Most people look for a roofer when something has already gone wrong: a stain on a ceiling, a tile in the yard after a storm, a blister on a flat roof. We are Circle G Roofing, a family run roofing crew based in Scottsdale. This page explains how we find a leak, how we fix each kind of roof found in Scottsdale, and how to tell a repair from a roof that is finished.
What a roofer does here, in brief
We inspect the roof for free, photograph what we find and give you a written fixed price before any work starts. We repair tile, spray foam, coated flat roofs and asphalt shingles with our own crew. Our emergency leak line is answered 24/7. We do not quote a repair over the phone, because the stain on the ceiling is rarely under the hole in the roof.
Call us and tell us where the water is showing and what kind of roof you have. We will arrange a free inspection.
Signs that a Scottsdale roof needs a roofer
Some signs are obvious and some are easy to walk past. These are the ones we ask about on the first call.
- A stain or bubbling paint on a ceiling or wall. Water has already passed the roof covering and the layer under it.
- Tiles or shingles in the yard after a storm. Wind has lifted part of the roof, and the layer beneath is now exposed to the sun.
- Water still standing on a flat roof two days after rain. The roof has a low spot, or a drain or scupper is blocked.
- Blisters, splits or bare foam on a flat roof. The coating has worn through and the foam under it is taking the sun directly.
- Granules collecting at the roof edge or on the ground below it. Asphalt shingles are shedding the surface that protects them.
- Crumbling mortar along the hips and ridges of a tile roof. The mortar that beds the hip and ridge tiles is failing.
- Daylight visible in the attic. There is a gap, and water will find it.
How we find where the water gets in
Water often enters at a flashing, travels along the deck or a truss, and drops through the ceiling somewhere else. Chasing the stain instead of the source is why roofs get patched three times and still leak. Our repair starts by working back from where the water shows to where it enters.
- Find the source, not just the stain. We work back from the stain and check the flashing, the valleys and every penetration on the way.
- Open the roof. We lift tiles, pull shingles or cut back coating so that the underlayment, the deck and the flashing can be seen. This is where the photographs are taken.
- Replace what is wet or failed. Wet or failed material comes out, new material goes in, and the flashing and penetrations are resealed.
- Match the surface and clean up. The repair is matched to what is already on the roof, checked, and the debris is cleared.
You see the photographs before you see a price. The inspection and the written quote are free whether or not there is work to do.
Repairs by roof type
The City of Scottsdale’s own re-roofing guide lists the roofing typically found on homes here: asphalt or fiberglass shingles, clay or concrete tile, rolled or built-up roofing on flat roofs, and foam, which the guide says is replacing rolled roofing in most flat roof systems. Each one fails in its own way.
Tile roof repair
On a tile roof the tile is the outer shell and the underlayment beneath it does the waterproofing. The tile can last the life of the house. In Scottsdale heat the underlayment gives out after about 13 to 16 years, so the tile outlives it several times over. That is why a tile roof with no visible damage can still leak.
- Cracked, chipped or slipped tile. If the underlayment is still sound, replacing a cracked or slipped tile is a short job, and we will tell you so. The replacement has to match the profile and the color. When a tile is discontinued, sound tiles are taken from an elevation that is out of sight and the new ones are set there instead.
- Brittle underlayment in one area. We lift the tiles, stack them in order, strip the old underlayment, lay new underlayment and reset the original tiles, replacing only the broken ones.
- Valleys, headwall flashing and vents. These are resealed where the water is getting in.
- Mortar at hips and ridges. Failed mortar is cut out cleanly and redone.
The City’s guide describes tile as relatively brittle and subject to breaking when walked upon. We lift tile instead of prying it, and we walk only the bottom edge of each course, where the tile is supported. If you have other trades on the roof, such as an air conditioning technician, ask them to do the same.
Spray foam and flat roof repair
Spray foam roofing is our specialty. A foam roof is polyurethane foam sprayed as one continuous insulating layer and sealed with a reflective coating. The coating is the part that wears. Once it thins, the sun reaches the foam, and blisters, cracks and wet areas follow.
- Blisters and saturated foam. These are cut out and rebuilt with new foam. A coating cannot fix wet foam underneath it.
- Low spots that hold water. Low areas are built back up with new foam so that water runs to the drains and scuppers instead of ponding.
- Penetrations, parapet walls and equipment curbs. These are resealed. On a foam or flat roof the failure is usually one blistered area or a penetration that was never sealed properly.
- Worn coating. The roof is power washed, dried and recoated with silicone or a polyurea elastomeric coating, chosen for how the roof drains and how much foot traffic it takes.
When a foam roof needs more than spot repairs, the next step is a full foam roof makeover, which we describe on our roof replacement Scottsdale AZ page.
Asphalt shingle repair
Lifted, cracked and missing shingles are replaced and the flashing is resealed. A repair holds when the surrounding shingles are still flexible and the damage is in one place. When shingles are brittle across the whole roof, a patch tends to move the leak to the next weak spot, and we will say so. The City’s guide notes that in areas prone to wind, shingles generally wear quickly and may need replacing much sooner than their warranty period. In Scottsdale the sun does the same.
Flashing, valleys and roof-to-wall joints
A lot of leaks begin at a flashing and not in the open roof. We renew valleys, step flashing, headwall flashing and vent boots, and we form flashing to the roof instead of relying on a bead of caulk.
