The call
11:14 PM on a Tuesday. Mid-March nor'easter. The owner of a Bed-Stuy row house called the emergency line: water was coming through the third-floor ceiling, running down the wall, and pooling at the baseboard. She'd put down towels and buckets but the rate of intake was increasing.
Our dispatcher walked her through immediate stabilization — move what was at risk, place towels and a tarp underneath the leak path, cut power to the affected area if water was near electrical — while a crew loaded an emergency tarp truck and headed to Bed-Stuy.
The response
11:14 PM: initial call.
11:38 PM: crew dispatched from our Crown Heights yard. Materials: blue 24x40 tarp, sandbags, lath strips, roof screws.
12:42 AM: crew on-site. Quick interior assessment, walked the owner through what we could see and what we'd do. Climbed to the roof in active rain.
1:08 AM: source identified — a 4-foot section of failed flashing at the parapet wall, near where the original cornice met the membrane. Membrane had separated and water was running down the parapet's interior face.
1:35 AM: tarp installed and secured with sandbags and lath. The interior leak slowed within 10 minutes and stopped within 30.
2:10 AM: crew off-site. Owner has our number for any follow-up issues overnight.
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The permanent repair
Wednesday morning we returned to do a daylight assessment and produce the permanent-repair quote. The damage was localized: about 6 linear feet of parapet flashing had failed, plus the interface with the cornice needed re-detailing. The membrane field was otherwise sound — this wasn't a roof-replacement scenario, just a targeted repair.
- Tear out the failed flashing and approximately 2 feet of adjacent membrane
- Inspect and dry the parapet wall — the inside face had absorbed some water but the structure was sound
- New galvanized counter-flashing at the parapet, embedded 2 inches into the brick mortar joint
- New EPDM patch over the affected area, heat-welded to the existing membrane
- New lead-coated copper at the cornice-to-membrane interface
- Water test using a hose to verify no continued infiltration
Permanent repair completed the following Tuesday afternoon — seven days from the original emergency call.
The insurance claim
The owner's homeowners policy covered storm damage. We provided:
- Photo documentation of the failed flashing, taken before stabilization
- Cause-of-loss letter attributing the failure to wind-driven rain during the storm
- Itemized repair scope and pricing in the format the carrier prefers
- Direct communication with the adjuster on supplemental items (interior drywall and paint repair)
Claim approved within five business days. Owner's out-of-pocket: just the deductible.
What this cost
Emergency tarping and stabilization: $1,250 (after-hours premium included).
Permanent repair: $3,400 (parapet flashing, cornice detail, water test, documentation).
Both items covered by the homeowners insurance claim minus the deductible.
What the owner said
"Called at 11pm during a storm with water coming through the ceiling. They had a tarp on the roof by 1am. Permanent fix the following Tuesday. Worth every penny."
— Maria T., Bed-Stuy row house owner