So we had a small leak in the roof. Very minor water damage to one wall -- not noticeable unless you were looking for it, but there. Roof is relatively new (more than 1 year), but has a 2-year warranty on it. So roofers come yesterday afternoon and patch what they said was a small crack. Now it is raining, and the roof is leaking worse than it ever was before they came to look at it. Paint on the wall and ceiling is bubbling, and water is dripping rapidly through a ceiling fan. It is 4 am, and it is supposed to rain for the next two days. I see major repairs in my near future, and major money spent that we don't have. Anybody ever sued a roofer before?
- Sitzmak

Never had legal troubles with contractors, but did they find out the source of the leak? Is this leak in a room on a floor with a roof directly above it? Another story above it? Are your gutters empty? Make sure you know why the roof leaked before you pursue legal action. Your insurance agent or another reputable roofing contractor may give you an accurate explanation. We had water coming in our light fixture in our pantry last week. This space was originally a back entrance to the kitchen. We got on the roof outside and removed 12 inches of snow. The gutters were filled with ice and snow. By the next day the leak stopped, so we suspect an ice dam created the leak. Our roof is about 13 years old and we know we will be replacing it in the near future. We'll do a complete tear off and have the underlayment inspected before a new roof is installed.

Best wishes, speedsquare

There are at least 3 ways for you to pursue it. First, I would suggest calling the roofers who installed the roof to inspect & repair it. (There should be no charge for this as it is a ridiculously new roof. Labor is their problem & materials are the manufacturer's problem.) Make them come out until you are satisfied. I am assuming you got a certificate of insurance showing what coverage limits, insurance company & local agent they have. If so, the next step is filing a claim for faulty workmanship with their insurance carrier. Lastly, you can always file a claim with your own insurance company & let them duke it out with the responsible parties.

My most important piece of advice is to call your local fire/water restoration company as soon as possible (ie this morning!) & get them out there. (Our local ones are called ServPro or ServiceMaster.) The potential for mold & mildew problems is enormous. These companies have specialized equipment that will get all vestiges of moisture OUT. I realize that CA may have different laws, but if you are at all in doubt, call your own insurance agent. They will be able to advise you. In the worst case, this should cost you no more than your Homeowner's deductible (& maybe not that).

Good luck!
stripedbass
yes, insurance is my job... :-(

Thanks stripedbass and TLP -- Things have calmed down a lot since 5 am. The roofers did come back again, and they sent out their electrical folks to check on that end of things.... They cut a hole in my new bathroom ceiling (**sob** -- we gutted and redid the bathroom after the roof was redone, because certainly there woudn't be any more water damage problems, right?!), and identified exactly what is coming in where. They did a quick fix, and they will be back this weekend to put a permanent fix on. I still don't know what to do about the quality of the original roof, I'll get some advice from our insurance agent. (Quite by luck, yesterday we made an appointment to do a review of our policies, etc., and I'll throw the question his way.)
Thanks for the advice, and thanks for letting me just vent!
- Sitzmak

Hey let's go! Hey let's go! We're happy as can be!
Come go walking out with me...come along, let's go, let's go!

No - but it made me laugh!
(Didn't recognize it, but don't worry -- I didn't take it for real advice!)
Do you expect my writing to make sense after being up and stressed out after a night of no sleep? :)
- Sitzmak