Greater London · London and the South East
South Bank Electronic Leak Detection
Electronic leak detection to pinpoint holes in flat roof membranes across South Bank, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Damage from equipment installers
- Leaks through a flat roof with no obvious cause
- Leaks under green or ballasted roofs
Before and after the survey
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Some tips:
- Act on new leaks promptly
- Avoid repeated repairs without finding the cause
- Check new waterproofing before handover
- Do not let outlets block
If water has been getting in, insulation under the membrane may be wet. Your roofer can advise on that, and moisture readings can help.
Do not leave a flat roof leak running. Water under a membrane can spread.
Electronic leak detection in South Bank
Green roofs, ballasted roofs and roofs under paving are harder to test. What sits on the membrane can affect which method will work, and some may need lifting. We talk this through before we quote. Any details of the build-up help because they show what’s under the surface. If testing is not possible, we’ll say so. If you’ve noticed water coming in under a flat roof and patched roofs that still leak, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Across London, flat roofs are everywhere, from back additions and dormers to roof terraces, blocks of flats and offices. Coverings range from felt and asphalt to EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass and single-ply membranes, each with its own weak points. In South Bank, as anywhere in London, the right approach depends on what the roof is made of. Older flat roofs are frequently felt or asphalt, newer ones rubber or GRP.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Where
- South Bank (SE1, WC2E, WC2N)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- Quoted for your roof
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the cost of electronic leak detection
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Roof area
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Electronic leak detection is quoted for your roof, because the method depends on the roof.
Booking your survey
When you call or email, these details help:
- Anything about access we should know
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
If you’re buying, it’s useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply ring 07833 053749 or email us whenever suits you.
The survey, step by step
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement. The whole visit usually takes a time that depends on the roof’s area and construction, which we’ll explain when we quote. In a London conversion, the way into the roof space is frequently from a communal landing or the top flat. If that applies to your building, it is useful to agree access with the neighbours or the managing agent first. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- First, you tell us about the roof build-up and where water is showing.
- We check that the membrane and build-up suit electronic leak detection.
- The method depends on the membrane and what sits above and below it.
- Testing runs across the roof to locate breaches in the membrane.
- The breaches are recorded with photographs in a report for your roofer.
Before we arrive
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Tell us where we can park nearby
Arrange a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Related advice
South Bank: your questions answered
Is my home in South Bank listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you cover commercial flat roofs around South Bank?
Yes, commercial flat roofs are part of what we cover. Larger commercial roofs are quoted for the building.
Which method do you use?
The method is chosen to suit the roof. Low-voltage methods are usually carried out on a wet roof, while high-voltage testing needs a dry, exposed membrane.
Will you go up on the roof?
Not always. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs cannot always be walked on. We use safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where it applies, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
How much does electronic leak detection cost?
Each roof is quoted on its size and build-up. Send us details of the roof. Just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email for a quote.
Is the repair part of the test?
No. We test the membrane and report. The report shows where each breach is so your roofer can fix them.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Can I check my roof myself?
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That’s where a survey comes in.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Electronic leak detection around South Bank
Welsh slate on Victorian and Edwardian terraces is a familiar sight across inner London. Many have butterfly roofs draining to a central valley gutter, with parapet walls and gutters hidden behind them. Lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are typical of these houses, if yours is one of them. Flat roofs on extensions, dormers, garages and business units are found alongside them almost everywhere. There are several hotels within about a mile and a half of South Bank, and hotels, like offices and blocks of flats, often have flat roofs. If you look after one, a leak through a flat roof can put a room out of use.
The streets around a church such as St John's Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, the joins between later flat roofs and the old walls are where problems usually start. Benjamin Franklin House lies about 0.4 miles north-west, so building around South Bank goes back a long way. If your home is older, its flat-roofed extension or dormer may be on its second or third covering.
South Bank is about 1 mile west of London, in Greater London. We survey roofs in South Bank and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and the South East. Our Greater London coverage includes South Bank.
Every address in SE1, WC2E and WC2N is covered for electronic leak detection, from the main roads to the quietest streets. If you need electronic leak detection at a property on York Road, Spur Road and Lower Road or anywhere close by, we can help. South Bank is on the A301 and A302, which makes it straightforward to reach. If you are just outside South Bank, we cover Waterloo (1 mile south-east), Adelphi (1 mile north-west), Charing Cross (1 mile north-west), Temple (1 mile north-east) and Aldwych (1 mile north). We also work in nearby towns like Kensington (4 miles west), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (14 miles west), Stockwell (3 miles south) and Orpington (13 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in South Bank
Typical jobs here are in homes near Jubilee Gardens, The Hole In The Wall pub and The BFI Reuben Library, among other places. Nearby too are St Andrew's and St John's Church of England Primary School (under half a mile east) and London Nautical School (under half a mile north-east). South Bank has its own railway station: London Waterloo station. A little further out are Florence Nightingale Museum (within half a mile south) and Royal Waterloo Hospital for Children and Women (under half a mile north-east). Green spaces nearby include Barnsbury Wood and St. James's Park Lake.
Places near South Bank
What else we do in South Bank
What electronic leak detection doesn’t cover
We only report what can safely be seen on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Parts of the roof covered by fixed equipment
- Some conductive membranes
- Water entering through details rather than the membrane
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll recommend the right survey. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
- Roof terraces and balconies
- Single-ply roofs
- Green roofs
- Commercial flat roofs
- Flat roof membranes
When to book a survey in South Bank
Repeated leaks after repairs suggest the real breach hasn’t been found. ELD can locate the breach more precisely.
We’re frequently asked to look at:
- Patched roofs that still leak
- Leaks under green or ballasted roofs
- Water coming in under a flat roof
- Holes left by work on the roof
Anyone responsible for a site like Oasis Academy Johanna will know that a large flat roof with lots of outlets and rooflights has many places where a membrane can fail.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Will the report include photos?
- What insurance they carry
- What follow-up you get after the report