This guide’s about temporary repair techniques you can do yourself, when those techniques are appropriate, and the situations that require professional response. We’ve been responding to roof emergencies across Central Texas since 2012, drawing on 25+ years of combined experience. Our credentials are available on WDR’s Austin roofing history page: GAF Master Elite® Contractors with 1,200+ five-star Google reviews and BBB A+ accreditation. WDR’s Austin roofing history.
If you’ve got water entering the home now, don’t read this guide, call (512) 820-6505 or visit our emergency roof repair contact page. It’s what we’re here for. Same-day response across most of the Austin metro.emergency roof repair contact emergency roof repair contact.
When DIY Repair Is Appropriate
Some roof holes can be temporarily sealed by homeowners. Others shouldn’t be DIY attempts.
Appropriate for DIY temporary repair:
- Small holes (under 2 inches) visible from interior attic inspection
- Holes from known causes: small fallen branches, displaced flashing, missing single shingle
- Single-story roof with safe ladder access
- Daytime, dry conditions, low wind
- Materials available: tarp, lumber, screws, plywood
- Homeowner physically capable of safe ladder work
Not appropriate for DIY:
- Holes larger than 4 inches (structural damage likely)
- Holes caused by trees, severe wind, or hail (insurance claim documentation needed)
- Multiple holes (suggests broader damage pattern)
- Active leaks during rain (wait for safe conditions or call professional emergency response)
- Two-story or steep roofs
- Holes near electrical service entrance, vents, or HVAC penetrations
- Anyone uncomfortable with ladder work at height
If your situation doesn’t fit the “appropriate for DIY” criteria, skip ahead to the professional response section.
Tools and Materials for DIY Temporary Repair
Gather before climbing the roof.
Required:
- Heavy-duty plastic tarp (minimum 6’x8′, preferably 12’x16′ for larger coverage)
- 2×4 boards, 4 to 8 feet long (for anchoring tarp edges)
- 1.5 inch wood screws or roofing nails
- Cordless drill or hammer
- Sturdy ladder rated for your weight plus tools
- Work gloves
- Safety glasses
Useful additions:
- Sandbags (50 lb capacity each, fill with sand or gravel)
- Plastic sheeting for interior leak containment
- Headlamp if working in attic
- Camera or phone for documentation
For temporary patches (small holes only):
- Roofing cement (caulk-tube or quart can)
- Fiberglass roofing fabric or fiberglass mesh
- Putty knife or trowel
Step-by-Step Emergency Tarping (The Most Common DIY Action)
For most holes, what you’re doing DIY isn’t patching, it’s emergency tarping over the damage. Tarping protects the roof while you’re arranging permanent repair.
Step 1: Confirm safe conditions.
Check weather forecast. Wait for dry conditions, low wind, and daylight. Never work on a roof during active rain, high wind, or thunderstorm.
Step 2: Locate the hole from above.
Walk the roof perimeter and visually identify the hole. If water’s leaking inside, mark the interior leak location first, then look on the roof above that point. Hole may be slightly higher than the interior leak (water travels down rafters and decking).
Step 3: Position the tarp.
Roll out the tarp so it extends at least 4 feet beyond the hole on all sides. The tarp should cover the hole AND extend over the roof ridge if possible (this prevents wind from getting under the tarp).
Step 4: Anchor the upper edge first.
Place a 2×4 board across the upper edge of the tarp (the side facing the ridge or higher portion of the roof). Screw the 2×4 through the tarp into the roof decking. Use 6 to 8 screws spaced 12 to 18 inches apart.
Step 5: Anchor the side edges.
Place 2×4 boards along each side edge. Screw through the tarp into the decking. The side boards prevent wind from lifting the tarp.
Step 6: Anchor the lower edge.
The lower edge can be anchored with a 2×4 (as above) or with sandbags weighting the tarp down. Sandbag method causes less roof damage but isn’t appropriate in high-wind areas.
Step 7: Inspect from the ground.
After tarping, view the work from the ground at multiple angles. Confirm the tarp covers the full hole, edges are secure, and no flapping is visible.
How to Patch a Small Hole (Under 2 Inches)
For small clean holes in known-cause situations, a temporary patch may hold until professional repair. This isn’t a permanent fix.
Step 1: Clean the area.
Remove loose debris, dirt, and any displaced shingle granules from around the hole. Surface must be dry and clean for adhesive to bond.
Step 2: Apply roofing cement.
Spread a 3-inch ring of roofing cement around the hole using a putty knife. Cement should be 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
Step 3: Press fabric into the cement.
Cut a piece of fiberglass roofing fabric 2 inches larger than the hole on all sides. Press the fabric into the wet cement, working out air bubbles from center toward edges.
Step 4: Apply second cement layer.
Cover the fabric with another layer of roofing cement, extending 1 inch past the fabric edges. Smooth the surface with the putty knife.
Step 5: Document and schedule professional inspection.
Photograph the patch from multiple angles for warranty and insurance records. Even if the patch holds, you’ll want a professional inspection within 2 to 4 weeks. A small visible hole often indicates broader damage not yet visible.
Interior Damage Containment
While you arrange roof repair, contain interior damage.
Position containers under active leak points. Buckets, mop buckets, or plastic storage bins. Empty regularly during active leaking.
