Wokingham · London and the South East
Electronic Leak Detection in Reading
Find out what’s going on with the flat roof membrane before you decide what to do next. We carry out electronic leak detection in Reading, with photos and a clear written report.
- Failed seams and laps
- New membranes needing a check before handover
- Breaches around outlets and penetrations
Why act early in Reading
Cutting open a flat roof to find a leak can cause more damage. Electronic testing finds the hole first so your roofer knows where to work. A small defect on a roof in Reading seldom stays small: a slipped slate or cracked ridge lets in water, water rots battens, and more slates or tiles follow. Dealing with it early is usually the cheaper route.
Every price we give includes VAT. Electronic leak detection is quoted for your roof, because the method depends on the roof. We confirm the exact price before booking.
What you get with us
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
Read what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
About our electronic leak detection in Reading
Some flat roofs can’t be tested electronically. Some membranes conduct electricity themselves, and some build-ups lack the layer the test needs below the membrane. We’ll say if ELD will not work on your roof at the start. Telling us what you know about the roof’s membrane and layers helps, such as drawings or specifications. It saves a wasted visit. We survey liquid-applied waterproofing, commercial flat roofs and single-ply roofs, and people most often book us about breaches around outlets and penetrations and holes left by work on the roof.
In a place like Reading, flat roofs cover everything from garages and extensions to shops, offices and blocks. Typical lives vary: felt often around 15–20 years, EPDM around 30–50, GRP up to about 30. Ponding, blistering, splits and tired upstands are the usual signs of age. Workmanship and upkeep matter as much as the material when it comes to how long a roof lasts.
We write the report in plain English, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Each point is backed by a photo where possible, with the urgent items made clear.
- Place
- Reading (RG6, RG31, RG1, RG30)
- Region
- Wokingham
- Price
- Quoted for your roof
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. The main factors are:
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- The size of the roof
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before you book.
Getting in touch
A little information up front helps. It is useful to include:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- The property’s address and postcode
- Anything about access we should know
A quick phone call is usually the easiest start: ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Roof by roof
Single-ply membranes
Single-ply can be punctured by tools or fixings. ELD can locate them.
Green and ballasted roofs
Testing before planting or ballast goes on is simpler.
Towns and villages near Reading
More services for Reading
Tips that help
You do not need to be a roofer to help. What helps most:
- Avoid repeated repairs without finding the cause
- Check new waterproofing before handover
- Act on new leaks promptly
- Let us know about the membrane and build-up if you know it
Where the evidence points to walls, copings or rooflights, we’ll note it, with a suggestion of what to check next.
ELD before paving, ballast or planting goes on is worth considering. It’s easier to find holes before more layers are added.
Flat and commercial roofs around Reading
With Mapledurham House about 3.6 miles north-west, Reading sits in an area with a long building history. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Within a mile and a half or so of Reading there are several hotels, and hotels, like offices and blocks of flats, frequently have flat roofs. If you look after one, a leak through a flat roof can put a room out of use.
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near All Nations Christian Centre, the flat roofs on later extensions tend to wear out long before the main roof. For landlords with property near Reading West station, a flat roof over a rented flat is easy to forget until the tenant reports a leak. Anyone responsible for a site like Coley Primary School will know that ponding and blocked outlets on a wide flat roof are worth catching before the next wet season.
Reading is about 38 miles west of London, in Wokingham. We cover Reading and the rest of Wokingham. Our Wokingham coverage includes Reading and the places around it.
Here we cover the RG6, RG31, RG1 and RG30 postcode area for electronic leak detection. That includes homes and businesses on Downshire Square, Market Way and Market Place and the roads around them. Reading sits on or near the A4 and A33, so getting to you is simple. We also cover the places around Reading: Coley Park (1 mile south-west), West Reading (1 mile north-west), Newtown (1 mile east), Lower Caversham (1 mile north-east) and Whitley (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Wokingham (6 miles south-east), Woodley (3 miles east), Crowthorne (9 miles south-east), Lower Earley (3 miles south-east), Winnersh (4 miles east) and Woosehill (6 miles south-east). Being one of Wokingham’s larger places, Reading has homes, rented property and businesses of every kind.
Around Reading
In Reading, that means homes and buildings near Former Kennet Arms, Eldon Square and Kendrick School and the streets around them. You’ll also find University of Reading library (1.5 miles south-east) and Eurospeak Language School (0.5 miles north). The closest station to Reading is Reading West station, roughly 0.7 miles north-west of the centre. A little further out are The Oracle (under half a mile north-east) and Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre Museum (0.8 miles east). For a walk, there’s Sonning Hill and Longwater.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
How the survey works
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photographs, sent to you by email. As for time on site, most surveys take more time on a big roof than a small one, with the construction of the roof playing a part too. In Reading, we survey everything from flats and houses to commercial buildings. Each building type brings its own access questions, from shared stairwells to locked plant rooms. Surveys can be booked for any day of the week.
- You tell us about the roof and where water is showing.
- The roof is assessed for suitability first.
- 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 the survey
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Booking a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine. To send them or to book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Read more
FAQs for Reading
Do you carry out roof surveys in Reading?
Yes. We work right across London and South East England, and Reading is part of that. Just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know about the property, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Can you look at the flat roof of a hotel or office near Reading?
Yes, commercial buildings, hotels included, are part of the work. Access to the roof is sorted out with whoever manages the building before the day.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. We’re experienced roof surveyors, and our survey covers the roof rather than the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
How experienced are you?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys.
What insurance do you have?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey seven days a week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Tell us which days suit you as you book.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only if it’s safe. We inspect everything that’s safely in view: from the ground, from windows and vantage points, from the loft space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we can’t see is noted in the report.