Project: the BS9 rescue, a house renovation in Bristol after an attic leak
The call came after the water, not before it. "We found Dan and Craig after a massive leak from our attic so the whole house needed work!" is how the owner of a home in BS9 begins her Google review, and it is a fair summary of the phone call. Most of the house renovation work we do in Bristol is planned for months: drawings, a quote, a start date in the diary. This one started with a ceiling coming down and a family standing in the hall wondering who to ring. Nobody plans a rescue. This is how we ran one, and what it taught us about the difference between a planned build and a repair job that has to start now.
The phone call: what we ask in the first five minutes
Water keeps doing damage every hour it sits, so the first conversation is short and practical. Is the water off at the stopcock? Is the electricity safe, or is water tracking through light fittings? Where did it come from (here, a damaged water pump)? Is anything sagging that could come down on someone? Have you photographed it before anyone touches anything, because the insurer will ask? Then we get round there. You cannot scope a leak from a description, and the owner needs someone to walk the house with them and say what happens next.
Triage: making the house safe and liveable
On a rescue like this the first days are not about rebuilding, they are about stopping things getting worse. That means isolating the source, dropping any ceiling that is holding water, lifting soaked carpet and floor coverings, and opening up so the joists and walls can dry rather than sealing damp into the structure. Drying is slow: dehumidifiers and air movers run for weeks, and we do not close anything up until the moisture readings say so. The electrics are tested and made safe (we have NICEIC on the team), and we work out with the family which rooms can stay dry and usable while the rest is opened up. Here the water had reached the bathroom, the bedrooms, the living room, the dining room and the kitchen.
Where an insurer is involved, our detailed, itemised quotes earn their keep: a loss adjuster can see exactly what is being replaced and why, line by line, which is the same document you would get from us on any build. On this job an insurer and a loss adjuster were involved, and the client handled that liaison directly. Everything is photographed and dated as it comes out and goes back in.
[IMAGE: Roof structure being rebuilt by our team | alt: Wilson & Cole team working on a new roof structure on a Bristol site] (suggested file: roof-team-on-structure_16x9.jpg; caption must say it is not the BS9 home)
The rebuild: what "the whole house needed work" meant
The order matters more than the speed. The cause is fixed first, because there is no point plastering under a roof or a tank that will do it again. If a roof has to be re-covered, that is building regulations work: the Planning Portal's re-roofing guidance notes that a roof is a thermal element, so re-covering it should include improving its insulation, and the Approved Documents set the target for a new pitched roof at rafter level. Then structure: joist ends and wall plates that have sat wet are checked and replaced where they need to be. Then, room by room, ceilings and walls, first-fix electrics and plumbing, plaster, second fix, decoration, and any kitchen or bathroom the water reached. Phasing it room by room is what keeps a family in the house: there is always somewhere finished to sleep and somewhere clean to eat. This one took six weeks on site, including the repair works, a new bathroom and new internal doors throughout.
We do not have a menu price for a rescue, because the scope is set by the damage rather than by the design. For context, a planned whole-house renovation with us runs from a guide price of £50,000 to £150,000 or more excluding VAT, and our renovations service page explains how we itemise it. A leak rebuild is quoted the same way, detailed and itemised, after we have opened up and seen what the water did; older Bristol houses hide surprises even when they are dry, as our field guide to what Victorian terraces hide sets out.
Working around a family, and a meltdown
The review's own word is the honest one: "They were attentive, professional, helpful and kind, even when I was having a meltdown! …nothing was too much trouble!" A leak is not a project anyone chose. People are tired, insurers are slow, and there are strangers in every room. So the same habits we use on a planned loft matter more here: one point of contact (Dan or Craig, not a rotating cast), a start time you can set your watch by, a daily tidy-up, dust sealed off from the rooms in use, and answering the phone when the question is small. Our guide to how we keep a home liveable during a build is written for planned work, but the method is the same.
What a rescue tells you about a builder
Anyone can look good on a job that was drawn a year ahead. A rescue shows temperament: whether a builder turns up when there is no fee yet, whether the quote is itemised when an insurer is reading it, and whether the crew is kind on a bad day. It is also why the boring credentials matter. We are Federation of Master Builders members, fully insured, with SMSTS, CSCS, First Aid at Work, Gas Safe and NICEIC across the team, and a 5.0-star Google rating from 25 or more reviews. That is not a boast; it is what lets a family let us into every room of the house at the worst week of their year. Our written guarantees are on the FAQ page, and if you want to know why we take that seriously, the story of the two grandfathers we are named after explains it.
If it happens to you, this is the first hour: turn the water off at the stopcock; if water is anywhere near lights or sockets, turn the electricity off at the consumer unit; catch and contain what you can; photograph everything; ring your insurer; then ring a builder who will come and look rather than quote over the phone. How to choose a Bristol builder covers the questions to ask before you let anyone start.
Frequently asked questions
Do you work with insurance companies on leak repairs?
Yes. We provide the detailed, itemised scope and quote an insurer or loss adjuster needs, photograph the damage and the works, and keep the paperwork tidy. The claim itself stays between you and your insurer; we make the building side straightforward.
Can we stay in the house during a renovation after a leak?
Often, yes. We phase the work room by room so there is always somewhere dry to sleep and eat, and we seal off the rooms being worked on. If the electrics or heating cannot be made safe, or the drying phase is severe, we will tell you plainly that moving out for a spell is the better option.
How long does a house take to dry out after a leak?
Weeks rather than days. Dehumidifiers and air movers run until moisture readings in the joists and walls come down, and we do not plaster or close anything up before then, because sealing damp into a house creates the next problem.
Do you fix the cause of the leak as well as the damage?
Always first. Roof, tank or pipe is repaired or replaced before any rebuilding starts, and re-covering a roof includes upgrading its insulation under building regulations. We have Gas Safe and NICEIC qualifications on the team, so plumbing and electrics are handled with the building work.
How much does a house renovation cost in Bristol?
A planned whole-house renovation with us runs from a guide price of £50,000 to £150,000 or more excluding VAT. A rebuild after a leak is scoped by the damage rather than a menu, so we quote it detailed and itemised once we have opened up and seen what the water did.
If water is coming through your ceiling right now, call Dan or Craig on 0117 2510365. If it happened last month and you are staring at the ceiling wondering where to start, tell us about it and we will call you back within one working day.
