Inside the house, right away
- Get people and pets out of the room. A sagging ceiling can give way.
- If the electrical panel is dry and you can reach it without walking through water, cut the power to the wet area. If it is wet or out of reach, do not touch it and tell the roofer, or an electrician.
- Place containers under the water and move aside whatever can be moved.
- Photograph what you see, even quickly.
- Look outside through a window. Walking around the property waits until the wind has died down, away from any wire on the ground and any leaning tree.
A person in danger, downed power lines, a smell of gas: you leave the house and call 911.
Emergency, or next-day visit
A leak does not always call for a night-time call. It is an emergency when a few more hours would clearly make the damage worse or put someone in danger.
- Water is coming in faster than you can empty the containers.
- A section of roof covering is gone and the roof is bare.
- A tree, or a good-sized branch, has fallen on the house.
- The ceiling is bending and could fall.
- Water is running onto wiring, a light fixture or the electrical panel.
- A metal sheet or a piece of the roof is hanging over an entrance or a walkway.
Everything else is handled quickly, but in daylight. Write to us through the form, and say it is urgent.
The two calls to make
A roofer who handles emergencies. Say whether the roof is flat or sloped, how many storeys the building has, what you are seeing and since what time. Ask when the roofer can arrive and how the work will be billed.
Your insurer. Reach your insurer without delay and ask what steps to take in the meantime. Only your insurer can say what your policy covers. Keep your photos.
That night, then in daylight
In an emergency, the roofer does not redo the roof but cuts off the water's path. Depending on the roof, the roofer stretches a tarp, closes a hole, clears a drain or removes a piece about to fall.
A roofer who comes out after normal hours does not climb up at any cost. Freezing rain, strong gusts, lightning and darkness rule out work at height. The roofer then starts by protecting the inside and goes up when the weather calms down.
The roofer then comes back in daylight to assess the damage and give you a written proposal for a lasting repair. You can compare it with other quotes.
When everyone calls at once
A wind or freezing rain event hits many roofs at once, and roofers are swamped. Expect to hold out for a few hours inside with your buckets and towels.
In the days that follow, strangers sometimes ring the doorbell offering to make repairs on the spot. Sign nothing without the contractor's licence number. In Quebec, a construction contractor must hold a licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ, Quebec's building authority), and the RBQ's public register can be consulted online.
Frequently asked questions
Will a roofer come in the middle of the night?
Some roofers come out in the middle of the night. On site, they protect the inside and install a tarp when the weather allows. They do not go up on ice, in the dark or at the height of the gusts. The actual repair waits for daylight.
Is an emergency call billed at a higher rate?
An emergency call often costs more. In the evening, at night and on weekends, the trip has a price. Have the billing explained to you on the phone, before the crew leaves.
What if I put up a tarp myself to save time?
No, do not put up a tarp yourself. Wet, icy or swept by wind, a roof is among the most dangerous places on a property. Roofers work there tied off. Your place to act is inside.