Key facts
- Stay on the ground. HSE ladder guidance says a ladder is for a competent person, and only where it will be level, stable and secured. HSE roof-work guidance says rain, ice or snow can make a footing as slippery as a skating rink.
- If water is near electrics, Electrical Safety First says switch off at the consumer unit only if it is safe to do so, and to get a registered electrician if water is inside it or there is arcing or overheating. That page is about flooding. Do not touch a wet light either.
- If the ceiling is sagging, cracked or dripping, keep out of the room underneath. Partners, a landlord in Islington, tells residents not to use the room below a suspected leak until the ceiling is made safe. The same caution applies in a house.
- The Association of British Insurers says contact your insurer as soon as possible, arrange a temporary repair only to stop damage spreading, and keep photos and receipts. It also says insurance is not a maintenance contract, and wear and tear is not what a storm claim is for.
- A repair that does not materially change how a house roof looks will usually not need planning permission, which is the Planning Portal’s starting point. Listed buildings, flats and a new material are for the council. See the planning guide.
- Tradex covers Isleham, Ely, Soham, Fordham, Burwell, Mildenhall, Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds, from Isleham. Published hours are Monday to Friday open 24 hours, Saturday 06:30 to 18:00, Sunday closed. There is a 24 hour emergency call-out for leaks and storm damage. This page does not promise a time of arrival.
What should I do in the first few minutes?
Move people and pets out from under the drip, and move anything electrical with them. A bucket or a bowl will catch the water. Towels stop it travelling into the next room. One photo of the ceiling and one from the garden are enough. You do not need to name the fault before you phone.
Ring 07747 809042 or 0800 0614172. Say the town, whether it is a house, bungalow or outbuilding, and whether water is coming through now. If tiles are on the ground, keep people clear of where they could fall. The ABI says not to put the household at risk, and to contact the insurer as soon as you can. A home-emergency add-on is optional. It is not a standard buildings policy.
Should I climb up to see where the water is getting in?
No. A photograph from a window or the garden is the useful one. The chimney page on this site already says stay off the roof. A wet slope and an untied ladder are how people get hurt, and a leak usually arrives with the weather that makes a roof slippery.
The HSE roof-work guidance says rain, ice or snow can make a footing as slippery as a skating rink. A tarpaulin means standing on that roof with a sail in your hands. If a temporary cover is needed, that is a roofer’s job. The ABI says do it only when it is safe, speak to the insurer, and keep the receipt.
What if the water is near a light, or the ceiling is sagging?
Do not touch a wet light, switch or socket. Electrical Safety First says switch off at the consumer unit only if it is safe, and not to attempt electrical repairs yourself. If the unit is wet, or there is arcing or overheating, leave it for a registered electrician. Tradex is a roofer, not an electrician.
Partners tells its residents not to use the room below a suspected leak until the ceiling is safe. That note is from a London landlord, not a local by-law. The risk is the same in a house in Ely or a bungalow in Newmarket: stay out of that room. Call 999 for fire, smoke or an electric shock. A leak on its own is a roofer, and your insurer if you want to claim.
Is the stain the tiles, the chimney, the gutter, or a flat roof?
You often cannot tell from the ceiling. Water can run along a rafter before it drips, so the mark is not always under the hole. On a pitched roof the usual places are a slipped or cracked tile, a ridge, a valley, or the joint where a chimney meets the covering. Roof repairs is that visit. Jamie looks at the covering, the flashings and the ceiling, then says whether a local repair is the honest job.
A stain on a chimney breast is often the stack or the flashing: chimney repair. Moss and a blocked gutter are moss removal and guttering and soffits. A drip over a door, or under an extension, is often the flat roof. The gallery shows an OSB deck and a new grey flat roof from a real job, not a product name.
Do I need planning permission for an emergency repair?
Usually not, if the repair puts back what was there and the roof still looks materially the same. The Planning Portal says re-roofing a house that does not materially affect its external appearance will usually not need planning permission. A different tile, a change of colour, or a higher ridge is a different question. Making a house weatherproof is not the same as choosing a new covering.
Flats, listed buildings and some conservation areas do not follow the house rules. Do not strip tiles to look. The planning guide sets out the detail, including which council to ask. Ely, Isleham, Soham, Fordham and Burwell are the East Cambridgeshire names on Tradex’s list. Bury St Edmunds and Mildenhall sit with West Suffolk. A Newmarket postcode can fall either side, so search it. This site does not say Tradex submits applications. For the leak, phone first.
What should I tell the insurer?
Phone the claims line, or start the claim online, and have the policy number if you can find it. The ABI says tell the insurer before arranging repairs where you can. If something has to be done so the damage does not spread, tell them, keep the receipt, and take photographs. Do not throw damaged belongings away unless they are a danger to health.
The ABI describes a storm as gusts of at least 55 mph, or at least 25 millimetres of rain in an hour, among other tests. Wear and tear, such as loose tiles or a failed flashing, may not be covered. The policy decides. Tradex does not handle the claim. A tenant should tell the landlord as well.
Who do I phone in Ely, Newmarket or Bury St Edmunds?
Tradex is the trading name of TRPM LTD, at Evergreens, Waterside, Isleham. Ely, Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds each have a page. The other towns are on areas we cover. If you are just outside that list, say so.
Hours and the emergency call-out are in the key facts. They do not promise an arrival time, and Sunday is listed as closed. If water is not coming through now, use the quotation form. Say where the stain is, and whether it is only in heavy rain.
Questions people ask
Can I put a tarpaulin on the roof myself?
No. That means climbing onto a wet roof. Catch the water indoors, keep clear of wet electrics, and phone a roofer. The ABI says a temporary repair should only be done if it is safe, and that you should speak to your insurer.
Will a brown stain always mean the tiles have failed?
No. It can be a tile, a flashing, a chimney, a gutter or a flat roof, and the stain is not always under the hole. Start with roof repairs if water is coming in. Jamie will say what he has found after the visit.
Does Tradex cover Soham, Fordham, Burwell, Mildenhall and Isleham?
Yes. They are on the same list as Ely, Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds. See areas we cover. Isleham is the base.
What are the published hours if the roof is leaking?
The key facts quote the published hours and the 24 hour emergency call-out for leaks and storm damage. Phone 07747 809042. This page does not promise how soon someone will arrive.
Is a drip under a flat roof the same job as a pitched roof?
It is a different visit. A drip over an extension, garage or bay usually starts on the flat roof page. The main slope is roof repairs. Say which one you can see.
Should I call 999 for a leaking roof?
Call 999 if there is fire, smoke, or someone has had an electric shock. For the leak itself, phone a roofer, and your insurer if you want to claim. Keep out of a room where the ceiling is sagging.
Ring 07747 809042, or request a quotation. Tell Jamie the town, and whether water is coming through the ceiling now. Stay off the roof.