What to do right now, before we get there
- Get people and pets away from the area and stay off the roof. More people are hurt after a roof failure than during one.
- Kill power to the affected rooms at the breaker if water is anywhere near a light fixture, ceiling fan, or outlet.
- Move what you can, cover what you cannot. Plastic sheeting or a tarp over furniture beats trying to save it later.
- Put a bucket under it, and pierce a bulging ceiling. A ceiling holding water is a ceiling about to come down all at once. A small hole at the low point drains it in a controlled way into a bucket. This feels wrong and it is right.
- Photograph everything before you clean up. Wide shots of the room, close shots of the damage, and the time and date. If this becomes a claim, this is the evidence nobody can recreate later.
What we do when we arrive
We make it safe and we make it stop. That usually means a properly fastened emergency tarp or a targeted temporary repair at the entry point, photographs of the failure before we cover it, and a clear explanation of what caused it and what the permanent repair is. Stabilisation is not the repair. It stops the damage getting worse while the real work gets scoped and scheduled.
Arlington specifics
Older bungalows and Capes on tight lots, many with more than one existing roof layer. Multiple layers hide where water actually enters and slow down finding it. Tight lots and street parking mean we plan access before the truck arrives rather than after.
We cover Clarendon, Ballston, Lyon Park, Cherrydale, Westover and Arlington Ridge, across 22201, 22203, 22204, 22205, 22207.
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Questions people ask at 11pm
What counts as a roofing emergency?
Active water entering the house, structural damage, a tree or limb on the roof, a section of roof or membrane that has come off, or anything that is going to get materially worse before a normal appointment. Missing shingles with no water coming in is urgent but it is not an emergency, and we will tell you that rather than charging you emergency rates for it.
Will you come out at night or in a storm?
We prioritise active-water calls and we tell you honestly on the phone whether we can reach you safely, and when. Nobody goes on a roof in lightning, high wind or ice — a crew that promises that is either lying or unsafe. If we cannot get there tonight, we tell you what to do in the meantime, on the call, for free.
Do you charge for the emergency call?
Emergency stabilisation is chargeable work and we tell you the basis before we dispatch, not after. The follow-up inspection and the written photo report for the permanent repair are free.
Once the water has stopped
Storm damage? How a Virginia roof insurance claim works and how to spot hail damage. Planning the permanent repair? What actually drives roof replacement cost here.
Other emergency services in Arlington: Roof Leak Repair · Storm Damage Emergency Response · Emergency Roof Tarping.