Emergency leaks during a monsoon storm
The National Weather Service counts the monsoon season as June 15 through September 30, the weeks when storm hazards are most likely. It describes a downburst as a concentrated downdraft that sends damaging wind outward at the ground, and says the outflow from a strong storm can reach 50 miles per hour or more. Wind like that lifts shingles, cracks and slips tile, throws debris into valleys and against walls, and finds the weak seams on a flat roof.
Our emergency leak line is answered 24/7. We get to active leaks in Scottsdale the same day wherever we can, and during a storm we take the worst cases first: water running in, or water near anything electrical. On an emergency visit we find the entry point, seal or cover it, clear blocked drains and scuppers, photograph the damage and give you a written fixed price for the permanent repair.
What to do while you wait for us
Move what you can out from under the leak and put something down to catch the water. If the ceiling is bulging, pierce it at the lowest point so the water drains in one place. Keep away from anything electrical that is wet. Do not go on the roof in the dark or in wind.
Anything done in the middle of a storm is temporary, no matter who does it. The permanent repair is done in daylight on a dry roof, when the full path of the water can be seen.
Water coming in now? Call our emergency leak line. It is answered at any hour.
What the desert does to a roof between storms
Storms get the blame, but the sun does much of the damage. The National Weather Service’s 1991 to 2020 figures for Phoenix show an average of 111 days a year at or above 100 degrees and 21 days at or above 110. The average first 100 degree day is May 2 and the average last one is October 5. From early May into October, underlayment, sealant and coatings are baked day after day.
The City of Scottsdale’s re-roofing guide adds a point most homeowners have not heard. In desert heat a closed attic expands as it heats and contracts as it cools, and that movement can work roof and sheathing nails outward, weaken the roof and let leaks start. Proper attic ventilation relieves the pressure. We look at intake and exhaust vents at the inspection for that reason.
Repair, section rebuild or replacement
A leak is not the same thing as a failed roof, and usually the answer is a repair. An inspection ends in one of three answers.
| What we find | What it usually means | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|
| Damage in one place, sound material around it | A lasting repair | This page |
| One slope or one section has failed, the rest is sound | A section rebuild: new underlayment under the original tile on that slope, or new foam in the failed area | This page |
| Failure is spread across the roof: brittle underlayment everywhere, shingles brittle across the surface, or foam wet in many places | The roof is at the end of its life | Roof replacement Scottsdale AZ |
We tell you which of the three it is and show you the photographs that led us there. If you would like to know how we work as a business before you call, see our roofing company Scottsdale AZ page. For licensing, permits and HOA approval, see roofing contractor Scottsdale AZ.
Does a roof repair need a City of Scottsdale permit
Usually not. The City’s home improvement guidance lists re-roofing with the same roofing material among the work that needs no permit. Its re-roofing guide says a building permit is required if any part of the roof sheathing or structural framing is repaired or replaced. Read together, a repair that puts back the same roofing material over sound sheathing needs no permit, and one that replaces rotten decking does. If decking has to be replaced on your roof, ask the City’s One Stop Shop about a permit before that part of the work goes ahead.
Where we repair roofs
Our office is in central Scottsdale and we work the whole length of the city, which the City measures at 31 miles from north to south: the older neighborhoods around Old Town, McCormick Ranch and Gainey Ranch in the middle, and DC Ranch, Grayhawk and Troon in the north. We also repair roofs in Tempe, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, Carefree and Phoenix. Our main site is Circle G Roofing.
Call us with your address and what you have noticed. The inspection and the written price are free.
Common questions
Why is the leak not above the stain on my ceiling?
Because water travels. It gets past a flashing or a seam, runs along the deck or a truss and drops through the ceiling somewhere else. We work back from the stain to the entry point and open the roof there before we price anything.
How fast can a roofer get to a leak in Scottsdale?
Our emergency leak line is answered 24/7, and we get to active leaks in Scottsdale the same day wherever we can. During a monsoon storm we take water running in and water near anything electrical first.
Can you repair just one cracked tile?
Often, yes. If the underlayment under it is still sound, replacing a cracked or slipped tile is a short job. The new tile has to match the profile and color of the roof.
My tile roof looks fine. Why is it leaking?
The tile is the outer shell. The underlayment beneath it does the waterproofing, and in Scottsdale heat it gives out after about 13 to 16 years. Water gets past brittle underlayment even when every tile is in place.
Will a new coating stop a leak on my flat roof?
A coating stops water getting in through the surface, and on a flat roof that solves most leaks. It cannot fix wet or blistered foam, or a penetration that was never sealed properly. Those are cut out and rebuilt first, and the coating goes on after.
Do you give repair prices over the phone?
No. A price depends on what is under the surface, and that cannot be seen from a phone call. The inspection is free, you see photographs of what we find, and the price is fixed in writing before work starts.
Do I need a permit for a roof repair in Scottsdale?
The City lists re-roofing with the same material as work that needs no permit. Its re-roofing guide says a building permit is required if roof sheathing or structural framing is repaired or replaced. If decking has to be replaced, ask the City’s One Stop Shop before that part goes ahead.
Is it safe to walk on my tile roof?
Walk on it as little as possible. The City of Scottsdale’s re-roofing guide describes tile as brittle and subject to breaking when walked upon. Tile is walked at the bottom edge of each course, where it is supported.