Clearing and cleaning
The quickest drainage job, clearing debris from the drain and the scupper. Often enough when the drain sits in the right place and the outlet is simply blocked.
Serving Bernalillo County
Roof Drain and Scupper Repair in Albuquerque, NM
Clearing and correcting the drains and scuppers on flat roofs in Albuquerque and the towns around it, so the water has a way off.
- Roof repair and full replacement
- Leaks, hail and storm damage
- Flat and pitched roofs
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (833) 751-2102. Or send this and we call you back.
Drain and Scupper
Roof Drain and Scupper Repair: what it covers
Quick answer
A drain or scupper is the exit point of a flat roof, and a blocked, low or undersized one is the most common reason a roof ponds. A roofer clears the outlet, checks its height against the low point of the roof and corrects the detail that holds water.
On a flat roof the drain is where the design ends. Everything else on the roof exists to move water toward it, and when it fails the roof has nowhere to put the water. Leaves, grit and debris collect at the outlet, and a drain set above the low point of the roof holds a pond that no coating will fix.
Scuppers are the openings in a parapet or a wall that let water run off the roof edge. They can be blocked by debris, by a dropped strip of coping or by a flashing that has been turned the wrong way. A scupper that has lost its throat or its outlet causes water to run down the face of the wall, which stains the wall and can damage its finish.
This page covers clearing, re-setting and correcting drains and scuppers, and the checks that tell a roofer which one is needed. The drainage is often the cheapest part of a flat-roof repair, and it is the part most worth doing first.
- Service area
- Albuquerque & Bernalillo County
- Availability
- Call to reach a local roofer
- Phone
- (833) 751-2102
Warning signs
Signs you need roof drain and scupper repair
Do not reach over a parapet or a roof edge to clear a scupper. Clear what you can from the ground with a long tool, and let the roofer work at the outlet with fall protection.
- Water standing at a drain for a day or more after the rain has stopped
- Leaves, grit or sediment packed into the drain bowl or the strainer basket
- Water running down the outside face of a wall from a scupper rather than out of it
- A drain strainer that is bent, cracked or missing
- Staining on the parapet or wall face below a scupper outlet
- A drain that gurgles or drains slowly after a storm, which can mean a blocked pipe below
Our process
How our roof drain and scupper repair visit works
Clear the outlet and the strainer
Debris is removed from the strainer, the bowl and the first section of pipe. The roofer checks that the outlet is clear and that water moves freely through it when poured in.
Check the drain height and the low point
The roofer measures the drain against the lowest point of the surrounding roof. A drain sitting above the basin will hold water in it, and the roof is checked for the shape of the pond.
Reset or replace the drain
Where the drain sits too high, the bowl is re-set or the drain is replaced, with the membrane re-sealed around the new flange. The new position is checked with water before the job is closed.
Repair the scupper or the outlet
Scuppers are cleared, the throat is re-formed where it has collapsed, and the flashing is turned to lie correctly. Where a scupper has no outlet below it, the roofer says so and quotes the extension.
Test the drainage and record it
The drainage is tested with a measured volume of water, and the result is photographed and recorded. The record shows that the water now leaves the roof, which is the point of the job.
Why does a drain that looks clear still leave water standing?
Because the drain may sit above the low point of the roof. A clear outlet only empties the pond down to the height of the drain, and the rest of the water stays.
A drain is cleared on the surface and it still holds water. That is the sign of a height problem. The roof has a basin, the drain is set at the rim of the basin, and water fills the basin to the drain height and no further. Clearing the drain does not change that.
The fix is to measure. A roofer lays a level across the roof from the drain to the low point, and records the difference. Where the difference is more than a fraction of an inch, the drain is moved or a sump is formed at the low point. Either is a deliberate change to the roof, and it is written into the scope.
- Measure the difference between the drain and the low point
- Record the depth of the pond after a dry day
- Decide between moving the drain and forming a sump
What causes a scupper to dump water down the wall?
A collapsed throat, a missing outlet below or a flashing turned the wrong way. Water that cannot leave the scupper cleanly runs down the outside of the wall.
A scupper has a throat, the opening through the wall, and an outlet, the point where water drops clear of the wall. When the throat has collapsed or the flashing lies on the wrong side, water runs back on to the wall face. Over time it stains the masonry and washes the finish away below the outlet.
A roofer checks the throat for shape, the flashing for direction and the outlet for clearance. An outlet that discharges onto a ledge or a wall projection is extended so the water falls clear.
