When rainwater gets into a building, the first inclination for most people is to call a roofer. After all, the roof is supposed to keep out the rain, right? There are three reasons why this may not be the best approach.

First, leaks are often not a roof problem at all. We once inspected a Bel Air estate that had over two dozen separate leaks! Only one of these turned out to be a defect in the roofing, and once found it was easily patched in less than 5 minutes. The other leaks were all from other causes: deck railings, downspouts, siding etc. Some other common causes are chimneys, vent pipes, gutters, skylights and architectural trim. In water-damage lawsuits, there is often a lot of finger-pointing between the various building trades as to who is responsible for the leaks.

Second, finding the exact source of a rain leak is a specialized skill that requires analysis, some unique techniques, a working knowledge of many trades and most important of all, patience. This just doesn’t fit the roofer’s business model. To make a profit the roofer must keep his crews busy, and if the job doesn’t require a partial or full replacement of the roof, he’s losing money.

Third is the environmental as well as monetary cost of a roof replacement instead of a roof repair. See our complete statement on that issue here.

You may have heard the old saying: When your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. We work very closely with roofers and the vast majority of them are honest and competent, but there is a tendency to believe that replacing the roof will cure the leaks, before finding out exactly what’s causing them. Fortunately, more and more roofers are now calling us in first to make that determination. And of course if the problem turns out to be the roof and requires more than a quick patch, we refer it back to a roofing specialist with the complete details.

Rain Leak Pros found the leaks, fixed them and repaired all of the damage with relative ease. I'll highly recommend your company.
P. K.

We no longer cringe when is rains! Thanks guys.
B. H.

We struggled with the roofer blaming the skylights, the electrician and others including the pigeons. RLP found and fixed them. Three years later now and we are leak free.
P. W.

That drip had been there for years, even after a new roof. What a relief to have it handled.
HK, Pasadena

Thank you so much! Those leaks were driving me so crazy I thought I'd have to move. MA, Beverly Hills.

With the owner, the chimney mason and roofer all pointing fingers, your report helped to put sanity into the situation. I highly recommend your services.
JF, Contractor