Roof leaking? What to do first

Catch the water, move anything valuable, and keep away from wet light fittings and power points. Stay off the roof in wet or windy weather. Then call a licensed roofer to find where the water is really getting in, because the drip inside is often a long way from the gap outside.

Right now: limit the damage

• Put a bucket or towels under the drip, and move furniture and electronics out of the way
• If water is near a light fitting or power point, turn that circuit off at the switchboard and call an electrician
• If the ceiling is bulging with water, keep people out from under it
• Do not climb onto the roof in the rain or wind

Where roof leaks usually come from

• Flashings around chimneys, skylights, vents and walls
• Valleys, where two roof slopes meet and water runs fastest
• Cracked tiles or broken ridge pointing on tiled roofs
• Lifted, rusted or holed sheets and loose fixings on metal roofs
• Blocked or rusted gutters and box gutters that overflow back inside

Why the drip is not always under the hole

Water that gets under the roof runs along the sarking, battens and rafters before it drips. The stain on your ceiling can be metres away from where the water is getting in. That is why a proper repair starts with finding the real entry point, not patching the spot above the stain.

When a repair stops making sense

One failed flashing is a repair. A roof that leaks in several places, keeps leaking after repairs, or has rusted through is usually telling you it is time for new sheets or a tile to metal conversion. A good roofer will tell you straight which one you need.

Written by Make It Metal Roofing, a licensed roof plumber in the Sutherland Shire. Updated 4 November 2026.