Move valuables out of the affected area. Electronics, important documents, furniture, anything sensitive to water damage.
Open soaked drywall to release water. A ceiling that’s holding water from a roof leak will eventually fail, and it’ll fail catastrophically. Puncturing a small drain hole in the lowest point of a water-filled ceiling bulge releases water in a controlled way. Place container below first.
Don’t run electrical fixtures in the affected area. If water is entering near light fixtures or outlets, turn off power to that circuit at the breaker until professional inspection.
Document everything for insurance. Photo every affected room before cleanup. Insurance carriers require pre-cleanup documentation for claim purposes.
When and How to Call Professional Help
Several situations require contacting a professional roof repair team immediately, not DIY tarping.
Call for emergency response when:
- Active leak with water entering the home faster than containers can manage
- Tree fall, branch impact, or other structural damage
- Hole larger than 4 inches or visible structural damage to rafters or decking
- Multiple holes across the roof
- Holes near electrical or HVAC components
- Two-story or steep roof requiring specialized safety equipment
- Storm conditions making DIY work unsafe
- Insurance claim documentation required
What to expect when you call.
We’ll dispatch crews to most Austin metro emergencies within 2 to 4 hours of your call. Hill Country corridor (Lakeway, Bee Cave, Dripping Springs) responses are 4 to 6 hours. The dispatcher confirms damage details, your address, and active conditions before sending the crew.
What we do on arrival.
First priority is stopping the bleeding. Emergency tarping covers active leak zones. Damaged areas get temporary stabilization. We’ll document everything with photos for your insurance claim, including damage that wasn’t visible from inside the home. Then we schedule permanent repair.
For full details on our emergency response process, see the emergency response page linked above.
After the Emergency: Planning Permanent Repair
A patched or tarped roof’s a temporary state. Permanent repair should happen within 1 to 4 weeks, it’ll depend on weather and your repair team’s schedule.
What permanent repair involves.
A professional repair team removes the temporary patch or tarp, inspects the underlying damage (decking, underlayment, framing), and rebuilds the damaged area to original or better condition. This isn’t just covering the hole. It’s restoring the roof system.
When the hole indicates broader problems.
Holes from impact damage (hail, branches) often indicate widespread damage not visible at the impact point. A thorough inspection of the full roof identifies any related damage before quoting permanent work.
Insurance considerations.
Most Texas homeowner policies cover holes caused by storms, wind, hail, fallen trees, and similar perils. Coverage depends on your specific policy and deductible. Document everything before cleanup. We provide insurance-ready damage reports for your carrier.
When repair becomes replacement.
A single small hole rarely warrants roof replacement. Multiple holes from a severe hail event sometimes do. Our roof replacement assessment can determine whether targeted repair or full replacement is the right approach.
FAQs About Roof Hole Repair
How long can a tarp protect my roof?
A properly installed tarp can protect a roof for 30 to 90 days. UV exposure degrades tarp material over time, and storm conditions can lift even well-installed tarps. We’d recommend permanent repair within 2 to 4 weeks of any tarping event.
Will roofing cement permanently fix a hole?
No. Roofing cement is a temporary fix only. The cement degrades under UV exposure within months to a few years. A proper repair involves removing damaged decking, replacing underlayment, and installing matching shingle or tile material. Cement-only patches are temporary at best.
How much does professional roof hole repair cost?
Roof hole repair cost depends on size, location, accessibility, and the type of roofing material. Small holes in standard shingle roofs cost less than holes in tile or metal systems. We provide free written estimates after inspection so you know costs before any work begins. Insurance-covered repairs are billed to the carrier following the adjuster meeting.
Can I just leave a small hole and seal it from inside?
No. Sealing a roof hole from inside the attic doesn’t waterproof the roof. Water continues to enter the decking and rot the structure even if visible interior leaking is reduced. All roof holes need to be repaired from the outside.
What causes holes in a roof?
Common causes include fallen tree branches, hail impact damage, lifted or missing shingles exposing decking, deteriorated flashing failing around vents or chimneys, animal intrusion (squirrels, raccoons), and HVAC or solar panel installation damage. Identifying the cause helps determine whether other damage may exist.
Should I file an insurance claim for a small roof hole?
Generally yes if the cause was a covered peril (storm, hail, falling tree). Even if the visible damage seems small, related damage to underlayment, decking, and framing often exists. Professional inspection documents the full scope of damage for the claim. Wear-and-tear damage is typically not covered.
How fast can WDR respond to a roof hole emergency?
Most Austin metro emergencies see a crew on site within 2 to 4 hours of the initial call. Hill Country corridor (Lakeway, Bee Cave, Dripping Springs) responses are 4 to 6 hours. Crews are on call 24/7 throughout the year. During major storm events, arrival times may extend.
Where We Serve
We provide emergency response and permanent roof hole repair across the entire Austin metro and Hill Country, including central Austin (Downtown Austin, East Austin, Mueller, Hyde Park, South Congress, Tarrytown), the Hill Country corridor (Lakeway, Bee Cave, West Lake Hills), the western corridor (Dripping Springs), the northern suburbs (Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown, Leander, Hutto), and the southern suburbs (Buda, Kyle, Manor).
For more on our specific Austin roofing services across the metro, see our Austin roofers on call 24/7 page.