Emergency and leak repair
Emergency roof repair and roof leak repair when water is coming in
Water dripping through a ceiling is frightening. Call us. You will reach a real person or get a call back, and we will tell you honestly what can be done tonight and what has to wait for daylight.
Recent leak repair jobs
Project galleryMobley Brothers Roofing & Renovation answers roofing calls day or night from two offices, Lebanon for Middle Tennessee and Knoxville for East Tennessee. Emergency roof repair and everyday roof leak repair are the calls that start most of our relationships, and owners Mike and David Mobley have been taking those calls since 2007.
This page explains what happens when you call at night, what you can do to protect the inside of your home while you wait, and how we track a leak to its real source so the roof leak repair actually holds.
Emergency roof repair at a glance
Here is the short version, with no promises we cannot keep.
- Calls answered or returned day or night: call either office
- If we cannot pick up right away, leave a message and we return calls
- We talk you through protecting the inside of your home on the phone
- On-site response depends on weather and safe working conditions
- Temporary protection first when it is safe, permanent repair once the weather allows
- Photos of what we find, so you can see the problem and the fix
What happens when you call at night
Day or night, the phone gets answered. Mike has picked up his phone at 10:30 at night. When a call comes in, we try to answer it live. If we are on another call, you can leave a message, and we call back as soon as we are off the line, before you have to go looking for somebody else. People want to talk to a person when water is coming in, and we know it.
Here is the honest part. There is not much anyone can safely do on a roof in the middle of the night. If it is still lightning, we are not going to send a worker up a ladder in the storm, and nobody can stop rain from coming in while it is pouring. What we can do right away is help you limit the damage inside, look at a photo of the leak if you can send one, and get to you as quickly as conditions allow, usually starting with the next safe window.
Some nights we have sent people out after dark, for example when a homeowner was on their own and did not know what to do. We will always do what we can. We will not promise an arrival time we cannot keep, because a promise like that is how people get hurt.
What to do while you wait for emergency roof repair
These are the same steps we walk homeowners through on the phone. Your safety comes first; do not climb onto a wet roof.
- If you can reach the attic safely, put a bucket or container under the drip to catch water before it reaches the ceiling
- Move furniture, electronics, and rugs out from under the leak and put a bucket on the floor
- If the ceiling drywall starts to bulge with a water bubble, put a bucket underneath and poke a small hole in the center of the bubble with a ballpoint pen so the water drains out instead of bringing the ceiling down. A small hole is easy to fix; a collapsed ceiling is not
- Take photos of the ceiling, the attic, and anything damaged, and text them to us if you can
- If a tree has come through the roof or the structure looks unsafe, get everyone out and call 911 first
- Call your insurance company if the damage came from a storm or a falling tree
Temporary protection and emergency roof tarping
Once conditions are safe to get on the roof, the first goal is to keep more water out. Depending on the damage, that may mean a tarp over the open area, sealing a lifted piece of flashing, or a quick fix on a failed pipe boot. A temporary fix buys time so the permanent repair can be done properly, with the right materials, in dry weather.
We will tell you which parts of the work are temporary and which are the finished repair, and we photograph both. If the storm damaged a large area, the photos also become part of the documentation for an insurance claim.
Roof leak repair starts with finding the real source
Water travels. A stain over the kitchen can start several feet uphill at a valley, a vent, or a chimney. The most common complaint we hear from homeowners is that other companies came out, patched something, and the leak kept coming. The fix only works if you find where the water actually gets in.
Our repair technicians get on the roof and, when needed, into the attic. We have traced leaks to ridge vents another contractor cut in without shingling back over the nails. We have followed a ceiling leak to vents where only one of several was leaking through the drywall and the rest were leaking elsewhere. We show you the proof: the nail where the water enters, the cracked boot, the gap in the flashing.
Sometimes the answer is that it is not the roof at all. We have found stopped-up air conditioning condensate lines overflowing in the attic, and moisture from cooking and showers trapped in an attic that is not venting properly. When that is the case, we tell you, and you do not pay for a roof repair you do not need.
Common roof leak sources and how we fix them
Most roof leak repair calls come down to a short list of weak points. This is what we check and what the usual fix looks like.
| Leak source | What we look for | Typical repair |
|---|---|---|
| Pipe boots | Cracked or dry-rotted rubber around plumbing vents | Replace the boot and reseal the shingles around it |
| Valleys | Debris holding water, worn or damaged shingles, flashing problems | Clear the valley, repair flashing, replace damaged shingles |
| Chimneys | Loose, missing, or poorly installed flashing where roof meets masonry | Reflash and seal the chimney |
| Ridge vents | Bent vents or exposed nails after wind or poor installation | Replace the vent and cover fasteners properly |
| Skylights | Failed flashing or a failing unit | Reflash, or replace the skylight when flashing will not solve it |
| Storm damage | Missing, creased, or lifted shingles | Replace and seal shingles, matching as closely as possible |
| Not the roof | AC condensate overflow, attic humidity, poor ventilation | We explain the real cause and point you to the right fix |
When the emergency comes from a storm
Wind, hail, and falling limbs cause many of the urgent calls we get. After the immediate leak is under control, a storm-damaged roof deserves a full inspection, because damage in one spot often means damage elsewhere. Our team includes a HAAG Certified Inspector for residential roofs, and we photograph and document what we find.
