What counts as a roof emergency?
A roof emergency is water actively entering the house, or an opening that will let water in before ordinary scheduling can get to it. Water pouring through a ceiling, a sagging bulge full of water, a section of shingles torn away with rain on the way, or a limb punched through the decking all qualify.
A small stain that showed up after last week's rain usually isn't an emergency, even though it needs attention. That kind of problem gets a calm, daytime trace through our leak tracing and repair service. Call either way and we'll help you decide which it is.
- Water dripping or streaming into living space.
- A ceiling bulge holding water.
- Shingles or panels torn off with more rain forecast.
- A tree limb through the roof or decking.
- Water near electrical fixtures or the breaker panel.
What to do in the first hour, before we arrive
Safety comes first. If water is near a light fixture, outlet or the electrical panel, turn off that circuit at the breaker if you can do so without standing in water. Keep people and pets out of rooms where the ceiling is sagging, because wet drywall can drop without warning.
Next, control the water inside. Move furniture and electronics, lay towels, and set buckets under drips. If a ceiling spot is bulging, poke a small hole at the lowest point with a screwdriver and let it drain into a bucket. One controlled drain does far less harm than a whole ceiling giving way.
Take photos and a short video of the damage inside and of anything you can see on the roof from the ground. Don't climb a ladder in rain, wind or the dark. Those photos help us bring the right materials and become part of your record if you file a claim later.
How we stop the water on an emergency visit
When we arrive, we check that the roof is safe to walk. During lightning or very high wind, we work from inside first, catching water and protecting the attic, and go up as soon as conditions allow. Nobody gets hurt rushing onto a wet roof in a storm.
On the roof, we find the opening and close it the fastest reliable way. Small openings get a temporary patch of self-adhered membrane or replacement shingles. Larger damage gets a properly secured tarp, which is covered in more detail on our storm tarp installation page. We photograph the damage before covering it, so nothing is lost for your records.
Temporary dry-in versus the permanent fix
An emergency visit buys time. Temporary patches and tarps keep water out for days to weeks, but they aren't meant to last through a South Texas summer. Sun breaks down tarp material and patching membranes left exposed, and wind works on anything that isn't fully fastened.
Once the weather clears, we come back to make the permanent repair. That may be replacing shingles and underlayment, rebuilding flashing, swapping a broken pipe boot or replacing damaged decking. If the storm caused widespread damage, we'll recommend a full post-storm documentation visit before anything gets rebuilt.
We'll tell you plainly how long the temporary fix should hold and what could shorten that, like another storm or high wind. If weather turns before the permanent repair, phone us and we'll recheck the dry-in. A patch that held through one storm can still loosen in the next, so a quick look is cheaper than a second leak.
Why roof emergencies cluster in spring storm season
Most emergency calls in San Antonio come between March and June, when strong thunderstorms bring hail, straight-line winds and heavy rain in short bursts. A storm can tear shingles loose and soak the decking within minutes, and then the next cell arrives an hour later.
Late summer and fall can bring tropical moisture with long, soaking rain that finds every weak spot. Falling limbs from live oaks and pecans are another common cause, especially after a dry spell weakens branches. If a tree is involved, our fallen limb and tree damage repairs page explains how the cleanup and rebuild are coordinated.
How can you lower the odds of a nighttime emergency?
Most emergencies start as small problems that were already there. A cracked pipe boot, a loose ridge cap or a clogged valley often fails during the first heavy storm of the season. A roof check before spring catches these while they're simple daytime repairs. Our spring roof tune up covers exactly those weak spots, from boots to valleys.
Trim limbs that hang over the roof, clean gutters before storm season and keep our number saved in your phone. When a storm is forecast and you already know about a weak spot, call ahead and we can often get a temporary cover on before the rain arrives.
