Essex · London and the South East
Electronic leak detection in North Weald Bassett, Essex
Electronic leak detection in North Weald Bassett, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Leaks through a covered membrane
- Holes left by work on the roof
- Gaps at membrane joints
Electronic leak detection in North Weald Bassett: local notes
In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, alongside lots of post-war and newer estates. Mixed in with those pitched roofs are lots of flat ones, over rear extensions, dormers, garages and shops. With Hill Hall about 3 miles south, North Weald Bassett sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Parish Church of St Andrew, any flat roof added at the back or on a dormer is likely to be far younger, and less durable, than the main roof.
North Weald Bassett is about 4 miles south-east of Harlow, in Essex. North Weald Bassett is one of many places we visit across Essex, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. We cover towns and villages across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
We survey roofs across CM16 for electronic leak detection and the streets around it. We cover properties on Blenheim Square, Elm Gardens and Wheelers Farm Gardens and the roads around them. Neighbouring places we cover for electronic leak detection include Thornwood Common (2 miles west), Coopersale (2 miles south-west), Hastingwood (2 miles north), Magdalen Laver (3 miles north) and Foster Street (3 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Chelmsford (14 miles east), Harlow (4 miles north-west), Brentwood (9 miles south-east), Billericay (13 miles south-east), Loughton (6 miles south-west) and Waltham Abbey (7 miles west).
Around North Weald Bassett
Around North Weald Bassett, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Kings Head Public House and Weald Common Flood Meadows, among other places. A little further out are St. Margaret's Hospital (2 miles south-west) and Epping Signalling Museum (2.8 miles south-west). Not far away are Gernon Bushes.
Electronic leak detection in North Weald Bassett: what you get
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. Drawings or details of the roof’s layers are useful because they show what’s under the surface. If testing isn’t possible, we will say so. If you’ve noticed leaks showing away from the breach and a flat roof leak that can’t be traced, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Around a smaller place like North Weald Bassett, flat roofs normally cover extensions, garages and dormers. They’re small, but a leak over a kitchen extension can do a lot of harm. What it is covered in, and how well it was laid, decides what it needs. From an upstairs window, look for standing water, splits and edges coming away.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Place
- North Weald Bassett (CM16)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Prices
- Quoted for your roof
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Surveys for landlords and agents in North Weald Bassett
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the addresses.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with the building owner or managing agent. Mention it when you contact us and we will plan the visit with that in mind.
North Weald Bassett questions
Will you come out to North Weald Bassett?
Yes, North Weald Bassett is covered. We survey roofs across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Is North Weald Bassett in the area you cover?
We do. The survey and report are the same in North Weald Bassett as anywhere else.
Do you use low-voltage or high-voltage testing?
It depends on the membrane and the build-up. Low-voltage testing normally needs a wet surface, while high-voltage testing needs a dry, exposed membrane.
Is the repair part of the test?
No. ELD is testing only. You get the breach locations with photos for your roofer to repair.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Just tell us the days that suit you.
Can you find leaks on a covered flat roof?
Sometimes. It depends on the build-up and the layers above the membrane, and some may need lifting. We’ll discuss it before we quote.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, and it isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It can sit alongside a RICS survey if you want both.
Also near North Weald Bassett
Also in North Weald Bassett
Common roof problems in North Weald Bassett
If a flat roof keeps leaking after patching, the hole may be elsewhere. Electronic testing helps pinpoint it.
A survey can pick up problems like:
- Gaps at membrane joints
- New membranes needing a check before handover
- Leaks at pipes, outlets or fixings
- Leaks showing away from the breach
If you look after a building like St Andrew's CofE Primary School, ponding and blocked outlets on a wide flat roof are worth catching before the next wet season.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
What we look for on each type of roof
Single-ply membranes
Many offices and units have single-ply roofs. Laps and fixings are where holes frequently appear.
Bituminous membranes
Many flat roofs use bitumen-based membranes. The build-up decides which method will work.
Practical tips
Getting the most from electronic leak detection starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Keep foot traffic on flat roofs to a minimum
- Ask contractors to protect the membrane
- Tell us about the membrane and build-up if you know it
- Keep a note of leaks after rain
File the report with your roof paperwork. It shows the condition of the membrane on that date.
Keep people off the flat roof unless they need to be there. Feet and dropped tools are a common cause of holes.
What we can’t see
Every survey has limits, and it is better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- Build-ups without a suitable layer below
- The extent of water in the insulation
- Repairing the breaches (that is for your roofer)
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Roof terraces and balconies
- Single-ply roofs
- Green roofs
- Flat roof membranes
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
- Commercial flat roofs
What we do, step by step
The aim of the visit is simple: to see as much of the flat roof membrane as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Notes and photographs go into the written report. The visit typically takes a time that depends on the membrane area and the build-up, and we’ll give you a guide when quoting. For a survey in North Weald Bassett, we agree the time, the access and parking before the day. Weekday and weekend visits are both possible. If there are outbuildings or garages you want looked at, mention them.
- We start by finding out what the roof is made of and where it leaks.
- We confirm whether the roof is suitable for electronic testing.
- The method depends on the membrane and what sits above and below it.
- Testing runs across the roof to locate breaches in the membrane.
- You get a report showing where each breach is, for your roofer to repair.
Before the survey
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
Getting a price
You can call us seven days a week. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.