Essex · London and the South East
Electronic Leak Detection in Colchester
Electronic leak detection across Colchester, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Gaps at membrane joints
- Punctures from foot traffic or tools
- Water coming in under a flat roof
Tips that help
Small things make a difference. Some pointers:
- Use boards when working on the roof
- Don’t keep patching the same spot
- Don’t leave water getting in
- Don’t let outlets block
You receive a report showing where each breach was found, with photographs. Pass it to your roofer to repair the breach points.
Act on leaks quickly. Water under a membrane can spread.
Electronic leak detection in Colchester
ELD is a way of pinpointing breaches in a flat roof’s waterproofing membrane. It works with an electrical current which can only get through the membrane at a breach. That lets us locate holes that are too small to see, so your roofer can repair them. You get a written report with photos of each breach found. If you’re worried about a flat roof leak that can’t be traced and new roofs to check before paving or planting, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on single-ply roofs, green roofs and flat roof membranes alike.
In a place like Colchester, flat roofs cover everything from garages and extensions to shops, offices and blocks. Typical lives vary: felt frequently around 15–20 years, EPDM around 30–50, GRP up to about 30. Signs of age include ponding, blisters, splits and lifting upstands. Workmanship and upkeep matter as much as the material when it comes to how long a roof lasts.
Findings are set out part by part, from the coverings down to the gutters, each with a short note and a photograph. It records what’s sound as well as what is not.
- Place
- Colchester (CO4, CO3, CO2, CO1)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- Quoted for your roof
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in Colchester
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Colchester, take more of a battering?
Generally, yes: wind and salt air take more of a toll near the sea. Exposed details such as ridges, verges, flashings and metal fixings are the ones to watch, and Colchester is within about 5 miles of the coast.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Colchester?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you look in the roof space?
Where it’s relevant to the survey and there’s safe access, yes. Please clear anything stored under the hatch, and if the loft can’t be reached safely, the report says so.
Is this a RICS 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 and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it is applicable. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and every flight depends on the airspace and the weather.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning, with the building owner or managing agent. Let us know about it when booking and we’ll explain what’s needed.
How do I book a survey in Colchester?
To book, call 07833 053749 or email us with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Different roofs, different checks
EPDM rubber roofs
Whether an EPDM roof can be tested depends on the membrane and build-up. We check before we quote.
Green and ballasted roofs
Parts of the covering may have to come up. We discuss this before quoting.
The survey, step by step
A survey visit follows a simple order: we hear what you’ve seen, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find and record our findings for the written report. Most visits take more time on a big roof than a small one, and the build-up of the roof makes a difference too. Town-centre streets in Colchester can mean pay-and-display or permit parking, so a word about where to park saves time. We’ll want to see the loft, if there is one, and any ceiling or wall showing damp. Outside, we work round the building to find the safe viewpoints.
- First, we confirm which roof areas are included.
- 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.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave side gates unlocked
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Keep pets in another room
Book a survey
Getting a price is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or email us and give us some details about the property and we’ll suggest the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Read more
What electronic leak detection doesn’t cover
We only report everything that’s safely in view on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Repairing the breaches (that’s for your roofer)
- Leaks from walls, copings or rooflights
- Parts of the roof covered by fixed equipment
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
- Roof terraces and balconies
- Commercial flat roofs
- Flat roof membranes
- Single-ply roofs
- Green roofs
For landlords and managing agents
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, with the most urgent items set out first.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Colchester and across Essex can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
What happens if roof problems are left?
Not every leak is in the membrane. Testing shows whether the membrane is breached, so other causes can be checked. Roofs in a place the size of Colchester range from new to very old, but none of them improve with neglect. What starts as a cracked flashing or a blocked outlet becomes wet timber and stained ceilings in time.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before you book.
What you get with us
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- 98% customer satisfaction
- An independent look at the roof
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.
Nearby places to Colchester
Other services in Colchester
Electronic leak detection in Colchester: local notes
Colchester lies within about 5 miles of the sea, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. On a flat roof near the sea, edge trims and upstands take the brunt of the wind, and metal parts corrode faster. Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Next to the main roofs there’s usually a flat roof somewhere, whether on an extension, a garage or a commercial unit.
If you look after a building like Colchester Sixth Form College, schools and public buildings frequently have big flat roofs, and their outlets and upstands need regular checks. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for example near Lion Walk, outlets and upstands on commercial flat roofs are the places to check before trouble starts. Landlords with a home close to Colchester Town station may find that the flat roof over a let home is worth a look before it becomes a tenant complaint.
Colchester is in Essex. Roofs in Colchester get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Essex. Our area takes in places right across Essex. We also survey roofs in Chelmsford.
Here we cover the CO4, CO3, CO2 and CO1 postcode area for electronic leak detection. Streets in the area include High Street, North Station Road and Durham Square. You’ll find Colchester on the A12 and A120, so it is easy for us to get to. We also cover the places around Colchester: Camulodunum (1 mile west), Braiswick (1 mile west), Abbey Field (1 mile south), Lexden (1 mile west) and Beacon End (3 miles west). Further out, we also cover Braintree (14 miles west), Clacton-on-Sea (12 miles south-east), Maldon (15 miles south-west), Witham (13 miles south-west), Halstead (12 miles west) and Heybridge (14 miles south-west). Colchester is among the bigger towns we cover in Essex.
What’s near Colchester
We work in homes and buildings around Bull Meadow, The Bay And Say Public House and St John's Green Primary School. Colchester has its own railway station: Colchester Town station. Well-known places in the area include Lion Walk (within half a mile south-east) and Essex County Hospital (under half a mile south-west). The countryside around Colchester includes Westhouse Wood.