Is the roof leaking on your Nashville, TN, home? Are you trying to figure out how to go about getting it repaired?
A roof leak is a stressful situation that homeowners hope they don’t have to worry about. And once water spots appear on your ceiling, you have some big problems.
Trust me; I understand the urgency of the situation. However, there’s no reason to panic; after all a roofer can’t fix it in the rain.
So, instead of freaking out, just take a deep breath and follow some simple steps.
For over 35 years, Bill Ragan Roofing has helped Nashville homeowners with all their roofing needs. While we can’t be on every roof, I can still provide transparent and helpful information.
So, let’s break down the 7 steps you should take when your home has a roof leak in Nashville, TN.
The first thing you need to do if your roof is leaking is to contain the water to prevent widespread damage. Put a bucket, pot, garbage can, or other container in your attic to catch water coming down through your roof.
If you don’t have attic access, you’ll need to put the container under the ceiling spot where the water is pooling. The cost to repair water damage inside your home greatly outweighs the cost of your roof repair, so it’s crucial to contain it as much as possible.
After containing the roof leak, you need to take note of where it’s coming in. This will help narrow down the area where the leak is coming in through your roof, which also provides an idea of what’s causing it.
By knowing where the roof leak is on the inside, they’ll know where to start looking. Just know that the cause of your leak won’t always be where you see the water come through.
Most roof leaks are within a foot to the right or left of where water is coming in, but there are exceptions. That’s why you need a professional to track the source and cause of your roof leak.
After getting an idea of where the water is coming in, it’s time to call a Nashville roofing company for a roof inspection and repair. You’ll let them know where the leak is coming in and pass on relevant information from the last two steps.
This will help the repair technician determine where to start looking and give them a preliminary idea of the roof leak’s potential cause. It also tells them where to put temporary tarping if there’s more rain in the forecast before they can get out to your home.
After passing on the relevant information, they’ll schedule a time to come out for a roof inspection.
After getting your inspection scheduled, take pictures of the internal damage the roof leak caused. Document the ceiling or drywall damage caused by the leak, and take photos of valuables or items with water damage.
While there’s no guarantee of approval, this is in case you have an insurance claim. Your personal property policy should cover water damage to items caused by a roof leak.
However, homeowners insurance only pays to fix a roof leak if it was caused by a covered peril like wind, hail, or tree damage that happens during storms. Depending on your policy and the extent of damage, a roof leak caused by storms could turn into a full roof replacement.
Now, it’s time for a roof inspection to find, track, and determine what’s causing your roof leak. Using the information you provided, they’ll look in the general area where the leak is coming into your home.
Most of the time, there’s a clear indication of what’s causing the leak, and they can determine the best way to fix it. Before getting off your roof, they’ll also inspect your roof penetrations and other crucial areas to determine if your roof leak is isolated or from roof failure.
If they find that your roof leak is caused by the materials failing, it might just be time for a roof replacement. But for this article, let’s assume you just need repairs on a roof with plenty of life left.
Once the Nashville roofing contractor is off your roof, they’ll have a game plan for what the problem is, how to fix it, and what they need to repair the roof leak. At this point, the roofer should give you a rundown of repairs required to fix the problem and write an estimate for the cost.
If it’s a small repair for common roof leaks (like replacing a failed pipe boot or nail pops), they can write up the estimate and repair on the spot after you sign. But they’ll need time to write up the estimate to calculate labor and material costs for bigger and more extensive repairs.
Once you get and sign the estimate, your roof leak repair will be scheduled. In the meantime, the roofer should tarp the leaking area until they can get back out there.
With your estimate signed, it’s time to repair your roof leak. The Nashville roofer, repair technician, or crew will do the repair per the scope of work on your estimate.
Unless another problem is found once they start, the job should be completed the same day, even if it’s a larger repair. Once it’s done, you now have a roof that shouldn’t leak next time it rains.
Unfortunately, there’s a chance tricky or large roof repairs won’t stop the leak the first time. This is where roofers utilize a water test by taking a hose to run water over the repair.
While it can’t simulate a rainstorm or windy conditions, it helps determine if the leak is still active. Once everything checks out, you can have peace of mind knowing your roof problems are fixed.
But if your leak shows back up, you’ll have a workmanship warranty that ensures they’ll be back out there to take another look.
After reading this article, you know the steps you should take to get your roof leak repaired on your Nashville, TN, home. I understand a roof leak is incredibly stressful, but following these steps will help prevent any more damage.
However, fixing the issue correctly all comes down to the Nashville roofing contractor you hire. Unfortunately, we do not have the bandwidth or workforce to repair roofs for new customers.
But if you need a new roof backed by a lifetime warranty, Request a Quote for a free roof replacement estimate from one of our Roofing Advisors.
If you’re only interested in repairing the roof on your Nashville home, I can still help you, even though we can’t do the work.
Check out 5 Best Roof Repair Companies in Nashville, TN (2025 Update) to get a list of other Nashville roofing companies to consider for roof repairs.