East Sussex · London and the South East
Filching Electronic Leak Detection
Electronic leak detection across Filching, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. You get a clear report with photos.
- Leaks through a flat roof with no obvious cause
- Breaches hidden under paving or planting
- Punctures from foot traffic or tools
How electronic leak detection works in Filching
Roofs covered with paving, ballast or planting need more thought. What sits on the membrane can affect which method will work, and some may need lifting. We will discuss it with you when we quote. Any details of the build-up help because they show what’s under the surface. We’ll tell you if the roof can’t be tested. If you’ve noticed repairs that haven’t stopped the leak and leaks through a flat roof with no obvious cause, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
In a small place like Filching, a flat roof can stand in the open, which is hard on edges, upstands and joins in the covering. 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.
Where we can’t see part of the flat roof membrane, the report says so. That way, it’s clear what was covered and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Where
- Filching (BN26)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Prices
- Quoted for your roof
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey changes by roof type
Bituminous membranes
Many flat roofs use bitumen-based membranes. The build-up decides which method will work.
Single-ply membranes
Some single-ply membranes suit electronic testing well but it depends on the product and layers.
What electronic leak detection looks like in Filching
The coast is about 4 miles or less from Filching, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Wind can catch loose edges and trims on a flat roof, and salt air is hard on metal trims, flashings and fixings. Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. Some old buildings in Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs, and oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of East Sussex’s older buildings. Flat roofs fill the gaps in between, on extensions, garages, dormers and business premises.
The streets around a church such as The Parish Church of Saint Peter are often among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, later flat-roofed additions are common on older houses, and their edges and upstands frequently show the first signs of wear. For landlords with property near Polegate station, a flat roof over a rented flat is easy to forget until the tenant reports a leak. Alfriston Clergy House lies about 2.9 miles west, so building around Filching goes back a long way. Older houses nearby often have flat roofs added much later, built to very different standards from the main roof.
Filching is about 3 miles north-west of Eastbourne, in East Sussex. Filching is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and the South East. Our area takes in places right across East Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. There’s also a page for Brighton.
Every address in BN26 is within our area for electronic leak detection. If you’re just outside Filching, we cover Wannock (1 mile north-east), Folkington (1 mile north-west), Lower Willingdon (1 mile east), Willingdon (1 mile east) and Polegate (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover Eastbourne (3 miles south-east), Hastings (15 miles east), Bexhill-on-Sea (11 miles east), Seaford (5 miles west), Lewes (11 miles north-west) and Hailsham (4 miles north).
Near you in Filching
We work in homes and buildings around The Eight Bells Inn and Willingdon Community School. Filching’s nearest station is Polegate station, roughly 1.5 miles north-east. Other landmarks nearby include Burlough Castle (2.5 miles west) and Eastbourne District General Hospital (2.3 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Combe Hill.
Common questions in Filching
Is my home in Filching listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Filching, take more of a battering?
Places near the sea get more wind and more salt in the air than inland, and both are hard on roofs. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it helps and it’s safe, yes. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator.
How is ELD priced?
We quote electronic leak detection for each roof, as the method and time depend on the roof. The price depends on the roof’s size and build-up. For a quote, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Not always. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs can’t always be walked on. Safe viewpoints, the loft and a drone where it applies let us see the rest, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings.
Which method do you use?
The roof decides the method. You’ll know which method we plan to use before we start.
Why it’s worth a survey now in Filching
Repeated call-outs for the same leak add up. A clear record of where the breaches are helps break that cycle. Outbuildings and barns around Filching are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. It is worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Electronic leak detection is quoted for your roof, because the method depends on the roof.
Why book us in Filching
- An independent view of the roof
- 98% customer satisfaction
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
See how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Landlords and agents in Filching book surveys as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the flat roof membrane, with photos, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work.
What this survey can’t tell you
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Some conductive membranes
- Leaks from plumbing or windows
- Parts of the roof covered by fixed equipment
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will recommend the right survey. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Roof terraces and balconies
- Green roofs
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
- Single-ply roofs
- Commercial flat roofs
- Flat roof membranes
How it works
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect what can safely be seen, and if part of the roof cannot be seen, the report says so. Most visits take longer on a large roof than a small one, with the construction of the roof playing a part too. Rural addresses near Filching can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- First, you let us know about the roof build-up and where water is showing.
- The roof is assessed to see if electronic testing will work on it.
- The testing method is chosen to suit the membrane and build-up.
- Testing runs across the roof to locate breaches in the membrane.
- The breaches are recorded with photographs in a report for your roofer.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Leave side gates unlocked
Getting a price
We confirm the price for your survey before booking, so you know where you stand. We quote electronic leak detection for each roof, as the method and time depend on the roof. For a price for your roof, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Related advice
Towns and villages near Filching
More services for Filching
DIY checks: what’s safe
It helps to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and a fall can be serious. That is where a survey comes in.