Finding Where the Water Gets In

Where residential leaks actually start

• Pipe boots and plumbing vents — the rubber collar perishes long before the shingles do. This is the single most common source we find
• Chimney flashing, particularly the step flashing and counterflashing up the sides
• Skylights, at the flashing kit rather than the glass
• Valleys, where two roof planes meet and water volume concentrates
• Sidewalls and dormers, where the roof meets vertical siding or stucco
• Missing or lifted shingles after wind
• Nails that have backed out and lifted the shingle above them

What a real diagnosis looks like

First the attic, if it is accessible — water staining on the underside of the sheathing and along the rafters shows the travel path, and tracing it uphill leads to the entry point.

Then the roof, starting at the drainage path above the interior stain rather than directly above it. Then targeted water testing, section by section from the bottom up, so the moment water appears inside we know exactly which area caused it.

Why "we sealed it all up" is a bad sign

Sealant smeared across every suspect detail means nobody found the leak. It hides the symptom for a season, it makes the next diagnosis harder, and the first step of the real repair is removing it.

Ask to be shown where the water entered and how that was established. A contractor who tested will show you without hesitation.

Common questions