Water on the ceiling never enters directly above the stain. I trace it back to the actual entry point — attic-side inspection, moisture meter, and controlled water test — so you buy the right repair the first time. No roofing sales pressure.
Attic-side trace along rafters and top-of-deck for the true entry point
Moisture meter mapping to bracket the wet zone
Controlled hose test — one zone at a time, low-to-high, with attic spotter
Photo documentation of the actual failed flashing or penetration
Repair scope you can hand to any roofer for competitive bids
No upsell — I don't sell the fix, I document what needs fixing
Interior visual + moisture meter across the stained ceiling to map the wet zone. Attic entry (if accessible) to trace water tracks along the underside of the deck back to the entry point — nail pop, flashing lap, valley, penetration, or roof-to-wall. Exterior walk to identify candidate entry points aligned with the interior trace. Controlled water test — hose applied in isolated zones, low to high, with a spotter watching from the attic and interior. Zones tested only until the leak reproduces. Photo and video of the actual failed component. Written repair scope with materials, labor scope, and code citations — priced so you can compare bids from 2–3 roofers apples-to-apples.
Homeowners with an active or intermittent leak and no idea where it starts. Owners who patched a stain and it came back the next storm. Buyers with a stain flagged on the home inspection who need to know if it's active or old. Property managers who need a defensible cause-of-loss for a tenant water damage claim. Anyone who has been told they 'need a new roof' but only has one active leak.
Standard Leak Detection Inspection — $349 With controlled water test — $449 With attic IR + moisture map — $549 Emergency same-day — +$150 Most single-leak diagnostics are $349–$449. If the answer is 'you need a full replacement,' I'll say so — but only after the water test confirms the leak isn't just a $400 flashing repair.
Because water almost never enters directly above the stain. It enters at a flashing, penetration, or lap seam, then travels along a rafter, truss, or the top side of the deck until it finds a nail hole or a low spot to drip through. Patching the stain-side ceiling fixes nothing — the next storm finds the same path.
I flood-test suspected entry points in isolation, starting low and working up-slope, with a second person inside watching the attic and ceiling. Each zone gets 5–10 minutes of hose. When the leak appears, we know exactly which flashing, penetration, or lap failed — no guessing, no unnecessary tear-off.
$349 for a source-tracing inspection with a written repair scope. Roofers usually don't charge for a 'free look' — but they're incentivized to sell you the biggest scope that fits the symptom. Independent diagnosis first means you buy the right $600 repair instead of the wrong $18,000 roof.
Vigas, canales, parapet caps — NM specialty.
Manufacturer + workmanship defect audit.
Yearly punch-list + service-life estimate.
Pre-listing & buyer due-diligence reports.
I've watched too many neighbors sign contracts they didn't understand for roofs they didn't need. That stops with a written report they own.