Kent · London and the South East
Electronic leak detection in Cold Harbour, Kent
Electronic leak detection to pinpoint holes in flat roof membranes around Cold Harbour, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- New roofs to check before paving or planting
- Holes around roof penetrations
- Leaks through a flat roof with no obvious cause
How electronic leak detection works in Cold Harbour
ELD finds breaches in the membrane but not every way water gets in. Water coming through walls, copings, rooflights or plumbing will not show on the test. If the evidence points elsewhere, we will say so. It won’t show water getting in through brickwork or around frames. The report makes clear what was and wasn’t tested. We’ll point you to the likely next step. We survey flat roof membranes, roof terraces and balconies and green roofs, and people most often book us about patched roofs that still leak and breaches hidden under paving or planting.
Flat roofs on exposed homes in small places like Cold Harbour take more wind and rain, so edges, upstands and laps take a beating. Older felt roofs, often around 15–20 years in life, show it first. EPDM rubber and GRP coverings last longer, but their edges and joints still need checking. On an exposed roof, the edges tend to go first.
It is not only a list of defects. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend, so you can decide what to do next.
- Location
- Cold Harbour (ME17)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- Quoted for your roof
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the price in Cold Harbour
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. The main factors are:
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
For a price for your roof in Cold Harbour, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and a few details. We’ll confirm the figure before booking.
What we need to know
If you can, have these to hand when you get in touch:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Dates you’re working to, like exchange
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
We confirm the price for the job before you book, so you know where you stand. We quote electronic leak detection for each roof, as the method and time depend on the roof. To book, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Towns and villages near Cold Harbour
Other services in Cold Harbour
Cold Harbour questions
How do I find out if my home in Cold Harbour is listed?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Do you cover Cold Harbour?
Yes, Cold Harbour is within the area we cover. We survey roofs across London and South East England. You can ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and some details, and we will talk through which survey suits.
How do I book a survey in Cold Harbour?
It is easiest to ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. Give us the address and a few details about the roof. Surveys run seven days a week.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only when it is safe. 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.
Do you need to get into the loft?
If the survey needs it and the loft space can be reached safely, yes. A clear path to the hatch helps, and if the loft cannot be reached safely, the report says so.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We note visible signs such as sagging or deflection, but we are not structural engineers and don’t carry out calculations. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
Are you insured?
We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
What happens on the day
It helps to start with what’s prompted the survey: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. That way we can focus on what matters to you. Most visits take longer on a large roof than a small one, with the construction of the roof playing a part too. Older rural homes like those around Cold Harbour can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We start by finding out what the roof is made of and where it leaks.
- The roof is assessed to see if electronic testing will work on it.
- The method depends on the membrane and what sits above and below it.
- We test the membrane and find where current is passing through it.
- You get a report showing where each breach is, for your roofer to repair.
Before the survey
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
Arrange a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form when you are ready.
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Can I check my roof myself?
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we check the roof.
Useful tips for Cold Harbour property owners
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. A few suggestions:
- Tell us about the membrane and build-up if you know it
- Record dates and spots where water appears
- Limit access to the roof
- Check new waterproofing before handover
If we think the leak is not coming through the membrane, the report says so, so other causes can be checked.
Ask trades working on the roof to protect the membrane when they work up there. Have the roof looked at after other work.
For landlords and managing agents
Landlords, agents and building managers in Cold Harbour and across Kent can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants. Surveys run seven days a week, which can make access easier.
Common roof problems in Cold Harbour
Repeated leaks after repairs suggest the real breach hasn’t been found. Electronic testing helps pinpoint it.
People usually book a survey after spotting one of these:
- Damage from equipment installers
- Leaks through a covered membrane
- Leaks at pipes, outlets or fixings
- Damp inside with no sign on the roof
If you live in an older home near Church of St Lawrence, flat-roofed rear additions and dormers added over the years are worth checking.
Questions to ask before you book
- Whether VAT is added on top
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- What the survey will not cover
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
Electronic leak detection in Cold Harbour: local notes
Historic houses such as Belmont House and Gardens, about 3.8 miles north-east, show how far back building in the area around Cold Harbour goes. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. You’ll also find oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses among the county’s older buildings. Alongside them, flat-roofed extensions, dormers, garages and commercial units are common almost everywhere.
If you own a rental within reach of Charing station, a flat roof over a rented flat is easy to forget until the tenant reports a leak.
Cold Harbour is about 7 miles south-west of Faversham, in Kent. Anywhere in Cold Harbour, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our area takes in places right across Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. We also survey roofs in Maidstone.
Every address in ME17 is covered for electronic leak detection. We also cover Warren Street (1 mile north-west), Payden Street (1 mile north-west), Lenham Heath (2 miles south-west), Charing Heath (2 miles south) and Lenham Forstal (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover Maidstone (11 miles west), Ashford (8 miles south-east), Canterbury (14 miles east), Sittingbourne (7 miles north), Whitstable (14 miles north-east) and Faversham (7 miles north-east).
Landmarks near Cold Harbour
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Harrow pub and Spuckles and Kennelling Woods. The closest station to Cold Harbour is Charing station, roughly 2.3 miles south. Well-known places in the area include Newnham Castle (3.4 miles north).