A Brooklyn homeowner thought a $1,600 roof repair would stop a leak in a third-floor closet.
Instead, the next heavy rain made the issue worse, and a new $4,800 proposal prompted commenters to warn that the fix may miss the actual source of the problem.
Here's what to know
After buying a renovated house in Brooklyn, a user turned to Reddit's r/Roofing community for help with a recurring leak that appears during heavy rain.
In their post, the homeowner said they had already paid about $1,600 in June to have debris removed and an area near a dormer sealed, but the leak worsened during heavy rain.
After a drone inspection, a second contractor blamed the dormer gutters. According to the post, those gutters seemed to have no downspouts, which could let water collect there instead of running down the sloped roof into the main gutters below.
The contractor's $4,800 proposal called for removing the dormer gutters, sealing the exposed sections with Karnak roof cement and fabric, and waterproofing the edges, seams, and penetrations.
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What worried the homeowner as much as the quote itself was the risk of paying again without fixing the root cause.
"I'm trying to make sure we address the underlying problem rather than pay for another repair that doesn't last," the original poster wrote.
Some commenters pointed to a different problem area entirely.
"That improperly installed pipe flashing at the bottom of a valley is a big red flag," one commenter observed. "I'd start there."
"Karnak roof cement and fabric is hack work and definitely not worth that price tag," they continued. "I could replace those pipe boots and reflash that entire dormer for that price."
More background
The homeowner had already spent $1,600 on a repair that didn't stop the leak, and moving forward with the second quote would bring the total to $6,400.
If removing the dormer gutters wasn't the correct fix, a clearer diagnosis could prevent another costly mistake.
Several readers said bad flashing was a more likely explanation than the gutters alone.
"While it's hard to tell from photos alone, I would say 9/10 roof leaks I've encountered are from bad flashing," one said. That commenter also described the dormer gutters as "weird" and said the debris visible in the photos could still be part of the issue.
Other replies narrowed in on particular roof details while still questioning the gutter diagnosis.
"That green flashing bottom of the dormer doesn't look right. should be overlapped by the shingles," a user remarked, while another was not convinced the gutters were the source and recommended getting another opinion.
Roof leaks can look similar even when they come from very different failure points.
Commenters focused less on whether $4,800 is a fair price in New York City than on whether the proposed work would solve the leak.
What can be done?
A repeated suggestion was to bring in another roofer, especially someone who would evaluate the flashing details instead of focusing only on the dormer gutters.
One practical idea was to investigate from inside the house before approving more exterior work.
"Are you able to get in the attic to see where the source of the leak is?" a commenter asked, while noting that some attics can be difficult to access. That could help determine whether the leak begins near the dormer gutters, the valley, or the pipe flashing.
Commenters also suggested asking contractors directly whether a durable repair would mean reflashing rather than applying a cement-and-fabric patch.
Comparing a gutter-removal patch with a flashing repair may help the homeowner decide whether to approve another $4,800 job or find the real source before spending more.
Where can I learn more?
Other homeowners have dealt with costly leaks after roof work or hidden problems elsewhere in the house.
• One home expert said a simple leak test has saved customers thousands in damage.
• A home inspector said a Kool-Aid toilet test can reveal hidden water leaks quickly.
• One tenant said a landlord's gas leak fix left them facing a steep utility bill.
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