Greater London · London and the South East
Smithfield Electronic Leak Detection
Find out what’s going on with the flat roof membrane before you spend money on it. We carry out electronic leak detection in Smithfield, with photos and a clear written report.
- Leaking laps in the waterproofing
- Holes around roof penetrations
- Stains far from any visible defect
About our electronic leak detection in Smithfield
There are different ELD methods. Low-voltage methods usually need a wet roof surface and high-voltage methods need the membrane dry and exposed. The right method depends on the membrane and the build-up of the roof and we explain which we will use. We will say if your roof doesn’t suit either method before any testing starts. We survey liquid-applied waterproofing, single-ply roofs and commercial flat roofs, and the problems we are asked to look at most are new roofs to check before paving or planting and failed seams and laps.
On a London roof terrace or a flat roof over a back addition, water frequently runs under the covering before it shows. Outlets, upstands against parapet walls and joins with the main roof are frequent culprits. In a block or conversion in Smithfield, the flat roof is often a shared part of the building.
The report is written in plain words, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Photographs show what each point refers to, and recommendations are put in order of urgency where relevant.
- Place
- Smithfield (EC1V, EC1P, EC1R)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- Quoted for your roof
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Your questions about electronic leak detection in Smithfield
Do you cover commercial flat roofs around Smithfield?
Yes, commercial flat roofs are part of what we cover. For a bigger roof, you’ll get a quote based on the building, and roof access is agreed with you ahead of the visit.
How do I find out if my home in Smithfield is listed?
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.
What insurance do you have?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We’re roof surveyors, not structural engineers. We will recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.
What is electronic leak detection?
ELD passes a small electrical current across the roof to locate holes in the membrane. The current only gets through where the membrane is breached, which shows us where the hole is.
Is Smithfield in your area?
Yes. We carry out electronic leak detection in Smithfield.
What happens next?
We email you the written report with photographs and recommendations. It is yours to share with a seller, insurer, roofer or managing agent, whichever applies.
Electronic leak detection in Smithfield: local notes
The wider area around Smithfield has a long history of building, with Dr Johnson's House about 0.3 miles south-west. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Inner London’s Victorian and Edwardian terraces often have Welsh slate roofs. From the street you may see only a parapet, with a butterfly roof and a valley gutter behind it draining to the back. In a house like that, shared stacks, party-wall upstands and lead flashings all need looking at as far as they can be seen. Mixed in with those pitched roofs are lots of flat ones, over rear extensions, dormers, garages and shops.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near St Bartholomew-the-Less, later flat-roofed additions are common on older houses, and their edges and upstands often show the first signs of wear. Landlords with a home close to Farringdon station may find that a flat roof over a rented flat is easy to forget until the tenant reports a leak.
Smithfield is about 1 mile north of London, in Greater London. We survey roofs in Smithfield and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and South East England. We cover towns and villages across Greater London.
Electronic leak detection in EC1V, EC1P and EC1R work the same way as everywhere else we cover. You’ll find streets such as Oat Lane, Shoe Lane and Long Lane. Being close to the A1 and A4, Smithfield is easy for us to reach. We also cover Farringdon (1 mile north), Blackfriars (1 mile south), Holborn (1 mile west), Temple Bar (1 mile south-west) and Clerkenwell (1 mile north). We also work in nearby towns such as Kensington (4 miles west), Walthamstow (6 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (14 miles west), Brompton (3 miles south-west) and Stockwell (4 miles south).
Landmarks near Smithfield
In Smithfield, that means homes and buildings near London Nautical School, Barts Health Archives and St Alban's Church of England Primary School, among other places. Also close by are St Mary-at-Hill (1 mile south-east), Oriole pub (under half a mile south-west) and Postman's Park (less than half a mile south-east). Smithfield has its own railway station: Farringdon station. Other landmarks nearby include Montfichet's Tower (under half a mile south) and Postal Museum (less than half a mile south-east). Not far away are Ludgate Hill and St. James's Park Lake.
Tips that help
Nothing here needs a ladder. Our suggestions:
- Keep foot traffic on flat roofs to a minimum
- Keep outlets clear of debris
- Note where leaks show inside and when
- Check new waterproofing before handover
Wet insulation may need attention after a leak. That’s something to discuss with your roofer, and moisture readings can help.
Do not leave a flat roof leak running. Water under a membrane can spread.
Towns and villages near Smithfield
Other services in Smithfield
Landlords, agents and block managers in Smithfield
Landlords, agents and building managers in Smithfield and across Greater London can book any of our surveys. To discuss a property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan.
What we are asked to look at in Smithfield
A breach can be left during installation. ELD on a new roof can show holes before they cause leaks.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Leaks showing away from the breach
- Leaks at pipes, outlets or fixings
- New roofs to check before paving or planting
- Leaks that return after repairs
If you look after a building such as Charterhouse Square School, ponding and blocked outlets on a wide flat roof are worth catching before the next wet season.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Are they insured for the work?
- When you will get the report
Leave it or get it looked at?
Leaks left running can wet the insulation and deck. Locating it early helps limit the damage. In a London terrace or conversion, a roof defect rarely stays your problem alone: failed flashings and blocked valley gutters can send water into more than one home. Finding it early keeps the work smaller.
For a price for your roof in Smithfield, call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and some details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Why book us in Smithfield
- A report with photographs
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- PI and public liability insurance
- Weekday and weekend surveys
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
When you need someone else
It helps to know what a survey won’t do before you book:
- Build-ups without a suitable layer below
- Sections we cannot safely access
- Repairing the breaches (that is for your roofer)
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Green roofs
- Single-ply roofs
- Commercial flat roofs
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
- Flat roof membranes
- Roof terraces and balconies
What happens on the day
Safety comes first on every visit. Everything that can be seen safely is inspected, and if part of the roof can’t be seen, the report says so. Most visits take more time on a big roof than a small one, and the build-up of the roof makes a difference too. For a visit in Smithfield, parking and access are the things to plan: let us know about parking, the floor the property is on, any shared entrance and loft access. On the day, the roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from inside the loft space and from the roof where it is safe.
- We start by finding out what the roof is made of and where it leaks.
- 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.
- You get a report showing where each breach is, for your roofer to repair.
Getting ready for the survey
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Jot down any questions you want answered
Book a survey
A quick phone call is usually the easiest start: call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.