Greater London · London and the South East
Barnes Electronic Leak Detection
We carry out electronic leak detection in Barnes and the rest of Greater London. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends.
- Leaks through a flat roof with no obvious cause
- Breaches around outlets and penetrations
- Punctures from foot traffic or tools
How electronic leak detection works in Barnes
ELD suits many waterproofing membranes on flat roofs, on homes, blocks and commercial buildings. It can be used to trace an existing leak or to test a new membrane before it is covered. Each roof is quoted on its size and build-up. We can test on weekdays and at weekends when conditions allow. Tell us about your roof to find out more. We’re frequently asked to look into leaks at pipes, outlets or fixings and water coming in under a flat roof, across single-ply roofs, liquid-applied waterproofing and flat roof membranes.
Across London, flat roofs are everywhere, from back additions and dormers to roof terraces, blocks of flats and offices. They’re covered in felt, asphalt, EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass or single-ply membranes, and each fails in its own way. Which one is on a roof in Barnes shapes how it is checked. Older flat roofs are frequently felt or asphalt, newer ones rubber or GRP.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, and where it can wait, that’s said too.
- Location
- Barnes (SW13, SW15, SW14)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- Quoted for your roof
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Why it’s worth a survey now in Barnes
Testing a new membrane before it’s covered is easier than tracing a leak later. Once layers are added, finding a breach is harder. London’s older roofs often have bitumen felt underlay or none at all, so once the slates or flashings let water past, little stops it reaching ceilings. Left alone, that means wet timbers and plaster, which is a far bigger job than the roof fault itself.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. You’ll know the figure before booking.
What you get with us
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- An independent look at the roof
- Surveys on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
See how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
Nearby places to Barnes
What else we do in Barnes
What happens on the day
After the inspection, everything we found is written up as a photo-illustrated written report, emailed to you. On timing, it usually takes longer on a large roof than a small one, and the build-up of the roof makes a difference too. In a London conversion, the way into the loft space is often from a communal landing or the top flat. Where that’s the case, access needs agreeing with whoever controls that landing. Otherwise, the visit in Barnes runs like any other.
- First, you tell us about the roof build-up and where water is showing.
- We check that the membrane and build-up suit electronic leak detection.
- We pick the low-voltage or high-voltage method that suits the roof.
- We test the membrane and find where current is passing through it.
- The breaches are recorded with photos in a report for your roofer.
Getting ready for the survey
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
Getting a price
We survey roofs seven days a week. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Read more
Before and after the survey
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Do not keep patching the same spot
- Clear flat roof outlets regularly
- Record dates and spots where water appears
- Consider ELD before paving or planting goes on
After your roofer repairs the breaches, a retest can confirm them if the build-up allows.
Make sure contractors protect the waterproofing when fitting equipment. Have the roof looked at after other work.
Your questions about electronic leak detection in Barnes
Is Barnes in the area you cover?
Yes. We work right across London and South East England, and Barnes is part of that. You can call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and some details.
Is parking a problem for a survey in Barnes?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway when you book. The visit is then planned around what’s available.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones cannot fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. If the conditions aren’t right, we’ll talk to you about another date.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years, across London and South East England.
Does someone need to be in?
That depends on the survey. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in, while outside access can be discussed when booking.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey is a roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey of the whole building. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
Do you need electronic leak detection in Barnes?
Other trades on the roof can puncture the waterproofing. Fixings, equipment and foot traffic can leave small holes.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed something like this:
- Patched roofs that still leak
- Waterproofing to test before it is covered
- Leaks through a covered membrane
- Stains far from any visible defect
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Barnes Methodist Church, flat-roofed rear additions and dormers added over the years are worth checking.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- What exactly goes into their report
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
What electronic leak detection looks like in Barnes
The wider area around Barnes has a long history of building, with Chiswick House about 0.9 miles north-west. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs. In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. If your home in Barnes is one of them, bay roofs, hips and later dormers each have their own details. Flat roofs on extensions, dormers, garages and business units are found alongside them almost everywhere.
Take a building like St Osmund's Catholic Primary School: schools and public buildings often have big flat roofs, and their outlets and upstands need regular checks. For a London address like Barnes, it helps to know about controlled parking before the day, along with any off-street space.
Barnes is about 2 miles west of Fulham, in Greater London. Anywhere in Barnes, we can come and survey your property. We cover towns and villages across Greater London. You can also see our page for London.
We survey roofs across the SW13, SW15 and SW14 postcode area for electronic leak detection. We offer electronic leak detection to properties on Church Road, Station Road and Barnes High Street. Main roads around Barnes include the A306 and B349, which makes travel easy. If you’re just outside Barnes, we cover Old Chiswick (1 mile north), Turnham Green (1 mile north-west), Mortlake (1 mile south-west), East Sheen (1 mile south-west) and Putney (1 mile south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as London (7 miles east), City of Westminster (5 miles north-east), Marylebone (5 miles north-east), Kensington (3 miles north-east), St Pancras (7 miles north-east) and Shoreditch (8 miles north-east).
Local landmarks in Barnes
Around Barnes, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Chiswick School, Sun Inn and Barn Elms, among other places. You’ll also find Polish Library POSK in London (1.4 miles north) and The Harrodian School (0.6 miles north). There’s a railway station in Barnes itself: Barnes Bridge station. Nearby you’ll also find Barnes Hospital (0.7 miles south-west) and Putney Exchange (1.4 miles south-east). Not far away are Richmond Hill and Kew Gardens Lake.
What this survey can’t tell you
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Areas we cannot reach or that can’t be tested
- Leaks from plumbing or windows
- Roofs whose membrane or build-up is not suitable
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Commercial flat roofs
- Single-ply roofs
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
- Roof terraces and balconies
- Flat roof membranes
- Green roofs
Landlord and commercial surveys in Barnes
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords. Bigger roofs take more time, and they’re priced for the size.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it as you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.