If water is coming in right now
The first hour is about the inside of the house. Turn off the breaker for any wet ceiling fan or light. Set a bucket under the drip with a towel in it to stop the splash. Move electronics, rugs and furniture, or cover them with plastic. If the drywall bulges, poke a small hole at the low point over the bucket so the water drains instead of pulling the ceiling down. Then photograph the ceiling, the wet floor and anything damaged before you clean up.
Stay off the roof while it is wet. If wind stripped part of the roof or a branch punched through it, call (407) 970-9746 and ask for a tarp. Our roof leak guide has the full checklist, including how to look for the drip trail in your attic with a flashlight.
Where do Orlando roofs usually leak?
Heat, UV and near-daily summer storms wear out the same parts on every roof type in Central Florida. The material you have tells us where to look first.
| Roof type | Where we usually find the leak |
|---|---|
| Architectural shingle | Shingles with broken seal strips after wind, nail pops, worn-out ridge caps |
| Concrete or clay tile | Underlayment that has aged out under intact-looking tile, cracked or slipped tiles, mortar at hips and ridges |
| Flat or low-slope | Open seams, ponding over a porch or addition, the edge where the flat roof meets the pitched one |
| Any roof, at flashing | Wall and chimney flashing that has pulled loose, missing kick-out flashing above a gutter end |
| Any roof, at pipe boots | Rubber collars around plumbing vents that the sun has cracked open |
| Any roof, at skylights | Failed curb flashing or a cracked lens seal on older dome units |
| Any roof, at valleys | Debris dams from oak leaves and pine needles, worn metal or underlayment where two slopes meet |
Shingle roofs. A shingle that has lost its seal can flap in a gust and let rain blow under it, even if it looks flat from the yard. Older shingle roofs also get nail pops, where a nail backs out and pushes up the shingle above it.
Tile roofs. Concrete tile sheds most of the rain, but the underlayment beneath it keeps the house dry. When that layer gets old, a tile roof can leak in several places at once with no broken tile in sight. Replacing a few cracked tiles will not stop that kind of leak. See our tile roofing page for how we handle underlayment.
Flat roofs. Many Orlando homes have a low-slope Florida room, carport or rear addition tied into a pitched roof. Water sits on those sections after a storm, and the tie-in seam fails first. Our flat roofing page covers the repair and re-cover options.
How does Assure-U trace a roof leak?
We do not quote a leak from the driveway. Each visit follows the same steps.
- The attic. We find the wet insulation or stained decking and follow the water uphill along the rafters to where it enters. We mark the spot and photograph it from below.
- The roof. We go to the matching spot outside and inspect every part that could let water in there, including flashing, boots, fasteners, tile and seams.
- Water testing when the source is unclear. For leaks that only show in wind-driven rain, we run a hose over one section at a time, starting low and working up, while someone watches the attic. Water that shows up in the attic tells us which section is letting it in.
- The photo report. You get photos of the entry point, the damaged decking if any, and the part that failed, with a written repair price.
If the leak has stopped and you want it checked before the next storm, book a free roof inspection.
How much does roof leak repair cost in Orlando?
These are our typical Orlando prices. You get a written price before any work starts.
| Situation | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Emergency tarp to stop water while the roof dries | $300 to $1,200 |
| Common leak repair, such as a pipe boot, flashing, lifted shingles or a small decking spot | $350 to $1,500 |
| Major leak repair, such as rotten decking, a valley rebuild or tile underlayment in one area | $1,500 to $5,000 |
A leak caught in its first few storms usually lands in the common repair range. A leak that ran for months often means wet insulation and soft plywood, and that moves the job into the major range.
When does a leak mean you need a new roof?
Some leaks are a symptom of a roof that has worn out. We tell you so when the evidence points that way:
- New leaks keep appearing in different rooms, a sign the roof is failing as a whole.
- Tile underlayment has aged out across several slopes instead of one area.
- The decking is soft in several places when we walk the roof.
- The shingles are brittle and crack when we lift one to repair the one next to it.
In those cases a repair buys months, not years. Our roof replacement service explains the process and pricing, and the repair vs replacement guide walks through the decision. If a large share of one roof section needs work, Florida's 25% rule may also come into play.
Does insurance cover a roof leak repair?
Insurance turns on the cause of the leak. A windstorm that tears off shingles is the kind of sudden damage policies generally cover. A pipe boot that cracked from age is maintenance. If you suspect storm damage, tell your insurer soon. The state deadline to report a new claim is one year from the day of the storm.
Our photo report shows what failed and where, which helps when you talk to your adjuster. We do not decide coverage, and Florida law bars any contractor from offering to pay or waive your deductible. For the details, read does homeowners insurance cover roof replacement in Florida and what to do after roof storm damage.
Why call Assure-U for a leak
We have worked from our East Orlando office on Scallion Court since 2004, under license CCC1326792. Our own crew traces and repairs the leak, so the person on your roof works for us. If a new pipe boot stops the leak, that is the repair we quote. For repairs that are not leaks, such as wind damage with no water inside yet, see our roof repair service.