We do not chase storms or knock on doors. After big hail seasons, crews from all over the country roll in and are gone within months. We are still here, repairing some of that work years later. If your damage may be covered, we can help you understand the process, though no contractor can promise what an insurance company will decide.
Worth knowing
Call either office for emergency roof repair or roof leak repair
Whether the ceiling is dripping tonight or a stain has been growing for weeks, call the office closest to you. We will help you protect the inside of the house now, then find the source and make a roof leak repair that lasts. If the roof turns out to be at the end of its life, we will tell you that honestly too, and repair it in the meantime if we can.
Middle Tennessee, Lebanon office: (615) 455-3131. East Tennessee, Knoxville office: (865) 205-0800.
Request a free estimate
A few details help us send the right person. If water is coming in right now, call instead.
Google reviews
What customers say
Lebanon 4.9 stars from 94 · Knoxville 4.9 stars from 286 reviews
“Discovered a roof leak on Wednesday. Called Mobley Brothers after hours ( expecting to leave a voicemail for someone to call me back the following day. Mike immediately returned my call the same night and I explained my issue. I received a call from administrative manager Laura early Thursday morning letting me know The site manager Tony would inspect my roof at 9am that same morning.”
“We had an emergency during a stormy week with a leak and they were quick to respond with a temporary fix and showed up promptly the week following for a permanent fix. They were both professional and reliable and did a great job with the repairs.”
“Tony got on the roof and documented everything with photos. I had the photos sent to me on my phone at work within minutes of him getting off the roof. Tony had found a broken shingle, which didn't appear to be an easy thing to spot (judging by the photos).”
Certifications and accreditations
All 15 credentials and programsFAQ
Questions homeowners ask
Straight answers, the way we would give them on your driveway. If yours is not here, call the office and ask.
More questions we get askedDo you really answer the phone at night for emergency roof repair?
Yes. Our phones are answered or returned day or night. If we cannot pick up live, leave a message and we call back as soon as we are off the line. What we cannot always do is put someone on the roof at midnight in a storm, because it is not safe.
How fast can you get to my house for a roof leak?
It depends on the weather, the time of day, and how many calls came in with the same storm, so we do not promise a set arrival time. On-site response depends on weather and safe working conditions. We will talk you through protecting your home right away and schedule the first safe visit we can.
What should I do if my ceiling is bulging with water?
Put a bucket under the bulge and poke a small hole in the center with a ballpoint pen so the water drains out in a controlled way. That relieves the weight before the drywall gives way. A small hole is easy to patch later, while a collapsed ceiling means much bigger repairs. Then call us and send a photo if you can.
Can you tarp my roof in an emergency?
Yes, once it is safe to work on the roof we can put temporary protection in place, including tarping an open or damaged area. Temporary protection keeps more water out until the permanent roof leak repair can be done in dry weather. We photograph the damage while we are up there.
Why does my roof keep leaking after other companies fixed it?
Usually because the repair treated the stain instead of the source. Water can enter at a valley, vent, or chimney and travel before it shows inside. We inspect the roof and the attic when needed, find where water actually gets in, and show you photos of the cause and the fix.
Could my leak be something other than the roof?
Yes, and we will tell you when it is. We have found overflowing air conditioning condensate lines in attics, and moisture trapped by poor attic ventilation that looks like a roof leak on the ceiling. If it is not a roofing problem, you will not be sold a roofing repair.
Is a roof leak covered by insurance?
Sometimes. Sudden damage from wind, hail, or a falling tree may be covered, while wear and age usually are not. We cannot promise any claim result, but we can inspect, photograph, and document the damage, and our insurance claims page explains how we help homeowners through the process.
Related services
Verify us
- Ready.gov severe weather safetyFederal guidance on staying safe during and after storms
- National Roofing Contractors AssociationIndustry education for homeowners
- Tennessee license verificationLook up Tennessee contractor license 59116
- BBB profile, Knoxville office
Two offices
- Lebanon112 Tirzah Street, Lebanon, TN 37087(615) 455-3131
- Knoxville10440 Laurel Pointe Lane, Knoxville, TN 37931(865) 205-0800
Trusted like family.
Tell us what you are seeing. We will find the real problem.
Free estimates, photos of what we find, and a written proposal before any work starts. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week, with calls answered or returned day or night. On-site response depends on weather and safe working conditions.
Middle TennesseeLebanon office
(615) 455-3131East TennesseeKnoxville office
(865) 205-0800