Signs you need a crew now
- A brown stain that's spreading while you watch
- Sagging drywall or a bubble of paint holding water
- Dripping at a light fixture or fan - kill that circuit now
- A musty smell under an upstairs bathroom or the attic
What happens when you call
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Tell us what happened. 30 seconds - where it's dripping and what's above it.
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You're connected with a local restoration crew while you're on the line.
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The crew confirms timing and sets your arrival time with you directly.
Why this one can't wait
Water travels along joists before it drips, so the stain is almost never under the actual leak - and a waterlogged ceiling section can come down without much warning.
The crew relieves the trapped water safely, traces the real source (pipe, roof, or bathroom above), and dries inside the ceiling cavity - the part a fan under the stain never reaches.
Local to Cook County
Chicago basements are deep and usually finished - and much of Cook County drains through combined sewers that back up into them during heavy rain. Freeze-thaw cycles burst pipes in uninsulated exterior walls, ice dams push meltwater under roofs, and a dead sump or ejector pit turns an ordinary storm into a flooded basement in an hour.
In the Chicago area the coverage that surprises homeowners most is sewer backup - it's only covered with a water/sewer backup endorsement, an add-on many policies skip despite the combined sewer system. Check your declarations page before the next heavy rain.
Serving Chicago, Evanston, Cicero, Oak Park, Skokie, Berwyn, and all of Cook County.
Ceiling leak questions
Should I poke a hole to drain it?
If a bubble is visibly holding water, one small relief hole into a bucket beats a collapse - but if the ceiling is sagging, stay clear and let the crew do it.
Is a ceiling leak covered by insurance?
If the cause is sudden - a pipe or appliance failure above - usually yes. A roof that's been leaking for months is a harder claim. See the coverage guide.
It's dripping from a light fixture.
Switch off that circuit at the breaker and don't touch the fixture. Mention it on the call - the crew treats it as live until proven otherwise.
Is sewer backup covered in Chicago?
Only with a water/sewer backup endorsement - many Cook County policies skip it despite the combined sewers. Check your declarations page before the next heavy rain.