Short answer: Turn off the water at the main first, then figure out the source before you call: a plumber if it is a supply or drain line, a roofer if it started with rain, an HVAC company if the air handler is in the attic above the stain. Whichever trade you call will stop the water and leave. Nobody in that list repairs the ceiling, the wet insulation, the drywall or the floor. That is the general-contractor half of the job, and it is the half people forget to plan for.
First ten minutes
- Shut off the water at the main. In most Charleston and York County houses it is at the meter box near the street or where the line enters the house; in a condo it is a valve in a closet or utility room. If the leak stops within a few minutes, it was a supply line and you have just solved the emergency part.
- Relieve the ceiling. If the drywall is bulging, put a bucket under it and poke a small hole in the lowest point with a screwdriver. A controlled drip beats a collapsed ceiling.
- Kill the power to that room if water is anywhere near a light fixture or fan.
- Move things, then photograph everything before you touch it further. The photos are your insurance file.
Work out the source before you dial
The call you make depends on this, and it takes two minutes:
- It started while somebody was using water upstairs (shower, toilet, washing machine): a drain or supply line. Plumber.
- Shutting off the main stopped it: supply line. Plumber.
- It started with rain, or after a storm: roof, flashing, or a window above. Roofer for the roof; we do not do roofing, and we will say so. For a window, a general contractor.
- It is summer, it is under the attic, and it is a slow steady drip: the air handler condensate drain is clogged and the pan is overflowing. HVAC. See water around the air handler.
- It is under the water heater (attic or upstairs closet): the tank or a fitting. Shut off the cold supply to the heater and the gas or breaker. Plumber.
In a condo or townhome, if the water is coming from the unit above, the regime or property manager is the first call, not a trade: you need access to the source, and the cost split is theirs to arbitrate.
What the trade will and will not do
A plumber will find the leak, fix the pipe or fitting, and turn the water back on. A roofer will patch the roof. An HVAC tech will clear the drain and maybe replace the pan. That is the whole scope, and it is the right scope; they are there to stop the water.
What they leave behind is the actual damage: a ceiling with a hole in it, drywall that has wicked water two feet in every direction, insulation in the joist bay that is soaked and will not dry on its own, a wet subfloor above if it came from a bathroom, and often flooring below that has cupped or lifted. None of that is plumbing. Every week we get calls from people who had the leak fixed a month ago and are now looking at a stained, sagging ceiling and a musty smell, wondering who is supposed to do this.
The honest DIY version
If it was a one-time, small event (a few square feet, dried within a day, no insulation above it), you can cut out the stained drywall back to the joists, let the cavity dry with a fan for several days, put in a new piece, tape, mud, sand, prime with a stain-blocking primer and paint. Painting over a stain without cutting out the wet board is the mistake: the stain comes back and the mold is still in there.
Do not do it yourself if the area is more than a couple of square feet, if there is insulation above it, if it was sewage or grey water, if it ran for more than a day, or if the ceiling is textured or plaster and you need it to match. Wet blown-in or batt insulation does not dry in place; it has to come out.
When it is serious
- The ceiling is sagging: it can come down. Clear the room.
- Water reached a light fixture, fan or outlet.
- It ran for more than 24 hours, or it was a drain line (grey or black water). That is a remediation job, not a patch.
- You can see or smell mold within a few days. In the Lowcountry, wet drywall in summer grows visible mold in two to three days; it does not wait.
What is left after the trade fix — and who does it
Drying the cavity properly (moisture readings, not guesswork), removing soaked insulation, cutting out and replacing the drywall, matching texture or plaster, painting, and repairing the floor above and below: that is general-contractor work and it is what we do, as water damage restoration and drywall repair. If the source was sudden, it is usually an insurance claim, and we do insurance repair with direct billing where the policy covers it; see what insurance covers after a pipe leak. If the ceiling came from a bathroom above, the toilet or shower is usually involved: a rocking toilet is often the cause.
One thing worth knowing: we can also be the first call. A general contractor can bring the plumber in and manage the whole thing, which is simpler than making four calls yourself. It is not cheaper than calling the plumber directly for the pipe alone; it is simpler when there is going to be a ceiling to rebuild anyway.
Charleston and York County notes
In Charleston the drying window is short. Summer humidity means a wet ceiling cavity will not dry on its own, and an attic-mounted air handler is a very common source of ceiling leaks in Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island and Summerville houses built since the 1990s. In York County, attic water heaters are common in Fort Mill and Tega Cay houses and are the first place to look when a second-floor ceiling stains; the drying is easier, the drywall repair is the same.
Sources
- IICRC S500 — Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration: iicrc.org/s500/
- US EPA — mold cleanup in your home: epa.gov/mold/mold-cleanup-your-home
General guidance for homeowners in Charleston and York County, South Carolina, written from what we see on jobs. Conditions vary house to house; anything structural, gas or electrical is licensed work in South Carolina and should be looked at in person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who do I call for a water leak in the ceiling?
Shut off the main first. Then a plumber for a supply or drain line, a roofer if it started with rain, or an HVAC company if the air handler is in the attic above the stain. For the ceiling, drywall, insulation and floor repair afterward, a general contractor.
Does a plumber fix the ceiling after a leak?
No. A plumber fixes the pipe. Drying the cavity, removing wet insulation, replacing drywall, matching texture and painting is general-contractor work, which is what Southeastern Renovation does.
Should I poke a hole in a bulging ceiling?
Yes, a small one at the lowest point with a bucket under it. Letting the water out in a controlled way prevents the drywall from collapsing.
Can I just paint over a water stain on the ceiling?
Only if the drywall is fully dry, was never soaked through, and there is no insulation above it. Otherwise the stain returns and mold grows in the cavity. Cut out the wet section, dry the cavity, then patch.
Is ceiling water damage covered by homeowners insurance?
Usually if the cause was sudden and accidental (a burst pipe, an overflow). Usually not if it was a slow leak or a maintenance issue. Photograph everything and read your policy; we bill insurers directly where cover applies.