What should you do about a sagging, leaking ceiling, and will insurance cover it?
Short answer. A sagging ceiling is holding pooled water and can collapse, so drain it into a bucket at the lowest point, cut power to fixtures in that area, and move people and valuables away. Then photograph it, get the roof covered, and report the claim; if a storm or other sudden event caused the leak, the ceiling and the roof repair are usually covered.
The next 30 minutes
- Clear the area of people, pets, furniture and electronics.
- Turn off power at the breaker to any light fixture or fan in the wet area.
- Photograph and video the bulge before you touch it. This is some of the best claim evidence you will have.
- Drain it. Put a large bucket or tote under the lowest point, then poke a small hole with a screwdriver from the side, not directly underneath. A controlled drain is far better than the whole panel falling.
- Get the roof covered. Call a roofer for an emergency tarp so more water does not come in. See emergency tarping.
Then set up the claim
- Start drying: fans, dehumidifiers, or a mitigation company. Wet insulation above the drywall usually has to come out.
- Have the roofer find and photograph the source.
- Report the claim with the date the leak started and any storm that came before it.
- Keep every receipt, including the tarp and drying equipment.
Will it be covered?
If wind, hail or a falling limb opened the roof, the ceiling, insulation, paint, flooring, damaged contents and the roof repair are generally covered after the deductible. If the ceiling sagged from a leak that had been dripping for weeks, insurers often deny it as repeated seepage, which is one more reason to act the day you notice it. See interior water damage coverage, and for a step by step emergency plan, Robust Roofing's guide to a roof leak emergency.