What kind of business do I hire for this house issue?
September 21, 2023 10:38 AM Subscribe
Plumbing and roofing issues. Difficulty level: I'm a non-homeowner unfamiliar with homeowner things, the homeowner is my aunt who is a bit of a recluse with a ton of anxiety, and the house is in a desert area with fewer available businesses. Can I call a GC or do I need to go multiple separate businesses?
A week ago my aunt determined that she had a leak that was displacing the flooring on the second floor of her house and causing black mold. Unknown here whether we are talking about dark mold or actual stachybotrys chartarum. She also decided that she had major plumbing issues that have caused extensive damage in the high tens of thousands of dollars.
Enter the leak detection specialist. He came yesterday to identify the origin of the leaking, and made a report. The report finds:
1. Visible water damage in the hallway, "no moisture present" at this time.
2. No leaks located in the plumbing system.
3. Likelihood that this water damage is from the last two weeks or less.
Anecdotally and according to my aunt, the technician told her (1) that she has calcification throughout her entire plumbing system that is impacting water pressure and will likely necessitate replumbing of her entire house, and (2) that she was visible water damage on the walls in her bedroom, coming from her roof. (Her part of California was very much impacted by Tropical Storm Hilary.) None of this is anywhere in the report.
So, we have a leak report that finds no leak and makes no determination about the
source of the water damage in the hallway. We also have an off-record conversation which I only know my aunt's interpretation of, result of which she has decided she needs to replace all her plumbing and her roof. (Roof is five years old, water pressure seems fine whenever I am there.)
The leak detection people apparently don't do any work related to her next steps. They just have a professional opinion that she has, I guess, water damage and no leaky plumbing or current moisture.
Anyway: so my aunt is freaking out (and has recently maybe gone cold turkey off of Xanax, evidence of which is very much present in the very long phone calls we've had over the last two weeks). Any questions or advice from me about my aunt's mental well-being and medication situation won't be heard.
What is the sort of business(es) that I should call to come out and make further assessments about and/or fix the water damage to the hallways, the water damage to the wall, the possible calcification in the plumbing, and the possible issues with the roof? General contractor? Roofer? Plumber? Some other thing?
I guess I'm just asking who you'd call in this situation.
A week ago my aunt determined that she had a leak that was displacing the flooring on the second floor of her house and causing black mold. Unknown here whether we are talking about dark mold or actual stachybotrys chartarum. She also decided that she had major plumbing issues that have caused extensive damage in the high tens of thousands of dollars.
Enter the leak detection specialist. He came yesterday to identify the origin of the leaking, and made a report. The report finds:
1. Visible water damage in the hallway, "no moisture present" at this time.
2. No leaks located in the plumbing system.
3. Likelihood that this water damage is from the last two weeks or less.
Anecdotally and according to my aunt, the technician told her (1) that she has calcification throughout her entire plumbing system that is impacting water pressure and will likely necessitate replumbing of her entire house, and (2) that she was visible water damage on the walls in her bedroom, coming from her roof. (Her part of California was very much impacted by Tropical Storm Hilary.) None of this is anywhere in the report.
So, we have a leak report that finds no leak and makes no determination about the
source of the water damage in the hallway. We also have an off-record conversation which I only know my aunt's interpretation of, result of which she has decided she needs to replace all her plumbing and her roof. (Roof is five years old, water pressure seems fine whenever I am there.)
The leak detection people apparently don't do any work related to her next steps. They just have a professional opinion that she has, I guess, water damage and no leaky plumbing or current moisture.
Anyway: so my aunt is freaking out (and has recently maybe gone cold turkey off of Xanax, evidence of which is very much present in the very long phone calls we've had over the last two weeks). Any questions or advice from me about my aunt's mental well-being and medication situation won't be heard.
What is the sort of business(es) that I should call to come out and make further assessments about and/or fix the water damage to the hallways, the water damage to the wall, the possible calcification in the plumbing, and the possible issues with the roof? General contractor? Roofer? Plumber? Some other thing?
I guess I'm just asking who you'd call in this situation.
I am a homeowner. I've owned two homes and dealt with roofing and plumbing issues at both places. This is what I would do:
1.) If the roof is only five years old, check to see if it is still under warranty from the installer. If so, they might come out to take a look at it for free or for cheap, and might even also repair it for free or cheap (depending on warranty terms).
2.) Contact her homeowner's insurance agent and tell them a leak detection expert has found evidence of storm damage to the roof that is causing water damage inside the house. Depending on her insurance company and coverage, they might also send someone out to look at it for free.
3.) If you cannot get a free or cheap assessment either of these ways, or if you don't agree with what you hear from the person who comes out, contact a local roofer with good reviews (DEFINITELY CHECK THE REVIEWS) and have them come out to assess the situation. Be sure to mention that this is likely storm damage, because if it is storm damage, her homeowner's insurance should cover part of the cost of the repair. If you don't feel that the roofer who comes out is giving you good info or a reasonable estimate, call another one and get a second opinion.
