It's 9pm on a Saturday in January. Water is dripping from your ceiling. Maybe two ceilings. The roofer's office is closed, and you're standing in the hallway with a bucket wondering what to do first.
This is what to do first — and what every minute of action is worth — based on 15+ years of emergency calls across BC.
The First 30 Minutes Matter Most
Most of the damage from a roof leak is not the roof failure itself. It's the secondary damage to drywall, insulation, electrical, flooring, and personal property that happens in the hours after the leak starts. Slowing that water down is the highest-value thing you can do before help arrives.
Step 1: Contain the Water (5 minutes)
- Place buckets, garbage cans, or large pots under every active drip
- Lay towels or tarps around the buckets to catch splash
- Move furniture, electronics, and valuables out of the area
- If you can't move it, cover with plastic sheeting or garbage bags
Step 2: Relieve the Bulge (10 minutes)
If a section of ceiling is sagging or bulging, water is pooling above it. Don't wait for it to collapse on its own. Place a bucket under the bulge, then puncture the centre of the bulge with a screwdriver to drain it in a controlled stream. A controlled puncture is far better than a spontaneous ceiling collapse over your couch.
Step 3: Document Everything (10 minutes)
Before you clean up, take photos and video of:
- Every leak location, with the bucket in frame
- Ceiling stains, sagging, or holes
- Damaged furniture, flooring, walls
- Wet insulation if you can see it (e.g., through a hatch)
This is critical for your insurance claim and for the roofer's diagnosis. Date-stamped photos from the night of the leak are gold.
Step 4: Call for Help
Call your roofer's emergency line. If you don't have one, call ours: 778-636-7714, 24/7.
What to Tell the Roofer
- Address and access — gate codes, parking, lockboxes
- How many leak points you've found
- Roof type if you know it (shingle, flat membrane, metal, cedar)
- Roof age if you know it
- Weather conditions — heavy rain, wind, snow load, ice damming
- Whether the leak is active right now or has stopped
What an Emergency Roofer Will Actually Do
At night in active rain, no roofer can perform a permanent repair — it's unsafe and the materials won't bond properly. The emergency call accomplishes two things:
- Stabilize the leak with emergency tarping, weighted plastic, or interior containment
- Diagnose and quote a permanent repair for the next dry day
Expect emergency call-out fees of $300–600 in the BC Lower Mainland. That fee usually credits toward the permanent repair if you book it with the same contractor.
What NOT to Do
- Don't climb on the roof yourself. Wet roofs are catastrophically slippery and BC slopes are rarely forgiving. The cost of a fall dwarfs any leak.
- Don't use a tarp from the inside. It traps water and rots the structure.
- Don't ignore it once it stops. A leak that "fixed itself" usually didn't — water just found a different path. Get it inspected within a week.
For Strata Owners and Property Managers
Notify the strata council and property manager immediately, even at night. Most strata insurance policies require timely notification, and the building's master policy may cover damage that your individual unit policy won't.
The Bottom Line
Stay calm, contain the water, document everything, and call a real roofer. Most "disaster" leaks become minor repairs when handled in the first few hours.