:

• Date and time the leak started
• What caused it if you know (storm, hail, tree branch)
• That you’ve taken immediate protective measures

Your policy typically covers “sudden and accidental” water damage but not gradual leaks that developed over months from deferred maintenance. If this is storm-related, that distinction works in your favor.

Step 5: Find the Source (Let the Roofer Do This)

Where water appears on your ceiling is almost never where it entered the roof. Water travels along rafters and decking, sometimes 10–15 feet from the entry point before dripping through. Tracing the source requires being on the roof and looking at the full picture — flashing, valleys, vents, ridge, and field shingles.

Common sources by home type in DFW:

• 1970s–1980s homes: Chimney flashing (common in Arlington, Kennedale, North Fort Worth)
• 1990s–2000s homes: Pipe boots and vent flashing failures
• Homes with skylights: Skylight curb or skylight flashing failure
• After storms: Blown-off shingles in valleys or at ridges

Step 6: Dry Out Within 24–48 Hours

Mold starts growing in wet drywall and insulation within 24–48 hours in Texas’s humidity. Once the leak is stopped and photographed, use fans and dehumidifiers to dry the affected area. If the insulation is saturated, it needs to come out — wet fiberglass insulation loses its R-value and becomes a mold reservoir.

What NOT to Do

• Don’t use caulk as a temporary fix: Caulking over a leak without identifying the source traps moisture and worsens the damage.
• Don’t go on the roof in wet conditions.
• Don’t wait for the rain to stop to call: Call during the storm — the earlier a roofer knows, the sooner they can tarp.
• Don’t let a door-to-door storm chaser pressure you: Post-storm DFW gets flooded with out-of-state contractors. Use a local, licensed, insured roofer.

After the Emergency: The Permanent Repair

A tarp is not a repair — it’s a stop-gap. Within a week of the emergency tarp, schedule the proper roof leak repair. This involves identifying the actual source, removing damaged shingles and underlayment, inspecting the decking, and installing new material with correct flashing.

Frequently Asked Questions

My roof is leaking but it’s not raining. What’s happening?

Condensation, ice dam remnants, or a slow leak that’s been pooling in your attic for weeks. All require professional inspection — the source won’t be obvious from below.

How much does emergency roof repair cost in DFW?

Emergency tarping typically runs $300–$700 depending on area size. Emergency repair (same-day patching) runs $500–$2,000. Most storm-caused damage is covered by insurance — we help with that process.

Get a Free Estimate from Net Roofing LLC — Call (817) 523-9373 or visit our contact page. Same-day emergency response throughout DFW. We tarp first and repair right.