Not every roof problem needs a middle-of-the-night callout. How to tell a genuine emergency from something that can wait until morning.
Emergency callouts cost more than scheduled work — as they should, someone's leaving their evening to come out. So it's worth knowing which problems genuinely can't wait.
Call Now
- Water is coming into the house and you can't contain it — especially if it's near electrics
- Tiles or ridge sections have come off and something is hanging over a footpath or driveway
- The roof is visibly moving, sagging or has partially collapsed
- A storm has opened the roof up and rain is still falling — temporary cover now prevents interior damage later
- The ceiling is bulging with trapped water
It Can Wait Until Morning
- A single slipped or missing tile with no water getting in
- A damp patch that's appeared but isn't actively growing
- Gutters overflowing in heavy rain but the house is dry
- Moss, algae or general weathering
- A leak that only appears in driving rain and stops when it passes
What A Good Emergency Callout Does
The job on the night is to make the property watertight, not to fix the roof permanently. That usually means sheeting the affected area and securing anything loose so it can't do further damage. The permanent repair happens later when the weather allows — and with us, that temporary work is part of the same job, not a separate charge.
Beware The Storm Chasers
After every big storm, unmarked vans appear in Medway offering to fix roofs on the spot, usually wanting cash up front. They're often not local, not insured, and not findable once the money's changed hands. If the storm has damaged your roof, photographs and a documented report are worth more than a cheap immediate fix — and honest local firms will always come back and look properly.
Our emergency service covers every Medway town around the clock. If you're not sure whether it's an emergency, ring us and describe it — we'll tell you honestly whether to wait.
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Costs and timings in this article are guides for Medway and Kent properties. Every roof is different — a survey is the only way to get an accurate figure.