Water coming through the ceiling or a bubble forming in the drywall? Here is what to do in the next ten minutes, and how a contractor stops the damage once they arrive.
These steps limit the damage and keep everyone safe. They take a few minutes and none of them need tools.
Then call. If it's raining and the roof is the problem, say so; tarping is a different call than a burst pipe.
Not every stain is a 2 a.m. call. This is how an emergency call is usually triaged.
| What you see | What's happening above | How urgent |
|---|---|---|
| Water dripping steadily, or a growing wet patch | An active leak: a supply line, fixture or roof is still letting water in | Now. Shut off water and call. |
| A rounded bulge or "water balloon" in the drywall | Water pooled on top of the board; the paper and gypsum are holding it | Now. Drain it or clear the room. |
| Water coming from a light fixture or fan | Water has reached the electrical box and wiring | Now. Breaker off, don't touch the fixture. See light and fan leaks. |
| Ceiling sagging between joists, cracks spreading | Drywall softened and pulling off its fasteners | Today. Keep everyone out of the room. See sagging ceiling repair. |
| A new stain after rain, now dry | A roof leak that only runs during storms | Before the next rain. See roof leak detection. |
| An old, dry stain that isn't changing | A past leak, possibly already fixed | Normal appointment. Confirm it's dry, then repair. |
A bulging ceiling is a bag of water held up by paper and softened gypsum. Water weighs a little over 8 pounds per gallon, and a bubble can hold several gallons. Draining it in a controlled way is far safer than letting it tear loose.
Don't drain it yourself if the ceiling is cracked across a wide area, sagging over more than a couple of feet, or already tearing at the seams. Clear the room, close the door and call.
Call, and describe what you're seeing and what's above the ceiling. The goal of the first visit is to stop the damage from spreading, not to finish the ceiling that day.
The contractor finds the source: a burst supply line, a failed fixture, an attic AC drain or the roof. For plumbing, the plumbing work is handled by the right trade and scheduled so it's done before the ceiling is closed. For roofs in active rain, the emergency tarping work is handled by the right trade and scheduled so it's done before the ceiling is closed.
Drain any pooled water, take down drywall that's ready to fall, check that the breaker for wet fixtures is off, and brace a sagging section if it needs to stay up temporarily.
Floors covered, furniture moved or wrapped, and the work area sealed with plastic so wet debris and dust stay in one room.
Readings in the ceiling, the walls below it and the floor. Water spreads along joists and down wall cavities, almost always further than the stain shows.
Soaked insulation comes out, the cavity is opened where needed, and drying starts the same day. Mold can begin within 24 to 48 hours on wet drywall, so this step doesn't wait.
Photos of the source, the damage and every step, plus the first moisture readings, so your adjuster has a clear record from day one.
Slow stains build over weeks. Emergencies are usually sudden failures, and in local homes they tend to be one of these:
Once the water is stopped and the cavity is drying, the rest of the job is a normal repair, scheduled around the moisture readings:
What people ask when water is coming through the ceiling.
Yes, if water is actively dripping, the drywall is bulging, or there's water near a light fixture or fan. Each of those means water is still coming in or pooling above the board. A dry, old stain that isn't growing can wait for a normal appointment.
Usually yes, carefully. A water bubble in the ceiling is holding water that will come down on its own; a small, controlled hole at the lowest point lets it drain into a bucket instead of dropping a section of drywall. Turn off power to the room first, stand to the side, and don't do it if the ceiling is already cracking or sagging over a wide area. Get out of the room and call instead.
Stay out from under any section that's sagging, cracking or dripping, and keep kids and pets out of the room. Wet drywall can let go without warning, and a bubble the size of a dinner plate can hold several gallons, at a little over 8 pounds per gallon.
Not if water is near a ceiling light, fan, smoke detector or recessed can. Turn that circuit off at the breaker and use a flashlight. If water is coming out of the fixture itself, leave the circuit off until the fixture has been checked.
Stopping the water (or getting the right trade there to stop it), draining and making the ceiling safe, protecting floors and belongings, taking moisture readings to map how far the water traveled, starting the drying, and photographing everything for your insurance. The permanent ceiling repair is scheduled once the cavity is dry.
Keep the water off, keep the breaker for that room off, and keep everyone out from under the wet area. Empty the bucket before it overflows, move anything else you can out of the room, and take a few more photos as things change. If the ceiling starts cracking or sagging further, close the door and leave it alone.