West Sussex · London and the South East
Small Dole Electronic Leak Detection
A careful look at the flat roof membrane at your property in Small Dole, and put it all in a photo-illustrated written report.
- Waterproofing to test before it is covered
- Damage from equipment installers
- Leaks showing away from the breach
How electronic leak detection works in Small Dole
ELD is a way of pinpointing breaches in a flat roof’s waterproofing membrane. It uses a small electrical current that passes through the membrane only where there is a breach. It can find holes too small to spot by eye, so your roofer can repair them. The results come in a report with photos. Typical surveys look at patched roofs that still leak and new roofs to check before paving or planting, on flat roof membranes, liquid-applied waterproofing and roof terraces and balconies.
Somewhere as small as Small Dole, flat roofs tend to be on extensions, garages and converted outbuildings. They need the same care as any town roof: the covering, the edges, the upstands and where water drains away. We simply plan the journey and access beforehand. If there are outbuildings or garages with flat roofs, mention them when booking.
It is not only a list of defects. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend.
- Location
- Small Dole (BN5)
- Wider area
- West Sussex
- Cost
- Quoted for your roof
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Signs you need electronic leak detection in Small Dole
Roofs covered with paving, ballast or planting hide the membrane. Electronic methods can help on some of these roofs though it depends on the layers.
People normally book a survey when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Leaks under green or ballasted roofs
- Waterproofing to test before it is covered
- Leaks that return after repairs
- Water coming in under a flat roof
If you let a flat or house near Shoreham-By-Sea station, a flat roof over a rented flat is easy to forget until the tenant reports a leak.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether the price includes VAT
- What exactly goes into their report
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- What the survey will not cover
Towns and villages near Small Dole
Also in Small Dole
Why it is worth a survey now in Small Dole
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. Older and listed buildings around Small Dole may need consent and matching materials for repairs, so leaving a defect until it is urgent leaves less time to plan.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before booking.
What you get with us
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- A written report with photographs
Take a look at our cost guide or what we found on two real jobs.
Honest limits
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- The extent of water in the insulation
- Carrying out the repair work
- Parts of the roof covered by fixed equipment
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Small Dole
- Commercial flat roofs
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
- Roof terraces and balconies
- Single-ply roofs
- Flat roof membranes
- Green roofs
Roof by roof
Green and ballasted roofs
ELD is easier on a new roof before it’s covered.
Liquid-applied waterproofing
What lies under a liquid coating decides if ELD will work.
Useful tips for Small Dole property owners
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Keep foot traffic on flat roofs to a minimum
- Make sure trades protect the waterproofing
- Note where leaks show inside and when
- Keep outlets clear of debris
If we think the leak is not coming through the membrane, the report says so, so other causes can be checked.
Make sure contractors protect the waterproofing when they work up there. Have the roof looked at after other work.
Questions from Small Dole
Is the coastal weather around Small Dole hard on roofs?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Do you cover smaller places like Small Dole?
Yes, Small Dole is covered. Our area covers London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning, with the freeholder or managing agent. Let us know about it as you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Will you check the loft?
If it is needed and safe to reach, yes. Inside, we look for damp, staining, gaps and sagging, as far as the space allows.
How do you choose the testing method?
The roof decides the method. We’ll explain why when we quote.
Can you find leaks on a covered flat roof?
It can be possible, depending on the roof. Covered roofs limit the methods we can use, so we check the build-up first.
Does ELD include fixing the breach?
No. We test the membrane and report. The report shows where each breach is so your roofer can fix them.
Flat and commercial roofs around Small Dole
Small Dole lies within about 5 miles of the sea, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. On a flat roof near the sea, edge trims and upstands take the brunt of the wind, and metal parts corrode faster. Handmade clay tiles and tile-hung upper walls are typical of older Sussex houses. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings. Next to the main roofs there’s typically a flat roof somewhere, whether on an extension, a garage or a commercial unit.
With Portslade Manor about 4.8 miles south-east, the area around Small Dole has a long history. On a period home nearby, any flat roof is likely to be a later addition with its own lifespan.
Small Dole is about 5 miles north of Shoreham-by-Sea, in West Sussex. Bookings from Small Dole are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our area takes in places right across West Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. We also survey roofs in Brighton.
Postcode districts we cover here for electronic leak detection: BN5. If you need electronic leak detection at a property on Downsview, Tottington Drive and Orchard Close or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Other places close to Small Dole include Woodmancote (2 miles north-east), Henfield (2 miles north), Blackstone (2 miles north-east), Albourne (3 miles north-east) and High Cross (3 miles north-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Crawley (15 miles north), Horsham (11 miles north), Worthing (8 miles south-west), Haywards Heath (10 miles north-east), Burgess Hill (7 miles north-east) and Littlehampton (13 miles south-west).
Near you in Small Dole
Typical jobs here are in homes near Tottington Wood, among other places. The nearest railway station is Shoreham-By-Sea station, about 4.8 miles south of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Southlands Hospital (4.4 miles south) and Steyning Museum (2.6 miles south-west). The countryside around Small Dole includes Woods Mill and Truleigh Hill.
How the survey works
Safety comes first on every visit. Everything that can safely be seen is inspected, and anything we cannot see is noted in the report. Most visits take as long as needed for the size of the roof and how it’s built, and we’ll give you a guide when quoting. In a hamlet or village like Small Dole, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- First, we confirm which roof areas are included.
- The surface is prepared for the chosen method.
- We work across the roof with the test equipment.
- We mark the breach locations in our records.
- The report is sent for your roofer to act on.
How to prepare
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
Getting a price
We survey roofs seven days a week. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.