Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Electronic leak detection in Hitchin, Hertfordshire
Get a clear view of the flat roof membrane at a property in Hitchin. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Punctures from foot traffic or tools
- Leaks through a covered membrane
- Leaks showing away from the breach
Tips from our surveys
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. A few suggestions:
- Check new waterproofing before handover
- Don’t let outlets block
- Use boards when working on the roof
- Share any drawings of the roof
Keep the report with the roof’s records. It is a dated record of the membrane’s condition.
Limit foot traffic on flat roofs. Feet and dropped tools are a common cause of holes.
About our electronic leak detection in Hitchin
Not every flat roof suits electronic testing. Some membranes conduct electricity themselves and some roofs don’t have a suitable layer beneath the membrane. We’ll say if ELD won’t work on your roof at the start. Telling us what you know about the roof’s membrane and layers helps, like drawings or specifications. It avoids arranging a test that can’t give results. We survey single-ply roofs, flat roof membranes and commercial flat roofs, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are punctures from foot traffic or tools and failed seams and laps.
Garages and porches on estates in towns like Hitchin often have flat roofs. Some older garages have cement sheet roofs, which on buildings from before 2000 may contain asbestos, so a specialist asbestos surveyor should check before they’re disturbed. Each kind of covering, from felt to rubber and GRP, is checked in its own way. We do not test for asbestos, but our reports may flag materials that could contain it.
If any part of the flat roof membrane couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t.
- Location
- Hitchin (SG4, SG5)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Price
- Quoted for your roof
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
When you need someone else
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Repairing the breaches (that’s for your roofer)
- How wet the insulation is
- Some conductive membranes
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you before you book. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Hitchin
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
- Roof terraces and balconies
- Green roofs
- Single-ply roofs
- Commercial flat roofs
- Flat roof membranes
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
The survey, step by step
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the loft space if there’s safe access. All told, expect a time that depends on the membrane area and the build-up, which we set out in the quote. Parking in a town like Hitchin is usually simple, but tell us if there’s a driveway or any restrictions. The inspection covers whatever is safely visible from outside, from windows and from the loft space, and from the roof itself where it is safe.
- We start with what you know about the roof and the leak.
- We check whether the membrane and build-up suit ELD.
- We choose a low-voltage or high-voltage method to match the roof.
- The membrane is tested and breaches are found.
- A report with photos shows where each breach is.
Before we arrive
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Book a survey
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
Different roofs, different checks
Bituminous membranes
Bituminous felt and modified bitumen membranes are common. Whether ELD suits them depends on the build-up.
Inverted and paved roofs
Inverted roofs have the insulation on top of the waterproofing, which affects testing.
Electronic leak detection around Hitchin
England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, so check with the council. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. Alongside them, flat-roofed extensions, dormers, garages and commercial units are common almost everywhere.
Anyone responsible for a site like Hitchin Girls' School will know that large flat roofs, common on schools and other public buildings, need their outlets, upstands and coverings checked regularly. For an older house near a landmark such as Church of the Holy Saviour, 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 Hitchin station, the flat roof over a let home is worth a look before it becomes a tenant complaint.
Hitchin is about 5 miles north-west of Stevenage, in Hertfordshire. Roofs in Hitchin get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Hertfordshire. Hitchin is one of the places in Hertfordshire we cover for electronic leak detection. Our Milton Keynes page covers surveys nearby.
Surveys in SG4 and SG5 are booked the same way as anywhere else. We offer electronic leak detection to properties on Market Place, London Road and Harrison Close. You’ll find Hitchin on the A505 and A600, which makes it simple to reach. Neighbouring places we cover for electronic leak detection include Benslow (1 mile east), Poets Estate (1 mile east), Bearton (1 mile north-west), Walsworth (1 mile north-east) and Westmill (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Stevenage (5 miles south-east), St Albans (14 miles south), Welwyn Garden City (11 miles south), Harpenden (10 miles south), Hatfield (13 miles south) and Hertford (13 miles south-east). As one of the bigger places in Hertfordshire, Hitchin has homes, rented property and businesses of every kind.
Near you in Hitchin
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Highbury Infant School and Nursery, Butts Close and Kingshott School, among other places. Other local landmarks include Radcliffe Arms (under half a mile north-east) and St Mary's Church (less than half a mile south-west). Hitchin has its own railway station: Hitchin station. Other landmarks nearby include Wymondley Castle (1.7 miles east) and Lister Hospital (3.1 miles south-east). Not far away are Purwell Ninesprings and Markham's Hill.
Hitchin questions
Is there anything to prepare before you come to Hitchin?
Not much. Unlock side gates, keep pets in another room and dig out any invoices from past roof work.
Is Hitchin in the area you cover?
Yes, Hitchin is within the area we cover. We cover the whole of London and South East England. You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and a few details.
Do you use drones?
Yes, where it’s applicable. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. It is a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
How much does electronic leak detection cost?
We quote for each roof individually. Send us details of the roof. Just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email for a quote.
What does electronic leak detection do?
The waterproofing membrane normally stops an electrical current, so wherever there’s a hole, it passes through. That lets us find breaches that are too small to see.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
That depends on the survey. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in, while outside access can be discussed when booking.
Other services in Hitchin
For landlords and managing agents
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 visit with that in mind.
Letting agents and landlords in Hitchin book surveys as well as homeowners. A photo-illustrated written report gives you a clear record of the flat roof membrane.