Step 1: Protect the interior. Move valuables away from the affected area. Lay containers under drips. Note the approximate interior drip location — it helps the roofer.
Step 2: Isolate electrical hazards. If water is near electrical fittings, switch the circuit off at the consumer unit and keep it off until confirmed dry. Water near electrics is the most serious immediate risk from a roof leak.
Step 3: Call a roofer. For an active storm leak, call an emergency roofer. We cover Inverness and Highland 24 hours a day. Describe what you can see — location, volume, any visible ground-level damage.
Do not go on the roof yourself. A wet roof is a slip hazard. A storm-damaged roof is structurally unpredictable. Do not apply sealant. Sealant on a wet surface in rain does not bond correctly, and even correct sealant application on Highland roofs fails within 1–2 winters without addressing the physical failure.
Where water is appearing inside (ceiling, wall, loft), when it started (during rain or after), whether there has been any storm or high wind, and whether you have seen any visible ground-level damage (tiles, ridge pieces, guttering). This shapes what materials we bring and how we prioritise the visit.
Storm damage, active leak, emergency call-out. No call-out fee. We cover Inverness and Highland any time. Call 01463 262835.
Call 01463 262835Once the emergency is resolved, arrange a full survey. Most active leaks are symptoms of failure that has been developing for months or years. The visible interior drip point is almost never the roof entry point. A full survey identifies the actual failure and prevents recurrence.
Based on our emergency call-outs across Inverness and Highland, the most common causes in frequency order are: ridge tile displacement or mortar failure (particularly on post-war concrete tile estates after named storms); lead flashing failure at chimney or dormer junctions; nail-sick tile displacement on 1960s–70s Dalneigh, Smithton and Hilton properties in any significant wind event; Velux flashing collar failure, particularly on 1990s–2000s properties in Inshes and Cradlehall; and flat roof membrane failure on aged felt extensions and garages across the city.
Identifying which type of failure you have shapes the urgency and the make-safe approach. A single displaced ridge tile in calm post-storm conditions is urgent but not a same-night emergency. Three nail-sick tiles down from a front pitch with a 30mph gust forecast is a same-day emergency. Describing what you can see from ground level when you call helps us calibrate the response correctly.
Once make-safe is complete and the interior is protected from further water ingress, we provide a written report on the same visit covering: what we found, what make-safe work was completed, photographs of both the damage and the completed make-safe, and an estimate for permanent repair. For insurance claims, this document is what your insurer needs. For budgeting, the permanent repair estimate is the cost to plan for in the coming weeks. We schedule permanent repair within 5–10 working days of the make-safe visit in most cases, subject to material availability and weather windows.
While waiting for the emergency team, the most effective interior protection is a combination of waterproof sheeting (a heavy-duty builders polythene sheet or an emergency tarp placed over ceiling-level furniture and flooring in the affected room), containers positioned under active drips, and towels or absorbent material at the perimeter to catch any water running down the walls from the ceiling junction. Do not use bed sheets or cotton fabric — they absorb and wick water further than the original drip zone. Waterproof is the requirement.
If you have access to the loft void and it is safe to enter (no obvious structural damage visible from the hatch, no active major water flow), a heavy-duty black bag or polythene sheet laid over the saturated insulation around the entry point will reduce the rate of drip-through to the ceiling below. This does not stop the leak at the roof level — it only slows the interior consequence. It is a worthwhile 10-minute action while you wait for the team to arrive.
Electrical safety is the only non-negotiable priority — if there is any possibility that water has reached an electrical fitting (light, socket, ceiling rose, extractor), switch the circuit off at the consumer unit before doing anything else. Water and live electrical fittings are a life-safety risk that overrides all other considerations.
"Active leak during a January storm. Called at 11pm. Advice by phone exactly as this article describes. Make-safe done by 7am, before the next rain."
"Slow drip from the ceiling, no obvious storm. Survey found the flashing had been failing silently for two years — entry point was 4 metres from the drip."
Whatever the roofing question, the right starting point is a professional survey carried out by a roofer who knows Highland conditions and the local housing stock. A survey costs nothing when combined with any roofing project, and £95–£150 as a standalone assessment. The written condition report that follows gives you a clear picture of the current state of your roof, what needs to happen and in what sequence, and what the costs will be.
We have been carrying out roof surveys, repairs and replacements across Inverness and Highland since 2003. NFRC registered. £5m public liability insurance. 10-year workmanship guarantee on all work. Free, no-obligation surveys across the full Highland area. Call 01463 262835 to arrange a visit, or use the contact form on our homepage. We aim to confirm survey appointments within one working day.
For a free survey across Inverness and all of Highland, call 01463 262835. We attend survey appointments within 3–5 working days for non-emergency work. Written quotes are provided within 24 hours of the survey visit. We carry NFRC registration, £5m public liability insurance, and offer a 10-year workmanship guarantee on all roofing work. No call-out fees, no obligation to proceed. If you have read this guide and have a specific question about your property, call us directly — we are happy to advise before you commit to any work.
Protect the interior, isolate electrical circuits near water, call a roofer. Do not go on the roof yourself.
An active storm leak admitting significant water is an emergency. A slow drip after rain may be urgent but not necessarily a same-night call. Call 01463 262835 — we advise on urgency from your description.
Storm damage: may be covered. Slow leaks from gradual deterioration: typically excluded. Call your insurer after the emergency is resolved.
Emergency make-safe: same day. Permanent repair: typically 5–10 working days depending on material availability and weather.
Water entry and exit are rarely the same point. Water tracks along roof timbers and exits at the lowest point. The survey finds where it is entering.
Not recommended — sealant applied to wet roofing in rain does not bond correctly and fails within one to two Highland winters. Temporary interior protection (containers, towels, covering furniture) is the correct homeowner response. The physical repair requires roof access and correct materials.
Interior protection — containers under drips, waterproof sheets over sensitive items. Do not go on the roof. Call us for emergency response. We carry temporary protection materials (heavyweight tarp, temporary lead seal) for immediate make-safe on arrival.
No call-out fee. Written assessment within 24 hours. No obligation quote before any work starts.
Written quote, itemised by scope and materials. The price we quote is the price you pay.
Written workmanship guarantee. Specified for Highland conditions — not southern UK average specification.
Based in Inverness. Our team surveys your Inverness property and does the work — no subcontractors.
No call-out fee. No obligation.
01463 262835