A good roof repair starts with finding where the water actually gets in, which is often several feet uphill from the stain on your ceiling. Water runs along the roof deck and rafters before it drips, so a roofer who patches only the spot above the stain may miss the cause.
What a roofer checks
- Flashing at chimneys, skylights, walls and plumbing vents, where most leaks start.
- Valleys, where two roof planes meet and carry the most water.
- Shingles, tiles or panels that are lifted, cracked, slipped or missing.
- Fasteners that have backed out, especially on metal roofs.
- Gutters and downspouts, since overflowing gutters can push water under the roof edge.
- The attic, for wet sheathing, daylight through the deck and stained framing.
Repair or replace?
Repair makes sense when the damage is limited and the rest of the roof has life left. Replacement starts to make sense when leaks keep returning in different places, the covering is brittle or curling across whole slopes, or the deck is soft. A roofer should be able to show you photos of what they found and explain why they recommend one or the other.
In Sonoma County there's another factor: wildfire rules. If your home sits in a designated Fire Hazard Severity Zone, new roofs on new buildings must meet the roofing requirements of California's Wildland-Urban Interface code, including a Class A roof assembly. Ask your roofer and your building department what applies to a reroof at your address. Our wildfire-resistant roofing guide explains the basics.
Permits
Who issues roofing permits depends on where you live: your city's building department inside city limits, or Permit Sonoma in unincorporated areas such as Glen Ellen, Kenwood, Forestville and Guerneville. Small repairs often don't need one; reroofs often do. Your contractor should know and should pull any permit in their own name.
Want a local pro to take a look?It's free for homeowners and there's no obligation.
Hiring safely
Check the roofer's license with the CSLB. The specialty classification for roofing is C-39. CSLB limits the down payment on a home improvement job to 10% of the price or $1,000, whichever is less, and warns that contracting without a license in a declared disaster area is a felony (CSLB).
Request a roof repair or call (628) 336-1777 any time.
Where we connect homeowners
- Roof repair in Santa Rosa
- Roof repair in Petaluma
- Roof repair in Rohnert Park & Cotati
- Roof repair in Windsor
- Roof repair in Healdsburg
- Roof repair in Sebastopol
- Roof repair in Sonoma
- Roof repair in Glen Ellen & Kenwood
- Roof repair in Cloverdale
- Roof repair in Guerneville & the lower Russian River
- Roof repair in Forestville
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Sources
Sources checked October 18, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a typical roof repair take?
Many repairs, such as replacing flashing or a few shingles, are done in a few hours once materials are on hand. Larger section repairs can take a day or more, and weather can push the schedule.
Will a repair match my existing roof?
Roofers try to match, but older shingles fade and some products are discontinued, so a repair may be visible. Ask to see the replacement material first.