Greater London · London and the South East
Electronic leak detection in Ilford, Greater London
Electronic leak detection in Ilford from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us across London and the South East.
- Holes left by work on the roof
- Gaps at membrane joints
- Leaks that return after repairs
Honest limits
Every survey has limits, and it is better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- Roofs whose membrane or build-up isn’t suitable
- Leaks from walls, copings or rooflights
- Sections we cannot safely access
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you before booking. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Roof terraces and balconies
- Flat roof membranes
- Single-ply roofs
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
- Green roofs
- Commercial flat roofs
About our electronic leak detection in Ilford
Electronic testing locates holes in the waterproofing but not every way water gets in. Water coming through walls, copings, rooflights or plumbing won’t show on the test. We’ll tell you if we think the leak is coming from somewhere else. The test shows breaches in the membrane, not water coming through masonry or around frames. Our report keeps that distinction clear. We’ll point you to the likely next step. We’re often asked to look into breaches around outlets and penetrations and damp inside with no sign on the roof, on flat roof membranes, roof terraces and balconies and commercial flat roofs.
Commercial and residential blocks across London often have big flat roofs with plant, rooflights and access walkways. Each pipe, upstand and fixing through the covering is a possible weak point. In Ilford, roof access is agreed with the building manager or owner beforehand. Rooflights, plant supports and pipe entries are common places for a membrane to fail.
The report does not just list problems. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, so you can decide what to do next.
- Place
- Ilford (IG1, IG3, IG2, E12)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- Quoted for your roof
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Places near Ilford
Also in Ilford
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we look at the roof.
What we’re asked to look at in Ilford
Flat roof membranes can be punctured by foot traffic, dropped tools or debris. Many are tiny but water still finds them.
Look out for signs like these:
- Leaks through a flat roof with no obvious cause
- New membranes needing a check before handover
- Leaking laps in the waterproofing
- Holes left by work on the roof
For an older house near a landmark such as St Alban's Church, any flat roof added at the back or on a dormer is likely to be far younger, and less durable, than the main roof.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Are they insured for the work?
How the survey works
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you want to find out. After that, we look at everything we can see safely. The survey usually takes longer on a large roof than a small one, and the build-up of the roof makes a difference too. From the street, a London terrace normally shows only its front slope or parapet, so a visit in Ilford moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. If other people live in the building, tell us who can let us into the shared parts.
- 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.
- We send a report with photos of each breach so your roofer can repair it.
Preparing for the visit
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Getting a price
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Practical tips
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Don’t let outlets block
- Note where leaks show inside and when
- Test new membranes before covering them
- Share any drawings of the roof
You receive a report showing where each breach was found, with photos. Pass it to your roofer to repair the breach points.
Act on leaks quickly. Water under a membrane can spread.
What affects the price in Ilford
When we price a survey, we consider:
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- The size of the roof
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. We quote electronic leak detection for each roof, as the method and time depend on the roof.
What we need to know
What helps most when you contact us:
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
We survey roofs seven days a week. To arrange a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Electronic leak detection in Ilford: local notes
Within a mile and a half or so of Ilford there are several hotels. For hotels and other commercial buildings, finding the cause of a flat roof leak quickly keeps rooms in use. Outer London has plenty of Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. Hips, bay roofs and later loft conversions are typical of those semis, if your home is one of them. Mixed in with those pitched roofs are a good many flat ones, over rear extensions, dormers, garages and shops.
For businesses in and around places like Gallions Reach Shopping Park, a flat roof over a business is out of sight and out of mind until it leaks. Anyone responsible for a site like Winston Way Academy will know that ponding and blocked outlets on a wide flat roof are worth catching before the next wet season.
Ilford is about 4 miles east of Leyton, in Greater London. We cover Ilford and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and South East England. Ilford is one of the places in Greater London we cover. We also survey roofs in London.
We survey roofs across IG1, IG3, IG2 and E12 for electronic leak detection. If you need electronic leak detection at a property on Station Road, Axon Place and Hainault Street or a nearby road, we can help. Main roads around Ilford include the A118, which makes travel easy. If you’re just outside Ilford, we cover Cranbrook (1 mile north-west), Loxford (1 mile south), Seven Kings (1 mile north-east), Manor Park (1 mile south-west) and Little Ilford (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include London (8 miles south-west), City of Westminster (10 miles west), Marylebone (10 miles west), Kensington (13 miles west), St Pancras (9 miles west) and Shoreditch (7 miles west).
Near you in Ilford
Typical jobs here are in homes near Great Spoon of Ilford pub, The Ursuline Academy Ilford and South Park and the streets around them. Ilford has its own railway station: Ilford station. Other landmarks nearby include Gallions Reach Shopping Park (3.5 miles south) and Redbridge Museum (under half a mile south-west). Open spaces near Ilford include Hollow Pond and Ripple Nature Reserve.
Ilford: your questions answered
Can you look at the flat roof of a hotel or office near Ilford?
Yes, we cover commercial roofs as well as homes. Roof access is agreed with the building manager or owner beforehand.
Is my home in Ilford listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Which method do you use?
It depends on the membrane and the build-up. Low-voltage testing typically needs a wet surface and high-voltage methods need the membrane dry and exposed.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Someone needs to let us in if we’re looking inside or in the loft. We’ll talk about access when you book.
Can you survey in bad weather?
A survey can typically go ahead in light rain, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Strong wind or a downpour can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so if conditions aren’t right we will arrange another day with you.
What does electronic leak detection do?
ELD passes a small electrical current across the roof to locate holes in the membrane. A breach lets the current through, which shows us where the hole is.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not unless it is safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where it applies, a drone.