Leaking Roof, next steps?

[Chait Borade]

I had my roof replaced in 2020. We just had a heavy rainfall over the past week and my tenant notified me that their is water leaking through the ceiling into their laundry room. I checked the attic and and there is water damage from a 2 year old roof! There is no external damage i.e. tree falling down etc...

Who do I get involved to get the roof repaired? The original contractor who installed the roof? Or someone else to address the issue asap? I was also told at the time of installation that the shingles have a life time warranty, not sure how that comes into play here. Additionally, can I hold the roof installer responsible for the water damage? Has anyone ran into the same issue? Appreciate any insight.  

Thanks - Chait 

[Wesley W.]

I would contact the roofer immediately and demand they fix the issue.  Once the repair is made, I would file a claim with their insurance for the damage.

If they give you any pushback (which they are guaranteed to do), tell them you are going to shout from the highest rooftop about your experience with their company:  Yelp, Google reviews, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.  You will share your story at the workplace water cooler, dinner parties, the local coffee shop.  Tell them you will construct a banner and hang it from your property, stating "ABC roofing installed this roof two years ago, and it leaks.  Avoid them, because they will leave you high and NOT dry!"

[Bob Stevens]

1ST thing you need to do is hire a PM co, 2nd call the ones who installed it 

Good Luck 

[Kevin Manafi]

@Chait Borade I would definitely call the roofer who did the installation first and have them come back to take a look at it. If you just recently had it installed ~2 years ago, I have to imagine there's a warranty on it both from the roofer and the shingles. Either way, that company should be your first call, and then go from there.

[Sergey A. Petrov]

Check your warranty period (on labor) and call the roofer. I’ve lived, owned, and managed in Anchorage. It is not always the shingles that can be the issue. Is your attic properly vented and insulated? The warmth from the attic can melt the bottom layer of the snow on the roof, it then freezes when temperatures drop creating an expanding effect and lifting the shingles just enough for the water to get through. This one is very common and often overlooked in Anchorage from what I recall. Wouldn’t be the roofer’s issue. If your was replaced 2 years ago you went through 2 winters. Penetrations may not have been properly flashed. Did you have a third party inspect the new roof after the install?

[Jerry V.]

Shheeeezzzz ... Get all riled up because of a small roof leak!? lolol  Come on people (Bob), get a grip, and have common sense.  Mistakes DO happen, even to the best of us.

Yes, of course call the Contractor.  They will probably fix things.  As far as any inside repairs, "legally" I'm pretty sure they aren't responsible for that but, see what they'll work out. (being "nice" about things goes a long way!)

As Sergey said above, "Ice and Water" membrane are very important, especially in a place as wet as AL.  That IS the roofers responsibility, and should have been used, along all the perimeter edges, valleys, rakes down the walls, and such areas (if not on the whole roof!).  If they didn't use it, then ... "I" would have them redo things! lol

And the "lifetime" warranty on any brand of shingles... is mis-leading marketing hype from the manufacturers.  Most now claim "limited-lifetime warranty" on the shingles. Which simply means, they warranty their product against manufacturing "defects" for xxx.  That does not include longevity, wear and tear, major storms (usually not winds 60+ mph) etc...

Have more questions?  Simply send a message, happy to help.  ( J's Roofing )

[Noah Loveless]

Hey Chait,

I’m an Anchorage as well and one of my units in a four-plex had the same issue after this almost record breaking rain recently. 

I called about 8 roofing companies and all we’re about a few weeks out even for emergency repair. So I trapped thee section of the roof myself(make sure it goes over the ridge). 

This is what I would do if I were you. Call your roofer and if he’s not available call roofers until you find one to come help. Then tarp the roof as we are to get more rain soon. 

I ended up getting ahold of Anchor Ridge Roofing and there were able to come diagnose and patch the roof (chimney flashing to be specific).

Good luck

[Sergey A. Petrov]

If you are still under warranty with your original roofer, another roofer going up there and doing repairs will most likely void your original warranty 

[Keenan Fitzpatrick]

I've had 3 leaks in a roof that's less than a year old. If your roof is a shingle roof then it is probably an easy repair. If it's a flat roof then maybe it's an easy repair. My situation is a complete failure and I'm contacting an attorney to get refunded so I can replace the entire roof. You can DM me if you'd like to talk more about it. I've dealt with various similar issues like this and can help get you pointed in the right direction. 

[Chait Borade]

Thank you all for the response. 

The roofer who did my job is not answering my calls or messages. I used Alaskan Armor to do the roof.

I have a shingle roof and upon inspection of the attic, the water has penetrated the underlying wood and studs. I have tarped the section of the roof that I believe is leaking. From the roof surface its hard to identify where the water is finding its way through.  

I am also having a hard time finding a roofer to come and address this issue. I was going to notify my home owner insurance and go through them. Feeling pretty helpless right now as we are expecting more rain and winter will be here in few months. 

