Greater London · London and the South East
Roof Leak Investigation in Arkley
Find out what’s going on with the leaking roof before you spend money on it. We carry out roof leak investigations in Arkley.
- Water that shows only in certain storms
- Water coming in around a roof light or dormer
- Wet patches high on an inside wall
Roof leak investigations for homes and businesses in Arkley
Some ‘leaks’ aren’t leaks at all. Condensation in a cold, poorly ventilated loft can drip from nails and timbers, and the stains look much like a leak. Telling the two apart matters, because they need very different work. The pattern of the damp, the ventilation and the timing all help us decide. We survey lead flashings, the roof space and slate and tile slopes, and people most often book us about water that shows only in certain storms and drips in the loft during heavy rain.
In London, leaks frequently start somewhere hidden: the valley gutter in a butterfly roof, a parapet gutter, a chimney flashing or the flat roof over a rear extension. Whether you are tracing a leak or recording storm damage in Arkley, those are among the first places to look. A hidden gutter that overflows can send water a long way before it shows.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Place
- Arkley (EN5, NW7)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
Once we’ve finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photos, emailed to you. As for time on site, most surveys take about one to two hours for most homes, though a hard-to-trace leak can take longer. In a London conversion, the way into the loft space is often from a communal landing or the top flat. If that applies to your building, it helps to agree access with the neighbours or the managing agent first. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- You pick a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey.
- A visit is booked for a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- The investigation works from the stain back to the roof.
- Moisture detection and thermal imaging are used where your package includes them and they help.
- The report explains the likely entry point and what needs attention.
Before we arrive
- Keep pets in another room
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
How to book
When you are ready to go ahead, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
Related advice
How we price roof leak investigations
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. The main factors are:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package matters as well. The price is always agreed first.
What to tell us when you get in touch
When you call or email, these details help:
- When you need the report by
- What made you get in touch
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- The property’s address and postcode
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know the cost up front. Roof leak investigation starts from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
When you need someone else
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- Putting the leak right
- Whether rotten timbers meet design loads
- Leaks from plumbing, tanks or pipework rather than the roof
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll point you to the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Slate and tile slopes
- Rooflights and dormers
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Lead flashings
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Flat roof details
FAQs for Arkley
Do you cover Arkley?
Yes, Arkley is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Arkley?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Is it a leak or condensation?
Condensation can look very like a leak. Widespread damp on the underside of the roof in cold weather, with blocked vents, suggests condensation. We check the pattern of damp and the ventilation, then say which is most likely.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling are not something we do. Where a material might contain it, like old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It’s a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have completed more than 5,000 surveys, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
Can a leak be traced on a dry day?
Often, yes. Stains, tide marks, damp timbers and moisture readings usually point the way. Intermittent leaks can be harder, so your photos and notes from wet days are very useful.
Also near Arkley
More services for Arkley
What we look for on each type of roof
Flat roof upstands and outlets
Flat roof water can travel under the covering before it shows. Moisture readings and thermal imaging can help narrow it down where conditions suit.
Slate and tile slopes
Ridge and hip tiles can loosen as their mortar cracks. Rain can then run in at the ridge.
Signs you need a roof leak investigation in Arkley
Some water in the loft isn’t rain at all. Moist air from bathrooms and kitchens condenses on the cold underside of the roof, particularly in lofts with blocked eaves. Drips from nails and damp underlay are typical signs.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Ceiling stains that grow after rain
- Water through the ceiling under a flat roof
- Damp underlay across a wide area
- Leaks at a dormer or roof window
Landlords with a home close to Elstree & Borehamwood station may find that finding the cause of a leak fast keeps a tenant’s home dry and the work focused.
What to check before booking
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
Arkley roofs and the weather
The wider area around Arkley has a long history of building, with Wyllyotts Manor about 3.7 miles north-east. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Where water gets in depends a good deal on what the roof is made of and how it is detailed.
If you live in an older home near St Peter's Church, old mortar, worn lead and slipped slates are the usual suspects when water gets in. Shop and office owners around Spires Shopping Centre may find that a quick answer on where water is coming in keeps a business running.
Arkley is about 2 miles west of Barnet, in Greater London. We provide roof leak investigations for homes and businesses in Arkley and the surrounding area. Our Greater London coverage includes Arkley and the places around it. You can also see our page for London.
Postcode districts we cover here for roof leak investigations: EN5 and NW7. Local streets include Well Road, Glebe Lane and Brett Road, all of which we cover. With the A411 close by, Arkley is easy for us to reach. Nearby, we also carry out roof leak investigations in Rowley Green (1 mile north-west), High Barnet (1 mile north-east), Hadley (1 mile north-east), Totteridge (2 miles south-east) and Well End (2 miles north-west). We also work in nearby towns like London (12 miles south-east), City of Westminster (10 miles south), Marylebone (10 miles south), Kensington (10 miles south), St Pancras (10 miles south-east) and Shoreditch (11 miles south-east).
Around Arkley
In Arkley, that means homes and buildings near Susi Earnshaw Theatre School, Whitings Hill Open Space and Queen Elizabeth's School. The closest station to Arkley is Elstree & Borehamwood station, roughly 2.1 miles west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Hilfield Castle (4.5 miles west) and Hertfordshire Scout Museum (1.9 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Glebe Lane Pastures and Darland's Lake.
Useful tips for Arkley property owners
Most of what helps is simple and safe from the ground. Our suggestions:
- Record whether it leaks in every downpour or only some
- Keep a photo record of the damp patch
- Do not climb onto the roof to look
- Mention any plumbing above the damp area
Any roofer you ask to quote can work from the report. The photos show the defects and where they are, so the repair is aimed at the cause.
Have leaves and moss cleared from gutters, valleys and outlets, especially in autumn. Blocked outlets on parapet and flat roofs cause many leaks. Use a professional rather than climbing up yourself.