South Gate, CA
Fix the leak before it costs you a ceiling
The expensive part of a roof leak is almost never the roof. It is the insulation, the drywall and the framing that got wet on the way to the ceiling stain.
Describe the repair job
Three questions, then the address. Up to three South Gate contractors who do this work.
You are on the list.
No provider in South Gate is taking requests through this service yet. We are lining them up, and yours is kept until one can.
- Nobody gets your details yet. Your request stays with us and is not passed to any company.
- One email when someone can help. When a provider covering your area can take it on, we email you once and ask whether you want that company, by name, to contact you.
- Deleted after 90 days. If nobody can take it on, or you do not say yes, your contact details are deleted 90 days after your request.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
Nobody will call you about this request unless you say yes to a company by name.
Before you let anybody on the roof
The things worth pinning down on a repair job. A contractor who has not raised them has not looked properly.
- What the repair does to any remaining manufacturer warranty
- Whether matching material is still available in your colour
- Whether the surrounding material has enough life left to be worth tying into
- What it would cost to replace instead, so you can compare like for like
- Where the water is actually getting in, not just where it is showing up
Repairs on a roof with five years left are money well spent. Repairs on a roof with two are usually a deposit on the replacement you are about to buy anyway.
Expect the contractor to want to look before quoting. Anybody willing to price a leak repair over the phone is guessing, and the guess will be high.
The usual culprits, in order: flashing at a wall or chimney, a cracked pipe boot, a valley that was never lined properly, and a nail that backed out. Actual holes in the field of the roof are uncommon.
Locally
The second problem is shaded slopes that never really dry out. The north side of a house here ages years faster than the south side, and almost every roof gets replaced because of it.
About repair here
How much deposit is normal?
A third at most, and never the full amount. Pay the balance when the job is finished and you have walked it. Some states cap the deposit by law.
Do you handle commercial buildings?
Yes. Commercial requests go to contractors who do low-slope and flat systems rather than to residential crews. Say so on the property question and it routes correctly.
It is leaking right now. What do I do?
Contain the water, photograph everything, and get the request in marked as an emergency. A tarp is the right first job. The permanent repair is a separate conversation and a separate price.
Can I just put a new roof over the old one?
Often you legally can, and it is usually a poor idea. Overlaying hides the condition of the decking, adds weight, shortens the life of the new shingles by trapping heat, and doubles the cost of the next tear-off.
What is it going to cost?
Free, no obligation, and your details go to no company until you say yes.