@Noah Loveless I will try Anchor Ridge and see if they can squeeze me in their schedule

@Keenan Fitzpatrick, I will dm you since I am considering contacting an attorney.

[Mike Hern]

Quote from @Chait Borade:

Thank you all for the response. 

The roofer who did my job is not answering my calls or messages. I used Alaskan Armor to do the roof.

I have a shingle roof and upon inspection of the attic, the water has penetrated the underlying wood and studs. I have tarped the section of the roof that I believe is leaking. From the roof surface its hard to identify where the water is finding its way through.  

I am also having a hard time finding a roofer to come and address this issue. I was going to notify my home owner insurance and go through them. Feeling pretty helpless right now as we are expecting more rain and winter will be here in few months. 

@Noah Loveless I will try Anchor Ridge and see if they can squeeze me in their schedule

@Keenan Fitzpatrick, I will dm you since I am considering contacting an attorney.

 Could you all send some of that extra water to us here in Arizona? It'd be right friendly of you.

First, water has a way of finding entry. It could be something as easy as a missing flashing around a vent pipe or a shingle that got blown off in the storm. Depending on the type of roof and your ability to overcome your vertigo, you might take a hose up on the roof and have someone in the attic watch for drips. Keep in mind that water can travel a distance under the shingles before entering the attic. That way you can determine if it's a big problem or something obvious. I do't think a call to an attorney is going to help much. 

Also, if you make an insurance claim, it goes into a database and going forward, both you and the house will see the insurance costs rise regardless of the carrier you change to. So, make sure it's real damage before even calling your insurance agent. (Advice from my insurance agent. ;-)

[Sebastian Hernandez]

I suggest you start by contacting the roofer who installed the roof originally. They should inspect and determine the cause of the leak. If the cause was a faulty installation, you should have a discussion with them so they can resolve the issue. Obviously if the cause was something else, then that will be a separate expense. Then you need to call a local contractor/handyman to replace the affected areas because the sheet-rock could get mold if you do not replace it. 

[Sergey A. Petrov]

your insurance likely won't pay that claim. it is a water leak. i do hear from my friends that are still in Anchorage that there was a heavy rainfall but don't believe it rises to the level of an insurable event. how expensive was the roof project? legal fees might exceed your "re-doing it right efforts" very very quickly and not get you the results you want. having another roofer come look makes little sense because the new roofer will most certainly say the prior roofer didn't do the job right. an independent review might be warranted (will cost you a few hundred bucks) but, at the end of the day, you may or may not be able to collect from the original roofer. Anchorage is a fairly small community so unless it was a major commercial project, your best bet is trying to work something out with the original roofer however you get a hold of them or just moving on and writing it off to "project gone wrong"

[Dustin P.]

I would call the roofer who did the install 2 years ago and have him come check it out. It's probably something small like Mike said if it was just recently redone. It may be a couple hundred bucks fix if it's something like that (I had a similar issue on a rental, flashing around a vent)

[Jerry V.]

@Chait Borade  Advice, don't call or file a claim with the ins co.  You won't get any money (repairs should be WELL under your Deductible amount) and it will be a claim on the policy then.

Yes, tarping it for now is good.  Be sure to install the tarp Over the upper ridge if possible, or at least "under" an upper row of shingles.  Gotta look at and understand how the water flows!

It's too bad that Roofer may be gone-gone.  It happens in our industry :(  Yes, if you have someone else up there it will probably void any warranty from the original job but, if that person/company isn't responding anyway, then guess that doesn't matter!  Remember though, "life" does happen too... We take time off, people do get sick, other life emergencies happen and your not available ... just giving them a chance is all! haha

But it'll probably come down to a workmanship issue.  I wouldn't worry about any "mold" as, it would have to be leaking for a long time in the same place, for any mold to take hold.

Message me if you have any other questions.  Sorry, I/we are a long way from AL!  (Dallas, TX area)  J's Roofing

[Bruce Woodruff]

Try and get the original Contr to return and fix his problem. If you involve another Contr, you're just opening up a can of worms..

Something that most homeowners don't know is that wonderful sounding 40 year warranty is on the shingles only. GAF or ? will drop off a box/pallet of shingles and that's your warranty. Right, @Jerry V. ?

[Jerry V.]

@Bruce Woodruff  Well... any initial warranty stated from the manufacturer, like GAF, is only ... their warranty against "defects" from the factory.  It's simply a marketing gimmick, sad to say.  Remember, they used to be called 30, 40, 50yr shingles etc... now most of them state "limited lifetime" warranty!  That does NOT apply to longevity or workmanship etc... Thus is sooo important to find a good Contractor.  Any in OUR area, call us! hahaha  For others, fly us out there, we'll work something out for sure! :D

[Bruce Lynn]

Chances are my roofer would fix that for free within a day or two.  For sure he would be out to look and put a temporary fix in place, probably same day.

Sometimes a fair charge might be in order depending on what they find....could be any number of things.....

#1 Call your roofer. #2 Call your insurance company depending on Rule #1.