Southend-on-Sea · London and the South East
Great Wakering Electronic Leak Detection
Electronic leak detection around Great Wakering, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Leaks at pipes, outlets or fixings
- Damp inside with no sign on the roof
- Holes left by work on the roof
Electronic leak detection in Great Wakering: what you get
ELD is a way of pinpointing breaches in a flat roof’s waterproofing membrane. It works with an electrical current that passes through the membrane only where there’s a breach. That lets us locate holes that are too small to see, so your roofer can repair them. The results come in a report with photos. We are often asked to look into leaks through a flat roof with no obvious cause and gaps at membrane joints, on single-ply roofs, commercial flat roofs and roof terraces and balconies.
In a smaller place like Great Wakering, some flat roofs sit in the open, so wind catches loose edges and trims. Sun on a flat roof also ages felt and bitumen. The signs are splits, blisters and edges coming away, along with water that sits after rain. A flat roof that still holds water days after rain is also worth a closer look.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Location
- Great Wakering (SS3)
- Region
- Southend-on-Sea
- Price
- Quoted for your roof
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. Our suggestions:
- Find the breach before more patching
- Make sure trades protect the waterproofing
- Have roof specifications to hand
- Clear flat roof outlets regularly
If we think the leak isn’t coming through the membrane, the report says so, with a suggestion of what to check next.
Act on leaks quickly. The longer water gets in, the more insulation and decking can be affected.
The survey, step by step
We work from the outside in: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the loft space where it can be reached. In total, it takes a time that depends on the roof’s area and construction, and we’ll give you a guide when quoting. Parking around Great Wakering is typically easier than in a town centre, but mention lanes, gates or long drives. On bungalows and lower roofs, much can be seen from ground level, with the loft showing the underside, while taller roofs may need other vantage points or the drone where it applies.
- 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 testing method is chosen to suit the membrane and build-up.
- The roof is tested and any breaches are located.
- You get a report showing where each breach is, for your roofer to repair.
Before we arrive
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Getting a price
If you’re buying, it is useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you’re ready.
Related advice
FAQs for Great Wakering
Will you come out to Great Wakering?
Yes, Great Wakering is covered. We work right across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
How do I find out if my home in Great Wakering is listed?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling are not something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it is disturbed.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It depends on the weather and the survey. Strong wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, and we’d agree another day.
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.
Is the repair part of the test?
No. ELD is testing only. You get the breach locations with photos for your roofer to repair.
What do I do with the report?
You receive the written report by email, with photographs and recommendations. It’s yours to share with a seller, insurer, roofer or managing agent, whichever applies.
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.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground.
For landlords and managing agents
Landlords, agents and building managers in Great Wakering and across Southend-on-Sea can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it when you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Electronic leak detection around Great Wakering
Great Wakering lies within about 2 miles of the sea, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Coastal wind works at the edges of flat roofs, and salt air wears metal trims and fixings. About 3.4 miles west lies Southchurch Hall, a reminder of how long the area around Great Wakering has been built on. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs.
If you live in an older home near Church of St Nicholas, the joins between later flat roofs and the old walls are where problems typically start. If you own a rental within reach of Shoeburyness station, a flat roof over a rented flat is easy to forget until the tenant reports a leak.
Great Wakering is about 1 mile north-east of Shoeburyness, in Southend-on-Sea. From houses to flats and shops in Great Wakering, the roof can be surveyed. Our area takes in places right across Southend-on-Sea, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
We work across the SS3 postcode area for electronic leak detection and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on High Street, Conway Avenue and North Street and the roads around them. If you’re just outside Great Wakering, we cover Little Wakering (1 mile north-west), North Shoebury (1 mile south-west), Shoeburyness (1 mile south-west), Barling (2 miles north-west) and Stonebridge (2 miles west). Further out, we also cover Southend-on-Sea (5 miles west), Prittlewell (4 miles west), Leigh-on-Sea (7 miles west), Westcliff-on-Sea (5 miles west), Southchurch (3 miles west) and Chalkwell (6 miles west).
What’s near Great Wakering
In Great Wakering, that means homes and buildings near Shoeburyness High School and The White Hart Public House. The closest station to Great Wakering is Shoeburyness station, roughly 1.5 miles south. A little further out are Southend University Hospital (5.1 miles west). For a walk, there’s Gunners Park and Shoebury Ranges.
Nearby places to Great Wakering
Also in Great Wakering
Different roofs, different checks
Liquid-applied waterproofing
Pinholes in a coating can let water through. ELD can help locate them on suitable roofs.
Bituminous membranes
Older felt roofs frequently have seams and patches that can leak. We test where the roof suits it.
Common roof problems in Great Wakering
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:
- Leaking laps in the waterproofing
- Punctures from foot traffic or tools
- Breaches around outlets and penetrations
- Repairs that haven’t stopped the leak
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Great Wakering Primary Academy, a large flat roof with a good many outlets and rooflights has many places where a membrane can fail.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Whether the price includes VAT
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID