Greater London · London and the South East
Electronic leak detection in Southborough, Greater London
Electronic leak detection to pinpoint holes in flat roof membranes in Southborough. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Leaks showing away from the breach
- Failed seams and laps
- Water coming in under a flat roof
For landlords and managing agents
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords. Bigger roofs take more time, so they’re priced to suit.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
Electronic leak detection in Southborough: what you get
Electronic testing locates holes in the waterproofing but not every way water gets in. Leaks from walls, copings, rooflights or pipes need other checks. We’ll tell you if we think the leak is coming from somewhere else. It will not show water getting in through brickwork or around frames. Our report keeps that distinction clear. You’ll also know what to check next. We survey green roofs, roof terraces and balconies and single-ply roofs, and common reasons people get in touch are stains far from any visible defect and breaches hidden under paving or planting.
London has a lot of flat roofs: rear additions, dormers, roof terraces and the roofs of blocks and offices. They’re covered in felt, asphalt, EPDM rubber, GRP fibreglass or single-ply membranes, each with its own weak points. Which one is on a roof in Southborough shapes how it is checked. Older flat roofs are often felt or asphalt, newer ones rubber or GRP.
The report records the flat roof membrane as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later.
- Location
- Southborough (BR2, BR1)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- Quoted for your roof
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
FAQs for Southborough
Do you carry out roof surveys in Southborough?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, and Southborough is part of that. Just call 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know about the property.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Southborough?
Parking in Southborough, as in most of London, takes a little planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day run more smoothly.
When does the report arrive?
That depends on the survey you book: the Basic Survey report arrives within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey the same day. The report is emailed to you.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only if it is safe. We check everything that can safely be seen: from ground level, from windows, from inside the roof space, from the roof where it is safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we cannot see is noted in the report.
Will you check the loft?
Yes, where the survey calls for it and there is safe access. We look for staining, damp, daylight and signs of movement, as far as the space allows.
What does electronic leak detection do?
A sound membrane blocks the test current, so wherever there’s a hole, it passes through. That is how we locate breaches you cannot see.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We are experienced roof surveyors, and visible signs such as sagging are noted, but calculations and an engineer’s opinion are outside what we do. The report will say if you need an engineer.
How the survey works
The visit has one job: to look at the flat roof membrane as closely as is safe and record what we find. Notes and photographs go into the written report. The visit typically takes longer on a large roof than a small one, with the construction of the roof playing a part too. In a London area like Southborough, the main things to sort out are parking and access: tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space, which floor the property is on and how to get into the loft. We then look at what can safely be seen from ground level, windows, the loft and, where it’s safe, the roof itself.
- You let us know about the roof and where water is showing.
- We check whether the membrane and build-up suit ELD.
- We choose a low-voltage or high-voltage method to match the roof.
- The membrane is tested and breaches are found.
- You get a report with photos of each breach.
Before we arrive
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Jot down any questions you want answered
How to book
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know where you stand. We quote electronic leak detection for each roof, as the method and time depend on the roof. For a price for your roof, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Advice
Why act early in Southborough
Testing a new membrane before it is covered is easier than tracing a leak later. Covered roofs are harder to test. London’s older roofs frequently have bitumen felt underlay or none at all, so once the slates or flashings let water past, little stops it reaching ceilings. Left alone, that means wet timbers and plaster, which is a far bigger job than the roof fault itself.
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how it can be reached and seen safely. Electronic leak detection is quoted for your roof, because the method depends on the roof.
What you get with us
- 98% customer satisfaction
- 20+ years’ experience
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.
What we can’t see
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- Moisture spread under the membrane
- Some conductive membranes
- Repairing the breaches (that is for your roofer)
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Single-ply roofs
- Roof terraces and balconies
- Green roofs
- Commercial flat roofs
- Flat roof membranes
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
Should I look at the roof myself first?
You can learn a lot from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
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.
Flat and commercial roofs around Southborough
Alongside Victorian and Edwardian terraces, outer London has a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs of clay or concrete tiles. Hips, bay roofs and later loft conversions are typical of those semis, if your home is one of them. Flat roofs on extensions, dormers, garages and business units are found alongside them almost everywhere. The wider area around Southborough has a long history of building, with Bromley Palace about 1.4 miles north-west. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
For an older house near a landmark such as St Augustine's Church, any flat roof added at the back or on a dormer is likely to be far younger, and less durable, than the main roof. Anyone responsible for a site like Southborough Primary School will know that large flat roofs, common on schools and other public buildings, need their outlets, upstands and coverings checked regularly. If you run a business near The Mall, outlets and upstands on commercial flat roofs are the places to check before trouble starts.
Southborough is about 2 miles south-east of Bromley, in Greater London. From houses to flats and shops in Southborough, the roof can be surveyed. Across Greater London, we cover Southborough and the places around it. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
Surveys in BR2 and BR1 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Streets in the area include Pope Road, Crown Lane and Union Road. We also cover Bromley Common (1 mile south-west), Petts Wood (1 mile east), Locksbottom (2 miles south-east), Shortlands (2 miles west) and Crofton (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover London (10 miles north-west), City of Westminster (12 miles north-west), Marylebone (12 miles north-west), Kensington (13 miles north-west), St Pancras (12 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (11 miles north-west).
Around Southborough
Typical jobs here are in homes near Bishop Justus CofE School, Jubilee Country Park and The Chequers Public House. The nearest railway station is Bickley station, about 0.7 miles north. Other landmarks nearby include Bethlem Museum of the Mind (0.9 miles south-west) and Bridgeways Day Hospital (under half a mile south). For a walk, there is Summer Hill and Downham Woodland Walk.
How the survey changes by roof type
Single-ply membranes
Single-ply membranes are common on commercial and newer roofs. Laps and fixings are where holes frequently appear.
EPDM rubber roofs
Some EPDM membranes conduct electricity, which can rule out some methods. We will say if the test will not work.