Water Coming Through the Ceiling in Canberra
Water dripping or pouring through the ceiling, or a ceiling sagging with water? Call us now, any hour. We stop the water, find out whether it’s the roof, a gutter or a pipe, and fix the cause. Across Canberra, Queanbeyan and towns within about an hour.
Call us: 03 8583 2640 or 0426 204 244
Roof, gutter or pipe? We fix all three
I’m Victor from Holy Mess Repairs. Water through a ceiling has three usual sources: the roof (broken tiles, rusted sheets, failed flashings, skylights), the gutters and box gutters (overflowing back inside), or a pipe (burst, leaking joint or a bathroom above). We’re roofers and plumbers, so we can trace and fix any of them.
Fully licensed in Canberra: every job is done by fully licensed tradespeople, either our own Holy Mess team or a fully licensed contractor we organise and manage, and you get a compliance certificate every time.
If your ceiling is sagging
A ceiling bulging with water can come down without warning. Keep everyone out of the room, turn off the power to that area at the switchboard if it’s safe, put a bucket under it and call us. Don’t stand under it to poke a hole in it.
What we do
- Stop the water now: tarp the roof, clear the gutter or isolate the pipe
- Find the source, with leak detection and dye testing if it isn’t obvious
- Fix the cause: roof repairs, skylights, box gutters or plumbing
- Dry it out and check wet downlights and wiring are safe (wiring checked by a fully licensed electrician we organise and manage)
- Quote the ceiling repair once it’s dry
Before we get there
- If anyone is in danger, call 000. For fallen power lines, stay well clear and call your electricity distributor’s faults line.
- Turn off the water at the main stop tap (usually near the meter at the front boundary) if a pipe or fixture is leaking.
- Turn off the power at the switchboard if water is near power points, lights or appliances, and only if you can do it safely without standing in water.
- Smell gas? Don’t use switches or flames, open doors and windows, get out and call the gas emergency line.
- Move valuables away from the water and catch drips with buckets and towels.
- Take photos and videos for your insurer, and send them to us on WhatsApp at 0426 204 244.
After-hours emergency pricing, up front
After hours there’s a $330 call-out fee, and the minimum charge for an emergency repair is $550. We tell you both on the phone before we head out, so there are no surprises at the door. If the job is bigger than an emergency fix, we make it safe first, then give you a written quote for the long-term repair before any more work starts.
How it works
- You call, a tradesperson answers. Any hour, 7 days, on 0426 204 244. Send photos and videos on WhatsApp.
- We confirm the cost on the phone. $330 after-hours call-out and a $550 minimum, before anyone heads out.
- We make it safe. Stop the water, isolate the danger, cover or secure what’s damaged.
- We fix the cause. On the spot where we can, by fully licensed tradespeople.
- Photos and a quote for the rest. Before and after photos for you and your insurer, and a written quote for the long-term repair.
Real reports from our jobs (names and addresses blacked out)
- Insurance report (make-safe, before/after), Coburg (2026-02): Before-and-after make-safe report from Coburg. A rusted, failed skylight and a gap where the tiles meet the wall were letting water pour into an internal corridor and through the downlights. We tarped and sandbagged both areas to make the home watertight and checked the wet downlights for electrical safety, with photos of every step.
- Insurance report (forensic leak investigation), Travancore (2026-02): Forensic leak investigation for a strata apartment building in Travancore. Water kept dripping into two units on hot days. Our testing found a new, separate cause: a cracked or disconnected air-conditioning condensate drain in the unit above, which is different from the balcony membrane failure found earlier. This helped the owners corporation direct the repair and the claim correctly.
- Insurance report (temporary mitigation), Newborough (2026-03): Insurance leak report from Newborough in Gippsland. Water was coming into the hallway because the tiles had become porous, the sarking underneath was torn, and a valley over-bedded with mortar was damming rainwater under the tiles. We removed the excess bedding, storm-sealed the area, and recommended permanent tile and sarking repairs.
See every published report on our real roof reports page.
Areas we cover
We cover all of Canberra and the ACT, plus the towns within about an hour’s drive of the city, including the NSW towns around Canberra. Our Canberra base is at 4/9 Dines Place, Bruce ACT 2617.
Towns we cover include:
- Queanbeyan and the south: Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra, Googong, Michelago and Bredbo
- North and Yass Valley: Hall, Sutton, Gundaroo, Murrumbateman, Yass and Binalong
- East: Bungendore, Captains Flat, Tarago and Braidwood
- Federal Highway: Collector, Gunning and Goulburn
Not sure if your town is in range? Call 03 8583 2640 or 0426 204 244 and ask.
Why Holy Mess Repairs
- Fully licensed in Canberra. Every job is done by fully licensed tradespeople, with a compliance certificate for the work every time. Insured through BizCover.
- 4.5 stars from 124 Google reviews.
- Honest about the cause, and about what it will cost.
- Options with prices, so you can choose.
- Photos before and after, every job.
HOLYMESS PTY LTD · ABN 31 666 327 813
How we quote
Call or email us and I’ll give you a free estimate over the phone. There’s no fee for the estimate. Once you’re happy with it, we send you a written document that explains what to expect, the likely scenarios and what each one costs, plus the quality of work and the warranty. That way you know exactly what you’re getting before we arrive.
Send us photos and videos on WhatsApp: 0426 204 244. Send as many as you can. The more we see, the more accurate the estimate.
Canberra water through the ceiling FAQs
How much is an after-hours call-out?
After hours there’s a $330 call-out fee and a $550 minimum charge for an emergency repair. We confirm the cost on the phone before we come out.
Are you available 24/7?
Yes. Call or WhatsApp 0426 204 244 any time. A real roofer or plumber answers, not a call centre.
Why is water coming through my ceiling when it isn’t raining?
Usually a pipe: a hot or cold water line, a leaking shower or bath above, or a hot water system in the roof space. If it only happens in rain, it’s the roof or gutters.
Is a wet ceiling dangerous?
It can be. A sagging ceiling can collapse, and water near lights and wiring is a shock risk. Keep clear, turn off the power to that area if safe, and call us.
Are you licensed in the ACT and NSW?
Yes. Every job in Canberra and the surrounding NSW towns is done by fully licensed tradespeople, and you get a compliance certificate for the work every time. We’re insured through BizCover.
Do you cover my town?
Yes, if you’re in Canberra, the ACT or a town within about an hour’s drive, including the NSW towns around Canberra. That includes Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra, Googong, Hall, Sutton, Murrumbateman, Gundaroo, Yass, Bungendore, Braidwood, Michelago, Collector, Gunning and Goulburn. Not sure? Call 0426 204 244 and ask.
Do you charge for a quote?
No. Call or email us and we’ll give you a free estimate over the phone, with no fee for the estimate. Send photos and videos on WhatsApp to 0426 204 244 and we’ll follow up with a written document setting out the likely scenarios, the cost of each and the warranty.
Ceiling leaking? Call now
Send us photos and videos on WhatsApp to 0426 204 244, or call for a free phone estimate.
Call Victor and the team: 03 8583 2640 or 0426 204 244
Holy Mess Repairs · Canberra base: 4/9 Dines Place, Bruce ACT 2617 · Main office: 19 Chivers Rd, Templestowe VIC 3106 · Serving Canberra, Queanbeyan and towns within about an hour