If her roof was installed properly with good materials five years ago, she will probably not have to get her whole roof replaced to fix a leak. Hopefully it's just some loose shingles or flashing or a bent vent cover or something. Depending on where the damage is and how water flows on the roof, a very small amount of damage to a roof can let a lot of water into a house, unfortunately.
While you are waiting for an expert opinion on the roof, I recommend you clean her gutters and downspouts, if she has them, to help make sure any water that comes down on the roof can drain off of it quickly.
I would table the plumbing issue for now. IF the leak detection service person is correct that the leak is not coming from plumbing, what is going with the pipes doesn't sound like an emergency. If she's not bothered by the water pressure problem, she does not have to fix this right away. The priority is the roof, if it really is leaking. Address that and it should help a lot with her anxiety and then she will be in a better frame of mind to think about the plumbing issue.
posted by BlueJae at 11:10 AM on September 21, 2023 [7 favorites]
1.) If the roof is only five years old, check to see if it is still under warranty from the installer. If so, they might come out to take a look at it for free or for cheap, and might even also repair it for free or cheap (depending on warranty terms).
2.) Contact her homeowner's insurance agent and tell them a leak detection expert has found evidence of storm damage to the roof that is causing water damage inside the house. Depending on her insurance company and coverage, they might also send someone out to look at it for free.
3.) If you cannot get a free or cheap assessment either of these ways, or if you don't agree with what you hear from the person who comes out, contact a local roofer with good reviews (DEFINITELY CHECK THE REVIEWS) and have them come out to assess the situation. Be sure to mention that this is likely storm damage, because if it is storm damage, her homeowner's insurance should cover part of the cost of the repair. If you don't feel that the roofer who comes out is giving you good info or a reasonable estimate, call another one and get a second opinion.
If her roof was installed properly with good materials five years ago, she will probably not have to get her whole roof replaced to fix a leak. Hopefully it's just some loose shingles or flashing or a bent vent cover or something. Depending on where the damage is and how water flows on the roof, a very small amount of damage to a roof can let a lot of water into a house, unfortunately.
While you are waiting for an expert opinion on the roof, I recommend you clean her gutters and downspouts, if she has them, to help make sure any water that comes down on the roof can drain off of it quickly.
I would table the plumbing issue for now. IF the leak detection service person is correct that the leak is not coming from plumbing, what is going with the pipes doesn't sound like an emergency. If she's not bothered by the water pressure problem, she does not have to fix this right away. The priority is the roof, if it really is leaking. Address that and it should help a lot with her anxiety and then she will be in a better frame of mind to think about the plumbing issue.
posted by BlueJae at 11:10 AM on September 21, 2023 [7 favorites]
What BlueJae said. If there is water damage and no plumbing leaks, the water is obviously coming from the roof or, very unlikely, the external walls. I have serious doubts about the diagnosis of the 'calcification' in the plumbing in any case if the water pressure is fine but, either way, that's not an urgent issue and can (and should) readily be shelved until the house is watertight again.
There are two possibly conflicting things here to remember - any warranty on the roof will possibly exclude storm damage and any insurance company is not going to cover a faulty roof installation. I would go down the insurance path first, as it's best to get the insurance company on the case as fast as possible to ensure you can link the damage to the storm (insurance companies will do anything they can to deny responsibility and the more time that has elapsed the easier it is for them to do this). The insurance company will do an assessment and either get it fixed or deny responsibility on the basis that the roof was faulty and not actually damaged. If that's the case, you can take that assessment to the roof company and try to get them to cover it under warranty. Even if they don't, you'll get a free assessment of the damage and they're likely to do a good deal on repairs to protect their reputation.
posted by dg at 4:32 PM on September 21, 2023
There are two possibly conflicting things here to remember - any warranty on the roof will possibly exclude storm damage and any insurance company is not going to cover a faulty roof installation. I would go down the insurance path first, as it's best to get the insurance company on the case as fast as possible to ensure you can link the damage to the storm (insurance companies will do anything they can to deny responsibility and the more time that has elapsed the easier it is for them to do this). The insurance company will do an assessment and either get it fixed or deny responsibility on the basis that the roof was faulty and not actually damaged. If that's the case, you can take that assessment to the roof company and try to get them to cover it under warranty. Even if they don't, you'll get a free assessment of the damage and they're likely to do a good deal on repairs to protect their reputation.
posted by dg at 4:32 PM on September 21, 2023
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Get at least 3 quotes if you can so you can get a range of opinions that may converge on what is wrong and ideally a price that will fit a budget.
posted by openhearted at 11:07 AM on September 21, 2023