Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Roof leak investigation in Bow, Oxfordshire
Tracing where water is getting into your roof in Bow. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Staining where a gutter or parapet meets the wall
- Drips in the loft during heavy rain
- Damp on a chimney breast
How a roof leak investigation works in Bow
Our job is to find the likely source and tell you. The report shows, with photos, where we believe the water gets in and how it travels, plus recommendations on what needs attention. Whoever does the work then has a clear starting point. We find and report the source, and the repair itself is a separate job. If you are worried about damp walls below an overflowing gutter and drips from nail tips in a cold loft, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Somewhere as small as Bow, older roofs have frequently been repaired many times. A new leak may be fresh damage or the latest sign of long-term wear, and the difference matters, especially to an insurer. We look at everything that’s safely in view and set out what we find. Damp in old walls and timbers is slow to dry, so the sooner the cause is found the better.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photographs, emailed to you. It sets out the condition of the leaking roof, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Where
- Bow (SN7)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
The aim of the visit is simple: to look at the leaking roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Notes and photographs go into the written report. It usually takes between one and two hours for a house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. Rural addresses near Bow can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You tell us where the water shows and when it appears.
- The visit starts indoors, at the stain and in the loft.
- Outside, we look at every likely route in.
- Moisture readings and thermal imaging are used where they help.
- You receive a written report with photos showing the likely source and what needs attention.
How to prepare
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Leave side gates unlocked
How to book
Getting a price is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email, let us know about the property and we’ll point you to the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
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Why it’s worth a survey now in Bow
A leak rarely stays small. Damp spreads into rafters, ceilings and insulation. Tracing it now means less to put right later. Matching old materials, such as handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. That is one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before you book.
Why book us in Bow
- Prices that include VAT
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
Read how roof surveys are priced and our case studies.
What else we do in Bow
Prices for roof leak investigations in Bow
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Roof area
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how it can be reached and seen safely. Roof leak investigation starts from £150, including VAT.
Helping us price your survey
What helps most when you contact us:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- The kind of building and roof involved
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You will know the price before anything is booked.
What we are asked to look at in Bow
Flashings are one of the commonest sources of roof leaks. Lead or mortar closes the gap wherever a roof meets a wall, chimney or dormer. Once that seal cracks or lifts, water gets behind it, often well away from where it shows.
Problems we come across often include:
- Staining where a gutter or parapet meets the wall
- Damp ceilings under a flat roof
- Damp on a chimney breast
- Water that shows only in certain storms
Take a building like Stanford in the Vale Church of England Primary School: a leak through a large roof is often found some distance from where the water shows inside.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Their report turnaround times
Practical tips
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Clear the loft hatch so we can get in
- Put a bucket under the drip and move valuables
- Let us know what has already been tried
- Mention any plumbing above the damp area
Any roofer you ask to quote can work from the report. They’ll see exactly where the problem is, so the repair is aimed at the cause.
Look at the roof from ground level after strong winds. Slipped slates, lifted ridge tiles and debris on the ground are signs to act on. Small faults dealt with quickly rarely become leaks.
What a roof leak investigation looks like in Bow
Longworth House, about 4.3 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Bow. Older homes in the wider area often 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. Cotswold stone slates are found on older buildings in west Oxfordshire, and thatch survives in some of the county’s villages. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Knowing the roof type helps narrow down where water may be getting in.
Take an older house close to Church of St Denys: the leak may come from a chimney, a valley or tired lead rather than the covering itself.
Bow is about 4 miles east of Faringdon, in Oxfordshire. Bow is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area across London and South East England. We cover towns and villages across Oxfordshire, from the larger towns to small villages. There is also a page for Oxford.
Surveys in SN7 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you need a roof leak investigation at a property on Chapel Road, High Street and Sheards Lane or a nearby road, we can survey it. Nearby, we also carry out roof leak investigations in Stanford in the Vale (1 mile west), Hatford (1 mile north-west), Shellingford (2 miles west), Baulking (2 miles south-west) and Buckland (3 miles north). Further out, we also cover Oxford (14 miles north-east), Didcot (11 miles east), Abingdon-on-Thames (10 miles east), Witney (10 miles north), Carterton (10 miles north-west) and Wantage (5 miles south-east).
Around Bow
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Former Red Lion Public House and Holy Trinity Church and the streets around them. Well-known places in the area include Faringdon Museum (3.8 miles west) and Faringdon Castle (3.4 miles north-west).
Different roofs, different checks
Slate and tile slopes
Cracked mortar lets ridge and hip tiles move. Water then gets in along the top of the roof.
Lead flashings
Water from a failed flashing can travel down the wall or along a rafter. That’s why we check the flashings near a stain, not just the one directly above.
FAQs for Bow
Is my home in Bow listed or in a conservation area?
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.
Do you cover Bow?
Yes, Bow is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Do you take photos of the roof?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and they go into the written report.
When does the report arrive?
Each package has its own report time. Basic: within 48 hours. Standard: 24 to 48 hours. Premium: the same day. If you have a deadline, like an exchange date, tell us as you book.
What does the report include?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos. The most urgent items are made clear.
How do you tell a leak from condensation?
The two can look alike. 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 survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.