Note the weather before you inspect anything
A leak that starts in driving rain from one side is different from one that appears after a long wet day. Write it down. If the mark dries between events, a dated photograph is useful.
Look uphill in the loft
From safe boarding, follow fresh staining back towards the ridge, chimney or valley. Water can run along felt or timber for quite a distance before dropping.
Do not let the easiest patch decide the diagnosis
A cracked tile may be obvious from the garden and still be unrelated to the damp mark. Work from the route of the water rather than the first defect that looks old.
Drying takes time
Plaster, insulation and timber can stay damp after the external repair. Fresh dripping during new rain is more significant than an old stain that remains visible.
Want a roofer to look at it?
Describe what you can see and the weather in which the problem appears. That gives the roofer a useful starting point.
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