- Check the throat for shape and size
- Check the flashing lies to shed water outward
- Confirm the outlet discharges clear of the wall
How do you keep a drain clear between roofer visits?
Check the drain after every large storm, remove leaves and debris by hand from the ground where safe, and keep records of when it was last cleared.
Drains need attention more often than most roof parts, because their job is to catch what the wind brings. A homeowner can look at the drain from a secure position after a storm and remove debris that is within reach. Do not climb the roof to do this; the roofer should do any work at the outlet itself.
Note the date of each clearing. A drain that keeps filling with grit at the same point may be catching sediment from an overhang or a parapet above, and the roofer can look at the source and not just the symptom.
- Look at the drains after a large storm from the ground
- Note the date of each clearing
- Report a drain that refills at the same point
What belongs in the scope for a drain job?
The drain or scupper that is being worked on, the reason, the method, the materials and a drainage test after the work.
A drain or scupper scope should name each outlet by its position on the roof, the work at that outlet and the material used. It should also record the drainage test that shows the water now leaves. A line that says clear drains with no test is not a finished job.
If the work changes the roof's drainage, the scope should say so. Moving a drain or forming a sump is a change to the roof, and the homeowner should see it written down before the work is done.
- Each outlet named by position on the roof
- The drainage test result after the work
- Any change to the drainage written as a change
Options
Types and options for roof drain and scupper repair
Re-setting a drain
Moving the drain bowl to the low point, or fitting a new drain at the correct height, with the membrane re-sealed to the new flange. Needed when the drain holds water in a basin.
Scupper re-forming
Rebuilding a scupper where its throat has collapsed, or adding one where water runs over the wall face. Often paired with a coping repair on the same parapet.
Bernalillo County
Why roof drain and scupper repair is different in Greater Albuquerque
The FACTS sheet names no local roof type, so this page does not claim how many buildings in the city have flat roofs or drains that need work.
Drains and scuppers on buildings in the city and in the county towns are worked on the same way. Access and the number of outlets are what change the quote.
Rooftop debris from the wind is a seasonal concern in the metro, but the FACTS sheet gives no monthly weather drivers, so the page does not state when it peaks.
Still stuck? We pick up 24/7.
If it's an emergency, call now. For non-urgent roof drain and scupper repair, send the form and we'll call you back.
Where we work
Roof Drain and Scupper Repair across Bernalillo County
- Drain and Scupper in Albuquerque
- Drain and Scupper in Rio Rancho
- Drain and Scupper in Kirtland AFB
- Drain and Scupper in Corrales
- Drain and Scupper in Isleta
- Drain and Scupper in Bosque Farms
- Drain and Scupper in Cedar Crest
- Drain and Scupper in Placitas
- Drain and Scupper in Peralta
- Drain and Scupper in Bernalillo
- Drain and Scupper in Sandia Park
- Drain and Scupper in Tijeras
- Drain and Scupper in Los Lunas
- Drain and Scupper in Tome
- Drain and Scupper in Edgewood
- Drain and Scupper in Algodones
- Drain and Scupper in Belen
- Drain and Scupper in Torreon
- Drain and Scupper in San Ysidro
- Drain and Scupper in Laguna
- Drain and Scupper in Moriarty
- Drain and Scupper in Santo Domingo Pueblo
- Drain and Scupper in Estancia
- Drain and Scupper in Cerrillos
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
Flat and Low-Slope Roof Repair
Repairs to flat and low-slope roofs in Albuquerque and the towns around it, starting with where the water sits and why.
Parapet and Coping Repair
Repairs to the walls that rise above a flat roof in Albuquerque: caps, coping, counterflashing and the wall-top joints water gets through.
Gutter and Downspout Repair
Repairing gutters, downspouts and their outlets in Albuquerque and the towns around it, so roof water is carried away from the walls and foundation.
Guides
Read before you book
A Flat Roof Checklist for After a Storm in Albuquerque
After a storm a flat roof can be checked from the ground and from inside the building.
FAQ
Roof Drain and Scupper Repair FAQs
Can I clear a drain myself?
From the ground with a long tool, yes, if it is safe. Do not climb onto the roof to do it. The roofer can clear the drain on the first visit.
Why does the water on my roof take so long to drain?
Usually because the drain sits above the low point of the roof or because the outlet is partly blocked. A roofer measures the height and tests the flow.
Will a drain repair stop my ceiling leak?
It can, if the leak came from water backing up at the drain. The roofer checks the ceiling path before saying whether the drain is the cause.
Is a roof drain replacement a large job?
Usually not, but the membrane has to be re-sealed around the flange, and the job is quoted with that work included.