Ceiling Repair After a Leak in Wilmington, DE
- Plumbing Leaks Repaired First
- Plaster and Drywall Ceilings
- Upstairs Baths and Laundries
The damaged area is mapped by hand at the estimate, edge to edge.
A leak upstairs ends in two repairs: the one that stops the water and the one that puts the ceiling back. The ceiling has to wait its turn. Closing it under a pipe that still drips or over joists that are still wet creates a second stain in the same spot.
Once the water has stopped, Jimmy Grubb cuts out what it ruined, looks over the framing the opening exposes, and puts the ceiling back flat and sound.
Working Over Your Head, With a One-Year Warranty
Firm edges only
Soft drywall and loose plaster come out until what is left overhead is solid.
Floors and furniture covered
Drop cloths go down before any ceiling is cut.
Plaster or drywall
Plaster-and-lath and drywall ceilings have both been rebuilt.
Where the Water Came From Sets the Order of Work
The stain's shape and timing point to one of three places, and that place is dealt with before the ceiling is touched.
A supply pipe, drain, or toilet above
Supply lines carry water under pressure, so a failed joint or a split line can soak a wide stretch of ceiling in a short time. A drain leaks only when the fixture above it runs, which wets the same spot repeatedly and lets a stain grow slowly. A toilet leaking at its base first soaks the floor and subfloor, and the ceiling below shows it later. Jimmy repairs plumbing leaks himself, so the pipe and the ceiling under it can be handled by the same people.
Active water leaks are the one call we try to reach the same or next day.
plumbing leak and water heater repairsA shower or tub upstairs
Water that gets past shower tile, a failed pan, or a tub drain works its way down through the floor framing to the ceiling below. The shower has to be found and fixed before the ceiling is, and that leak is located with a water test before the shower repair is priced.
shower leak and tile repairThe roof, on a top-floor ceiling
A stain that grows after rain on a ceiling under the attic or under a flat roof points to the roof or the flashing around a chimney, vent, or skylight. That water passes through the attic insulation on its way down, so the attic above the stain is wet too. That repair belongs to a roofer.
Ceiling damage that stays, and damage that comes down
Once the area is dry, the ceiling shows how much needs to go. A drywall panel that stained but dried hard and flat can stay where it is. Drywall that went soft has lost its strength for good: the gypsum core crumbles at the edges, the paper face lets go, and a panel that sagged between the joists will not pull back flat. Screws that pulled through soft drywall leave it hanging on nothing. Those panels come out to the framing, so each edge of the opening lands on a joist or on new blocking and the new drywall has something solid to fasten to.
The open ceiling is also the one chance to see what the water touched: the joists, the underside of the subfloor above, and the pipe that leaked. Soft framing found there is talked through with you before the ceiling closes, and what to do about it is your call once it has been seen.
A ceiling with cracks, nail pops, or sagging plaster and no leak behind it is general wall and ceiling work.
drywall and plaster repairWhy wet plaster in Wilmington homes hangs loose past the stain
In a Wilmington row home, the ceiling under the upstairs bath may be plaster on wood lath, with a lived-in room right below it. A plaster ceiling like that can look whole after a leak and still hang loose over a wider area than the stain.
Wet plaster is also heavy, so a loose section over a dining table is a reason to keep the room clear until the visit, and to keep anyone from poking at a bulge to see what is behind it.
Cut Out, Checked, Closed and Finished
Whether it is still wet
When you get in touch, say whether water is still coming through or the stain has dried, and which room sits above it.
The leak is stopped
Whatever leaked is repaired before anything overhead is cut: the pipe or the shower by us, a roof by a roofer.
Pricing the ceiling
The ceiling is checked for soft drywall and loose plaster, the edges of the damage are marked out, and the repair is priced.
The cut-out
The damaged section comes out to the framing, and the joists and subfloor above are inspected while the ceiling is open.
New ceiling up
New drywall is fastened to the framing, or the plaster opening is built back, and the joints are taped and finished in thin coats.
Left sanded and ready for paint
The drop cloths come up, and the finished repair is sanded smooth to the ceiling around it.
