Greater London · London and the South East
Roof leak investigation in Chinatown, Greater London
Tracing where water is getting into your roof in Chinatown, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photographs.
- Damp underlay across a wide area
- Damp walls below an overflowing gutter
- A leak that comes and goes with the weather
Chinatown: your questions answered
Is parking a problem for a survey in Chinatown?
It can be, so it is useful to let us know about permits, visitor bays or off-street space as you book. That way the visit can be planned around it.
Do you cover Chinatown?
Yes, Chinatown is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Chinatown as anywhere else.
When does the report arrive?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day. Reports are sent by email.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
Can thermal imaging help find my roof leak?
Thermal imaging is used where it is useful, and it’s part of the Premium Survey. It shows temperature differences, not water itself, so anything it suggests is checked with moisture readings.
What insurance do you have?
We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
How long will you be at the property?
Allow an hour or two for most homes, though a hard-to-trace leak can take longer. We’ll give you an idea of timing when you book.
Roof leak investigation in Chinatown: what you get
Some ‘leaks’ aren’t leaks at all. 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. The pattern of the damp, the ventilation and the timing all help us decide. Common reasons to book are leaks that appear only in driving rain and ceiling stains that grow after rain, across the roof space, chimney stacks and flat roof details.
In a London flat, water can travel some way before it shows. That makes the source hard to pin down, and finding it matters for whoever has to deal with it. In Chinatown, we inspect what we can reach safely and are given access to. It’s useful to know when the water appears and in what weather.
Most points in the report come with a picture, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Where
- Chinatown (W1F, W1D, W1T)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Letting agents frequently book on a landlord’s behalf. Access is agreed with the tenant in advance.
Landlords and letting agents in Chinatown book surveys as well as homeowners. A written report with photos gives you a clear record of the leaking roof, useful for planning maintenance.
How it works
We do not take risks to get a closer look. We inspect everything that’s safely in view, and anything we can’t see is noted in the report. The survey normally takes between one and two hours, more where the leak is intermittent or the roof is large. Surveys in Chinatown can be booked for any day of the week. It helps if you can point us to a visitor permit or a nearby bay, and to clear a path to the loft hatch. Upstairs rooms at the back are useful too, as they frequently give the best view of a rear addition.
- You tell us where the water appears, when, and what the weather was doing.
- Inside, we look at the stain and the ceiling around it.
- In the loft, we follow any signs of water back towards the roof.
- We inspect the likely entry points outside, from ground level, windows and the roof where safe.
- You receive a report with the likely source, photos and recommendations.
Before the survey
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Tell us where we can park nearby
How to book
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
DIY checks: what’s safe
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us as you book.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Also near Chinatown
More services for Chinatown
Before and after the survey
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Take dated photos of the leak
- Let us know if there are tanks or pipes in the loft
- Keep water away from lights and sockets
- Catch drips in a bucket and protect the floor
The report gives whoever carries out the work a clear starting point. They’ll see exactly where the problem is, rather than at the stain.
Have leaves and moss cleared from gutters, valleys and outlets, ideally once the leaves have fallen. Many leaks start with a blocked outlet. Use a professional rather than climbing up yourself.
What we can’t see
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
- An intermittent leak that shows no trace on the day
- What’s under the covering or behind the plaster
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll tell you before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney stacks
- Flat roof details
- The roof space
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Lead flashings
- Slate and tile slopes
- Rooflights and dormers
What a roof leak investigation looks like in Chinatown
About 0.4 miles south-east lies Benjamin Franklin House, a reminder of how long the area around Chinatown has been built on. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Inner London’s Victorian and Edwardian terraces often have Welsh slate roofs. 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. Different coverings let water in at different points, which shapes where the search starts.
If you live in an older home near St Anne's Church, old mortar, worn lead and slipped slates are the usual suspects when water gets in. If you own a rental within reach of Tottenham Court Road station, finding the cause of a leak fast keeps a tenant’s home dry and the work focused. If you live near a park like St Anne's Churchyard, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching.
Chinatown is about 1 mile east of City of Westminster, in Greater London. Wherever you are in Chinatown, we can carry out roof leak investigations at your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our Greater London coverage includes Chinatown and the places around it.
Roof leak investigations in W1F, W1D and W1T work the same way as everywhere else we cover. You will find streets like Duck Lane, Drury Lane and Bruton Lane. Main roads around Chinatown include the A4 and A301, which makes travel easy. Neighbouring places we cover for roof leak investigations include Soho (1 mile north), St James's (1 mile south), West End (1 mile north-east), Seven Dials (1 mile north-east) and St Giles (1 mile north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Kensington (3 miles west), Shoreditch (3 miles north-east), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east), Hoxton (3 miles north-east), Whitechapel (3 miles east) and Hampstead (4 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Chinatown
Typical jobs here are in homes near LITE Regal International School, London Library and Waxy O'Connor's pub, among other places. Nearby too are St Anne's Churchyard (under half a mile north-west) and Harris Westminster Sixth Form (0.8 miles south). Chinatown has its own railway station: Tottenham Court Road station. Well-known places in the area include Leverian collection (within half a mile south-east) and Montfichet's Tower (1.3 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Barnsbury Wood and St. James's Park Lake.
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney stacks
Damp on a chimney breast inside frequently starts at the top of the stack. Open, unused pots let rain fall down the flue.
Slate and tile slopes
‘Nail fatigue’ is a common cause of slipped slates. One slipped slate can be enough to cause a leak.