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1180 Manchester Street, Lexington, KY 40504Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.(859) 555-0100
Hardaway Leak & RoofLexington, Kentucky
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Roof leaks, traced and written down

The stain is rarely where the leak is

Water runs along the deck and down the framing before it shows on a ceiling. We follow it back to the opening, write down what we found with photos and readings, and hand you the report before anyone talks about a repair.

Book a leak diagnosisRead a sample reportText a photo of the stain
A dormer with blue metal flashing where it meets an asphalt shingle roof

Why water shows up away from the leak

Follow the water, not the stain

One sample job: a brick two-story, a brown stain on the dining room ceiling, and an opening in the roof 14 feet away. Distances are from the opening.

  1. 01
    Roof, 0 ft

    Step 1: The opening

    A short run of step flashing at the side wall had lifted. Rain ran behind it instead of over it.

  2. 02
    Under the shingles, 3 ft

    Step 2: The deck

    Water runs down the slope on top of the underlayment and soaks into the roof deck. It takes the lowest path, not the shortest.

  3. 03
    In the attic, 9 ft

    Step 3: The framing

    It drips onto a rafter, runs along it and soaks the insulation. Nothing shows below yet.

  4. 04
    On the ceiling, 14 ft

    Step 4: The stain

    It finally reaches a seam in the ceiling drywall. The stain marks where the water ran out of room, not where it came in.

The report

What you get in writing

Sample readings from a made-up house.

Every diagnosis ends in a report you can keep, forward to a buyer or hand to any other roofer. It says what we measured and where, what we think is happening, and what we could not confirm, with a photo for each finding.

Each report lists

  • The address, the date and who was on the roof

  • A moisture map of the ceilings and the attic

  • A photo of the opening, with a note on each

  • What we think is happening, and what we couldn't confirm

  • Repair options in writing, with no work started

  • 31%

    At the stain

  • 19%

    Six feet uphill

  • 1

    Opening found
Open the full sample report
An inspector kneeling on walkway boards laid across attic joists, checking the framing

The fee, in writing

A diagnostic fee you see before you book

We text or call you the fee for your house first. This is the sheet it comes on, with what the visit covers.

  • Leak diagnosis visit

    A sample of the fee sheet. The amount is set for your roof and your house.

    Moisture mapping, ceilings and attic
    Included
    Roof walk: flashing, vents, valleys, skylights
    Included
    Hose test of the suspect area
    Included if needed
    Written report with photos
    Included
    Repair of the opening
    Quoted in the report
    Ceiling drywall, insulation and paint
    Not included
    Total
    Written before you book

    The fee pays for the diagnosis. It is the same whether or not you have us do the repair, and we don't discount any job.

    Ask for a diagnosis

What we trace and fix

Where roofs and walls meet, and everything that pokes through

Most leaks start at a joint or a hole in the roof, not in the middle of the shingles.

  • Walls and flashing

    Step flashing, kickout diverters and counterflashing where a roof runs into a wall.

    How we trace it

  • Chimneys and skylights

    Cricket and apron flashing, cracked masonry caps, failed skylight curbs.

    How we trace it

  • Vents and pipe boots

    Split rubber boots, loose vent flanges and exposed nails.

    How we trace it

  • Valleys and eaves

    Lifted valley metal, backed-up gutters, water driven under the drip edge.

    How we trace it

  • Leak tracing

    Moisture mapping, attic checks and hose tests, repeated until the opening is found.

    The visit, step by step

  • The repair itself

    We fix what the report found, from a written estimate you have already read.

    What a repair includes

For real estate agents and home inspectors

A stain in the inspection notes isn't a diagnosis

When an inspection flags a stain or a soft spot, send us the address and the note. We write a report from the roof side: where water gets in, what has been wet, and what a repair would involve. The report belongs to whoever ordered it, and they can share it with anyone.

  • The buyer, seller or agent books and receives the report

  • The fee is stated in writing before we visit

  • No repair is started from a diagnosis

How it works for agents
A copper-clad dormer meeting a dark standing seam metal roof under a gray sky

Where we work

Lexington and the counties around it

The shop is on Manchester Street. We drive to every diagnosis ourselves.

A brick and white-sided house with a steep gray shingle roof and a dormer behind green shrubs

Fayette County

  • Lexington

Franklin County

  • Frankfort

Woodford County

  • Versailles
  • Midway

Jessamine County

  • Nicholasville
  • Wilmore

Montgomery County

  • Mount Sterling

Bourbon County

  • Paris

Boyle County

  • Danville

Anderson County

  • Lawrenceburg

We don't take diagnoses in Louisville, northern Kentucky or east of Mount Sterling.

ZIP codes: 40502, 40503, 40504, 40505, 40507, 40508, 40509, 40511, 40513, 40514, 40515, 40517

What homeowners and agents say

“Two roofers had patched the roof over my dining room. Sylvester showed me a photo of the flashing nine feet away, and the stain finally made sense.”

Elizabeth C.Leak diagnosis, Chevy Chase

“I send the address and the inspection note. The report comes back with photos and what they couldn't confirm. My buyers can read it without calling me.”

Jack M.Real estate agent, Lexington

“Jill ran the hose one section at a time and told me which one. She wrote down the repair price before she left the driveway.”

Allison R.Skylight leak, Frankfort

Sample reviews.

Questions

Before you call

All questions

Can you find a leak when it isn't raining?

Often, yes. A moisture meter and an attic look show where the wood is wet. If those aren't enough we run a hose over one section of roof at a time, with someone inside watching.

Why is my stain nowhere near the roof problem?

Water runs down the deck and along rafters before it drips. A stain on the ceiling can be many feet from the opening, and sometimes in another room.

Will you tell me if I need a new roof?

Yes. If repairs would cost half or more of a replacement, or the deck is wet in many places, the report says so and we write a replacement estimate on request.

Do you work on insurance claims?

We write the diagnosis and the repair estimate. You decide whether to file a claim and you deal with your own insurance company. The report is yours to share.

What if the leak turns out to be condensation?

Then the report says that and shows you why, usually a bath fan venting into the attic. It is a different fix, and we won't sell you a roof repair for it.

Book a diagnosis

Tell us where you see water

Say where it shows and whether it's dripping now. Jill or Viviana calls you back with the fee and the first open day.

Phone(859) 555-0100
Emailhello@hardawayleak.com
Address1180 Manchester Street, Lexington, KY 40504
Hours
Monday – FridayToday
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
SaturdayToday
Closed
SundayToday
Closed
Where do you see it?
Is it dripping now?
Text us a photo of the stain