Scope of a Ceiling Rebuild After Water
| What the leak left | What we do | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Stained drywall that dried hard and flat | Left in place | A firm panel can stay where it is |
| Soft or sagging drywall | Cut out; new drywall hung, taped and finished | Opening sized to reach the framing |
| Plaster loose from the lath | Cut back to sound plaster and rebuilt | Patch built out flush to the old ceiling |
| Framing or subfloor softened by the leak | Gone over with you while the ceiling is open | Any repair is priced once it can be seen |
| Plumbing leak above the ceiling | Repaired by Jimmy | Joints soldered or made with ProPress fittings |
| Seams and joints | Taped and finished in coats | Sanded smooth to the ceiling around them |
| Painting the ceiling | Not included | The repair is left ready for paint |
Drying the framing, pulling wet insulation, and mold work happen before our part, done by others, and we don't take water-damage insurance jobs. The ceiling rebuild is ours.
We don't repair house roofs. A roof leak has to be repaired by a roofer first.
We don't paint walls, ceilings, or trim.
Water-Damaged Ceiling Prices, by the Opening
- Work
Ceiling repair after a leak
Price$1,000 to $10,000 - Work
Plumbing leak repair above the ceiling
PriceConfirmed in person; a small repair is a $100 service call plus $25 for every 15 minutes of work
The size of the opening is the first cost driver. The material matters next: a plaster opening is built back up in layers to match the old surface, which takes more labor than hanging and taping a single sheet of drywall. A ceiling over a stairwell, or one with a light, a fan, or a vent in the damaged section, adds setup and time.
Jimmy prices every project in person at your home, never from a photo or a text. Project estimates are free and are usually scheduled in the evening.
Our warranty
Our work carries a one-year workmanship warranty, dated from the day the job is finished.
On Time, Careful and Tidy
On time, careful and cleaned up after
CBR 954RR, Google review, January 2025
“They were on time, very careful, communicated well, did the work in a professional manner, & cleaned up wonderfully.”
More reviews from our customers, straight from Google.
With a Bucket Under the Stain
Keep people out from under it and shut the water off, at the fixture's own valve if you know which one it is, or at the main. If there is a light in the wet area, turn that circuit off at the breaker. Then call or text Jimmy.
Once the source is fixed and the framing above reads dry. Drywall hung over damp joists traps moisture behind a fresh surface, where it can stain the new ceiling or cause it to sag. Whoever dries out the area can tell you when the framing reads dry.
Sometimes. A leaking pipe in the joists can be reached from the opened ceiling below. A shower pan, a tub drain, or a toilet flange is fixed from the bathroom side, so that room is out of use for part of the job. Which one it is gets settled before the ceiling is cut.
Pulling the wet batts is not our part, and putting new insulation back is not part of our work either; it can go in from the attic side after the new ceiling is up, so the ceiling repair doesn't have to wait for it.
Yes. A fixture on the existing wiring comes down before the ceiling is cut and goes back up once the new ceiling is finished. A fan needs a box rated for its weight, so a light-only box in the open section can be swapped for a fan-rated one while the ceiling is down.
Not at all. A stain that has stayed the same size and color for months suggests a leak that has stopped. One that darkens or spreads after a shower or a rainstorm means water is still getting in. An old stain can also sit on drywall that has gone soft or on plaster that has come loose.
When the Room Is Dry, the Ceiling Is Next
With the drying finished, the ceiling repair can go on the calendar. Book the estimate by call, text or the form.
Precision Home Worx · Based in Claymont, DE · (302) 321-3577 (call or text) · Monday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Delaware business license #223872998 · General liability insurance and RLI surety bond #LMS1971327
Serving Wilmington, Claymont, North Wilmington, Hockessin, Pike Creek, Greenville, Newark, New Castle, Bear and the rest of northern Delaware.
Related services
The main service
Handyman servicesWhere we work
Where the water came from
Where we repair ceilings after leaks
Leak-damaged ceilings rebuilt in Wilmington, Claymont, North Wilmington, Pike Creek, Hockessin, Newport, New Castle and Bear.
