Water is coming into your attic. You know your first step should be to attempt to find the leak, but where do you look? The leak is rarely directly above the spot where water is coming in since water likes to run and travel down beams. You should not have to patrol and search the whole roof, however. Focus on these top spots where you're most likely to find a roofing leak.

In a Valley

If your roof has multiple peaks and valleys, focus on the valleys when looking for a roof leak. This is where water likes to settle. There should be a layer of metal flashing or drip edge under the shingles in a valley, but occasionally this gets left out. If there are only shingles in your valley and water seems to be pooling there, then this is likely where your leak lies. Look for spots where the shingles are starting to deteriorate and peel back, or where wet leaves have been sitting constantly. Your roofer should be able to replace the damaged shingles and perhaps add some flashing to the valley to keep this area from leaking again. 

Near Missing or Peeling Flashing

Look along the edge of your chimney, and also along the edge of your sewer vent. Is the metal that surrounds these structures starting to peel back or rust? If it looks like water could seep behind the flashing, water probably is seeping behind the flashing. This problem is harder to solve than you might think. You can't just glue down the flashing, as that would trap in any moisture that is currently behind it. You need a roofer to remove the flashing and surrounding shingles, dry everything out, and then put in some new flashing.

Peeling Shingles Along the Edge

Do you live in a climate where there's a lot of snow and temperatures often fall below freezing? Then your leak may be coming from the edge of your roof. It's common for melted snow to collect here, refreeze, and peel up the edges of some shingles. You can usually spot the peeling shingles just by looking along their edges. A roofer can easily remove and replace the damaged shingles, putting an end to the leak. Make sure you also take steps to keep the same damage from happening again — such as sweeping snow off the roof.

Leaks are not always where you'd expect them to be. Focus on the areas above, and you'll have better luck finding where the pesky water is coming from.

For more information, check out sites like https://theroofdoctor.com/.