What to Do When a Leak Appears
A leak during the LeakFREE® Roof Certification period has a defined process behind it, and the process starts with one phone call. Notify the accredited NRCIA member who issued your certification. Not a general contractor, not the manufacturer, and not NRCIA. The certification was issued by a specific accredited individual for a specific roof at a specific address, and that member is who responds.
Do it as soon as you see water. Interior staining, a damp attic, a drip during a storm. The sooner the roof is looked at, the smaller the area of wet decking and insulation, and the more clearly an inspector can trace where the water entered.
The Priority Leak Inspection
The member performs a priority leak inspection for a nominal service call fee. The purpose is to determine the proximate cause of the leak, meaning where the water actually entered and why, rather than where it showed up on your ceiling. Water travels along framing and decking before it drops, so the stain and the entry point are frequently in different places.
If the inspection finds the leak was caused by normal wear and tear or by an error on the part of the inspector, the necessary steps to stop the leak are taken at no additional cost to the certificate holder. If the cause is something else, a storm event, a repair performed by someone outside the association, or damage from work done on the roof after the certification was issued, the member will explain what happened and what the options are.
What the LeakFREE® Roof Certification Records
A LeakFREE® Roof Certification documents that a specific roof, at a specific address, on a specific date, met the published LeakFREE® criteria. It is generated and registered through InspectionPLUS®, and a certificate produced outside that platform is not valid.
Read that definition carefully, because it sets expectations correctly. The certification is not a promise that a roof will never leak. It is not insurance, and it is not a service contract. Weather, impact damage, and later work by other trades all sit outside what an inspection on a given date can speak to. The term of the certification is set by the findings, the slope, the materials and the condition of the roof, up to a maximum of ten years, and the expiration date is printed on the certificate as a date.
Repairs During the LeakFREE® Roof Certification Period Trigger a Re-Inspection
If repair work is performed on the roof by anyone other than an NRCIA member, a re-inspection is required. This is worth knowing before you hire a handyman for a small fix, because the cheap repair can cost you the standing of the certification. Call the issuing member first and ask.
If You Disagree With the Recommendation
Members are accountable to the standard they are accredited under. If you have a dispute with a member’s findings or recommendations, contact the Chapter President in your area. That path exists so a certificate holder has somewhere to go beyond the individual who performed the work.
Find an accredited NRCIA inspector near you and report a leak inside your certification period: /member-directory/
LeakFREE®, Forensic ROOF®, Mr. RoofCheck®, InspectionPLUS®, Today’s Inspection… Tomorrow’s Protection®, and Got Leaks?® are registered trademarks of Field Gate FLP, used by permission. RoofGUARD™, ForensicGUARD™, DisasterGUARD™, E3GUARD™, and Think Like a Raindrop™ are trademarks of Field Gate FLP.
