Essex · London and the South East
Electronic leak detection in Chignall Smealy, Essex
We take a careful look at the flat roof membrane at your property in Chignall Smealy, and put it all in a photo-illustrated written report.
- Leaks through a flat roof with no obvious cause
- Damp inside with no sign on the roof
- Leaking laps in the waterproofing
Landlord and commercial surveys in Chignall Smealy
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf, with the report sent to whoever needs it. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Chignall Smealy and across Essex can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Electronic leak detection for homes and businesses in Chignall Smealy
There are different ELD methods. Low-voltage methods normally need a wet roof surface and high-voltage methods need the membrane dry and exposed. The right method depends on the membrane and the build-up of the roof, and we will explain our choice. If neither method suits your roof, we’ll tell you at the outset. If you’ve noticed leaks showing away from the breach and damage from equipment installers, we can find out what’s behind it.
Somewhere as small as Chignall Smealy, flat roofs tend to be on extensions, garages and converted outbuildings. They need the same care as any town roof: the covering, the edges, the upstands and where water drains away. The journey and access are planned beforehand. Garages and outbuildings are easy to forget, so mention any you want included as you book.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Location
- Chignall Smealy (CM1)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- Quoted for your roof
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What electronic leak detection looks like in Chignall Smealy
Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, alongside lots of post-war and newer estates. Mixed in with those pitched roofs are plenty of flat ones, over rear extensions, dormers, garages and shops. Historic houses such as Hylands, about 4.7 miles south, show how far back building in the area around Chignall Smealy goes. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters.
For businesses in and around places like Bond Street Chelmsford, a flat roof over a business is out of sight and out of mind until it leaks. Take an older house close to Church of St Nicholas: flat-roofed rear additions and dormers added over the years are worth checking.
Chignall Smealy is about 4 miles north-west of Chelmsford, in Essex. We survey roofs in Chignall Smealy and the rest of Essex, as part of our work across London and the South East. Chignall Smealy is one of the places in Essex we cover.
All of CM1 is covered for electronic leak detection. Nearby, we also carry out electronic leak detection in Chignall St James (1 mile south), Breeds (2 miles north-east), Great Waltham (2 miles north-east), Minnow End (2 miles east) and Broomfield (2 miles east). Larger places within reach include Chelmsford (4 miles south-east), Basildon (14 miles south), Braintree (9 miles north-east), Harlow (13 miles west), Brentwood (12 miles south-west) and Maldon (12 miles east).
What’s near Chignall Smealy
In Chignall Smealy, that means homes and buildings near Pig and Whistle pub and the streets around them. Chignall Smealy’s nearest station is Chelmsford station, roughly 3.6 miles south-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Bond Street Chelmsford (4 miles south-east) and Peter Edwards Museum And Library (3.9 miles south-east). The countryside around Chignall Smealy includes Little Waltham Meadows.
Questions from Chignall Smealy
Is Chignall Smealy within the area you cover?
Yes, Chignall Smealy is covered. Our area covers London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
How do I find out if my home in Chignall Smealy is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Will you check the loft?
If the survey needs it and the roof space can be reached safely, yes. Please clear anything stored under the hatch.
Does ELD include fixing the breach?
No. ELD is testing only. You get the breach locations with photos for your roofer to repair.
Can you test a green or ballasted roof?
Sometimes. It depends on the build-up and the layers above the membrane and parts may need to be lifted. We will discuss it before we quote.
Will you go up on the roof?
Not always. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs cannot always be walked on. We use safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where applicable, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so we need permission from the building owner or managing agent. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Not every leak is in the membrane. Testing shows whether the membrane is breached, so other causes can be checked. Older and listed buildings around Chignall Smealy may need consent and matching materials for repairs, so leaving a defect until it is urgent leaves less time to plan.
For a price for your roof in Chignall Smealy, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and a few details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
What you get with us
- 98% of clients satisfied
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- An independent look at the roof
What we do, step by step
The visit has one job: to see as much of the flat roof membrane as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It usually takes longer on a large roof than a small one, with the construction of the roof playing a part too. For a village or hamlet like Chignall Smealy, the journey is planned ahead of time: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- We agree the area to be tested.
- We get the roof ready for testing.
- We work across the roof with the test equipment.
- Each breach found is located and recorded.
- You receive the results to pass to your roofer.
Preparing for the visit
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Book a survey
Getting a price is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email, let us know about the property and we’ll recommend the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
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Checking the roof from the ground
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Common roof problems in Chignall Smealy
Repeated leaks after repairs suggest the real breach hasn’t been found. ELD can locate the breach more precisely.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- Patched roofs that still leak
- New roofs to check before paving or planting
- A flat roof leak that can’t be traced
- Holes around roof penetrations
If you let a flat or house near Chelmsford station, the flat roof over a let home is worth a look before it becomes a tenant complaint.
Before booking anyone
- When you will get the report
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
What we cannot see
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- Water entering through details rather than the membrane
- Fixing the holes we find
- Sections we can’t safely access
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll point you to the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Roof terraces and balconies
- Flat roof membranes
- Green roofs
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
- Single-ply roofs
- Commercial flat roofs