Greater London · London and the South East
Roof Leak Investigation in Catford
Roof leak investigations in Catford and the rest of Greater London. We survey seven days a week.
- Wet patches high on an inside wall
- Water through the ceiling under a flat roof
- Water dripping from rafters or underlay
Before and after the survey
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Some tips:
- Move stored items away from the hatch
- Tell us if there are tanks or pipes in the loft
- Photograph the stain each time it appears
- Have an electrician check any wet fittings
Keep the report after the work is done. If water appears again, it shows what was found before.
After a storm, check the roof from the garden and the street. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Prompt repairs stop gaps turning into leaks.
How a roof leak investigation works in Catford
Not every drip is a leak. Condensation in a cold, poorly ventilated loft can drip from nails and timbers, leaving marks that look just like rainwater. Telling the two apart matters, because they need very different work. We look at the pattern of damp, the weather and the ventilation before reaching a view. We are frequently asked to look into damp patches next to the stack and stains around a skylight, on lead flashings, valleys and parapet gutters and slate and tile slopes.
In London, leaks often start somewhere hidden: the valley gutter in a butterfly roof, a parapet gutter, a chimney flashing or the flat roof over a rear extension. For a leak or storm damage in Catford, those hidden details are where the inspection begins. A hidden gutter that overflows can send water a long way before it shows.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Where
- Catford (SE6, BR1)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the price in Catford
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. That comes down to:
- Roof area
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Which survey package you book
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
What to tell us when you contact us
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
Booking is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or email us and give us some details about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
What a roof leak investigation looks like in Catford
About 2.8 miles east lies Eltham Palace, a reminder of how long the area around Catford has been built on. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Many homes in inner London are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, often with 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. Knowing the roof type helps narrow down where water may be getting in.
If you look after a building such as Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, on a building that size, finding the source of a drip means looking well beyond the stain. Shop and office owners around Lewisham Shopping Centre may find that water through a ceiling can damage stock and close a sales floor, so the source needs finding fast.
Catford is about 5 miles east of Streatham, in Greater London. Roofs in Catford get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Greater London. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages.
Surveys in SE6 and BR1 are booked the same way as anywhere else. We offer roof leak investigations to properties on Bargery Road, Penerley Road and Inchmery Road and the roads around them. We also cover the places around Catford: Bellingham (1 mile south-west), Southend (1 mile south-west), Ladywell (1 mile north), Hither Green (1 mile north-east) and Bell Green (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (5 miles north-west), City of Westminster (8 miles north-west), Marylebone (8 miles north-west), Kensington (9 miles north-west), St Pancras (7 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (6 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Catford
Around Catford, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The London & Rye pub, Trinity Church of England School and Forster Memorial Park, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Catford Bridge station, about 0.5 miles north-west. A little further out are Greenwich Castle (2.6 miles north) and University Hospital Lewisham (0.8 miles north). Open spaces near Catford include Downham Woodland Walk and Knight's Hill.
Roof by roof
Flat roof upstands and outlets
Upstands seal the edge of a flat roof where it meets a wall. If it is too low, cracked or poorly dressed, water gets behind it.
Valleys
Stains from a valley leak frequently show some distance off. We trace the route from the loft where there is safe access.
Common questions in Catford
Is Catford in the area you cover?
Yes, Catford is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Catford as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Catford?
It can be, so it helps to tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space when you book. The visit is then planned around what’s available.
What’s the best way to book?
The quickest way is to phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. Give us the address and some details about the roof, and we’ll suggest the right survey. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.
How long does a roof leak investigation take?
The visit normally takes roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, though a hard-to-trace leak can take longer. We will confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
What happens next?
We email you the written report with photos and recommendations. It is yours to share with a seller, insurer, roofer or managing agent, whichever applies.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We’ll talk about access when booking.
What’s in the survey report?
It works through the roof part by part, in writing and with photos. The most urgent items are made clear.
How the survey works
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. We take close-ups from wherever is safe, including by drone where it is applicable and the weather allows. Most surveys take about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. In a London conversion, the way into the loft space is frequently from a communal landing or the top flat. Where that’s the case, access needs agreeing with whoever controls that landing. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- You tell us where the water shows and when it appears.
- We check the stain, the ceiling and the loft above it.
- Outside, we look at every likely route in.
- Where it helps, we take moisture readings and use thermal imaging.
- We email a report with photographs, the likely entry point and recommendations.
How to prepare
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Tell us where we can park nearby
Booking a survey
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know the cost up front. Our price is from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants. Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, which helps when tenants work during the week.
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, from shops and offices to industrial units. Larger roofs take longer, so they’re priced to suit.
Towns and villages near Catford
Other services in Catford
What we’re asked to look at in Catford
Flat roofs fail with age and wear. Felt often lasts around 15 to 20 years, and as it ages it splits, blisters and opens at the laps. Upstands and outlets are common weak points.
Most people get in touch after spotting one of these:
- Staining where a gutter or parapet meets the wall
- Brown rings on upstairs ceilings
- Damp underlay across a wide area
- Staining around the chimney inside
The streets around a church such as Church of St Laurence and Community Centre are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, water on an older roof tends to find its way in at the lead, the valleys or the chimney.
Questions to ask before booking
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price