A ceiling holding water
Wet drywall is heavy and fails without warning. If a light fixture is in the wet area, water and wiring are together.
What is probably happening
- Water has pooled on top of the drywall and the paper face is stretching. It will come down as a sheet, not a drip.
- The source is a roof leak in rain, or a burst pipe, overflowing AC drain pan or bath if it is dry outside.
- Insulation above the ceiling is probably soaked and will need to come out.
Do this in the next five minutes
- Clear the room under the bulge. Move people, pets and anything electrical.
- Turn off the breaker for any light or fan in that ceiling.
- Put a large bucket or bin under the lowest point. Stand to the side and pierce the lowest point with a screwdriver so the water drains in a controlled stream.
- Photograph and video the ceiling before and after you drain it.
- If it is raining, call a roofer for an emergency tarp. If it is dry, shut off the water main and call a plumber.
- Call a water damage company. The EPA's drying window is 24 to 48 hours and this ceiling is already past the point of drying on its own.
Do not
- Do not stand directly under it while it drains.
- Do not touch light fixtures or switches in the wet area until the circuit is off. Water and live wiring together can kill.
- Do not cut a large opening. A small hole drains it, a large one drops the whole panel.
Who to call
A licensed roofing contractor, if it is raining
The roofer stops the source when it is weather. If it is dry outside, the source is plumbing or HVAC and a plumber goes first.
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What it should cost
$360 to $1,550
Roof leak repair, national range. Water damage restoration on top averages $3,868.
Source: Angi, roof repair cost, updated August 2026 and Angi, water damage restoration cost, updated August 2026. View source
National published range, not a quote for your job. The full cost table for this trade is on the roofing page.
Ask this contractor, on the phone, before anyone comes out
Tap each one as you ask it.
- Can you get a tarp on today, and will you photograph the entry point?
- Will you coordinate with the restoration company so the ceiling is opened once, not twice?
- Is any of the interior repair in your quote, or is that a separate trade?
End the call if
- A roofer who wants to replace the ceiling drywall and paint too, on the same invoice, before anything has dried.
- Anyone who tells you to leave the water in the ceiling until the adjuster has seen it. Photograph it and drain it. Insurers expect you to prevent further damage.