Why can nobody find where my roof is leaking?

Usually because the search started at the stain rather than at the roof. Water travels along battens and beams, so the entry point can be metres from where it appears. The reliable method is to inspect the covering, flashings, drainage and roof space, and use the water trails inside the roof space to narrow down the entry point.

My leak only happens in certain weather. Will an inspection find it?

The inspection looks at the mechanisms that cause wind-driven and heavy-rain leaks: laps, sheet edges, flashings and the wind-facing side of the roof. Those are checked regardless of the weather, because they are the parts that only fail when rain is being driven into them.

Is a roof inspection worth it if the roof is not leaking?

It is the cheapest way to avoid an emergency. Blocked valleys, perished seals and fixings that have lost their grip are inexpensive while they are small, and a condition inspection also tells you how much life is left in the roof before you decide between repair and replacement.

Find it before you fix it

Roof Leak Detection & Roof Inspections

When the rain gets in, we get to work.

The stain on a ceiling is the last place the water arrived, not the first. Between the two there is a batten, a beam or a ceiling void that the water travelled along. Finding the entry point is the difference between a repair that holds and a patch that fails again.

Call Pete: 081 554 9231 WhatsApp Pete

Leak tracingRoof inspectionMaintenanceCondition reports

Why the leak is almost never where the stain is

Water is patient. It enters at a flashing, a cracked tile or a failed lap, then follows the lowest available path — along a batten, down a rafter, across a ceiling board joint — until something stops it or it drops. By the time it reaches a ceiling, it can be several metres from where it came in.

This is why replacing the ceiling board below a stain almost never solves the problem, and why repairing a tile directly above a stain can miss the real entry point entirely.

Wind makes it worse. On a windy site, rain does not fall vertically. It is driven against the roof at an angle, so water reaches laps, sheet edges and flashings that stay completely dry in still air. A leak that only appears in a south-easter or a coastal storm is telling you exactly which side of the roof to inspect.

How a leak is traced

The inspection starts on the roof and works down, not the other way around. The covering is checked for damage, the flashings and joints for failure, the drainage for blockages, and the roof space for the water trail itself.

Staining and tidemarks inside the roof space are the most useful evidence available: they show the direction the water has been travelling, which narrows the entry point down quickly. Fixings, laps and seals are checked by hand, because a fixing that has lost its grip looks fine from a distance.

Covering inspected for cracked, slipped, porous or missing material
Flashings, valleys and penetrations checked for failed seals
Gutters, valleys, outlets and downpipes checked for blockages
Roof space checked for water trails, staining and damp
Fixings and laps checked by hand, not from a distance
The entry point confirmed before any repair is quoted

Inspection and maintenance as prevention

Most of the expensive roof damage we see started as something small: a blocked valley, a perished seal, a fixing that let go. None of those are expensive to deal with while they are still small.

A condition inspection before the rain season is the cheapest way to avoid an emergency callout in the middle of it. It also gives you a clear picture of how much life is left in the roof, which is worth knowing before you decide between repair and replacement.

When a repair is not enough: full re-roofing

Not every roof can be saved with a repair, and pretending otherwise wastes your money. If the covering has gone porous, the sheeting has rusted through, the battens have rotted, or the same area has been repaired repeatedly, the roof has reached the end of its service life.

We arrange the whole job when that happens: strip and dispose of the old covering, replace damaged timber, battens and underlay, and install the new roof in tile, slate, IBR or corrugated sheeting, with new flashings and gutters where they are needed. If a repair will genuinely hold, we would rather do that and say so.

Detection and inspection work we handle

✓

Roof Leak Detection

Tracing water back to the point where it enters the roof structure rather than where it appears inside.

✓

Intermittent Leak Tracing

Leaks that only appear in certain wind directions or during heavy rain, which need the roof inspected in the right conditions.

✓

Roof Condition Inspections

A full look at the covering, flashings, joints, fixings and drainage, and what state each is in.

✓

Pre-Winter Inspections

A check before the rain season, so a weakness is dealt with while the roof is still dry.

✓

Post-Storm Inspections

Hail, wind and impact damage assessed before it turns into a leak.

✓

Roof Maintenance

Clearing, sealing and repairing the small things that become leaks if they are left.

✓

Drainage Checks

Gutters, valleys, outlets and downpipes checked for blockages that push water under the covering.

✓

Penetration Checks

Chimneys, vents, masts and other roof penetrations checked for failed seals and flashings.

✓

Pre-Purchase Roof Checks

A condition view of a roof before a property purchase, so you know what you are taking on.

See all roof repair services

Other roof repair services

Every service below is handled by the same team, so a leak that turns out to be a different problem is not a second appointment.

How urgent is your roof problem?

Choose the rating that best describes the problem. Ratings 7–10 enter the genuine emergency queue. For urgent jobs rated 1–6, Priority Booking can move you ahead by one standard booking when the next non-emergency slot is available.

10My roof has blown off and I can see the moon from my Lazy Boy in the lounge.

9Water is pouring into the house and causing active damage.

8Several rooms are leaking and buckets are everywhere.

7Water is coming through the ceiling whenever it rains.

6The leak is getting noticeably worse.

5New water stains are appearing.

4Damp patches are spreading.

3I have one small damp patch.

2Something does not look right.

1I have noticed a possible early warning sign.

Selected urgency rating: 7/10 — Emergency queue

Priority Booking

Need a faster booking?

Genuine 7/10 to 10/10 emergencies always come first. If your job is urgent but does not qualify for emergency dispatch, Priority Booking can move it ahead by one place in the standard queue and secure the next available non-emergency appointment.

Standard BookingNo scheduling fee. Your report stays in the normal repair queue.Priority Booking — from R1,000Move ahead by one standard booking and take the next available non-emergency slot.

How it works: this is a scheduling and dispatch fee paid to Leaky Roof Repair, separate from the repair quotation. It never moves a job ahead of genuine emergencies. We only charge it after we confirm that a priority slot is available.

Your name

Phone number

Where is the property?What is happening?

WhatsApp Photos Instead

Areas we cover

Roof leak detection and inspection dispatch across South Africa’s major cities.

Cape TownLeaky roof repair in Cape Town → DurbanLeaky roof repair in Durban → JohannesburgLeaky roof repair in Johannesburg → PretoriaLeaky roof repair in Pretoria → East LondonLeaky roof repair in East London → BloemfonteinLeaky roof repair in Bloemfontein → Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)Leaky roof repair in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) →

Leak detection and inspection terms we help with

The roof leak detection and roof inspection problems property owners search for.

roof leak detection
roof leak detection and repair
roof leak detection services
roof leak detection specialists
roof leak detection company
roof leak inspection
roof leak inspection near me
finding a roof leak
finding roof leaks
find roof leak
how to find a roof leak
leak tracing
tracing a roof leak
water ingress
water ingress repair
roof inspection
roof inspections
roof condition inspection
roof inspection and repair
roof damage inspection
roof assessment
roof maintenance
roof maintenance services
roof maintenance company
roof maintenance and repairs
roof maintenance near me
preventative roof maintenance
annual roof inspection
roof leak inspection service
roof check
pre purchase roof inspection
post storm roof inspection

Need help with a leaking roof?

Call Pete on 081 554 9231 or send a WhatsApp message with your location and photos of the problem.

Call Pete WhatsApp Pete