Water leak - what profession to contact

[Denzil Dwelle]

Hi,

I have a unit with a water leak within the wall - an inspection found high water content in the sheetrock.  What profession do I contact to troubleshoot and fix?  A General Contractor?

Thanks.

[Patricia Steiner]

Before you call anyone, can you tell where the leak is coming from?  A leak within a wall can often times be an AC line (I had this), a broken pipe (I've had this), a roof leak (and yes, this too), a vent boot on roof that was damaged allowing rain to enter the roof and run down the wall (you know how I know this, right?).  In each case, the damage is the same but the location can sometimes tell the cause.  If you can't get a good idea on what's happened, it's worth the money to hire a leak detection company to hunt the source down for you.  That way, you fix the problem and only make the repair once.  It's the fastest and least expensive route to go.  Sorry you're dealing with this.  I've felt your pain many times over...