Which of the five roof jobs does your stain call for?

Why the five share one order

A stain can come from the attic, from a flat roof or from a joint, and the right repair differs for each. So every job below begins with the same step: an independent roofer finds the way in, then proposes the specific repair, then names the cause so it stays fixed.

You choose the job that matches your stain. If none fits, the leak diagnosis visit covers all three ways in. Either way, you read the written proposal before work starts, and you decide whether to go ahead.

Reading the list from your ceiling

Look at the stain and ask yourself three things. Did it show after rain, after a cold night or in a thaw? Is there a porch, an addition or a flat roof above it? Is there a chimney, wall, vent or skylight close by? Your answers point to one line in the list, and the strip of five timings on this page shows which.

What the visit does not do

The visit looks for the way water gets in, and finishes with a written proposal covering the work the roofer would do. If the roofer thinks something bigger is needed, the proposal should say why, in words you can check.

The roofer sets the price for the work, and you hold the proposal for as long as you like. Read it at the kitchen table, then check each line against your photos and notes.

If you have more than one stain

Houses often show two marks in two rooms. Send both, and say which came first. The roofer may find one cause for both or two separate ones, and the proposal can list each on its own line so that you choose what to do first. Number the stains on your photos so the answers match the right ceiling.