Caution
One or more tiles have slid down the roof slope, leaving a gap or an overlapping tile out of line.
High risk
A named storm or a gusty night has stripped tiles or slates off the roof and left bare underlay showing.
The tiles along the very top of the roof are rocking, cracked, or have visible gaps in the mortar underneath.
Lead flashing coming away means the lead strip where your roof meets a wall, chimney, or extension has lifted, split, or pulled out of the brickwork joint. In UK homes that joint is what throws water clear of the tiles: when it fails, rain enters high up and often shows as a damp patch on a ceiling or wall nowhere near the fault. Do not smear mastic over the lead. From a window or the ground, look for a lifted edge, a split fold, or lead standing proud of the brick joint, then book a roofer before the timber behind the abutment soaks for another season.
Damp appears on or around the chimney breast, in the loft next to the stack, or down the flue, but only after wet weather.
Water is getting in along the internal angle where two roof slopes meet, often above a bay, extension or L-shaped roof.
Water is coming through a flat roof over an extension, garage, bay or dormer, often after ponding or a cold snap.
Looking up in the loft you can see the black underlay hanging in shreds, sagging between rafters, or daylight through gaps.
A brown or yellow ring has appeared on an upstairs ceiling, but nothing is dripping and you cannot find where it came from.
The mortar along the sloping edge of the roof at the gable end is cracked, hollow, or dropping onto the ground.
Describe the job and get a fixed price from a local roofer.
