Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Roof leak investigation in Foxholes, Hertfordshire
Roof leak investigations in Foxholes from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us.
- Brown rings on upstairs ceilings
- Damp patches next to the stack
- Wet patches high on an inside wall
Common roof problems in Foxholes
A chimney stack has lots of places for rain to get in. Water can enter through crumbling mortar, cracked flaunching, worn flashings or uncapped pots. The damp may appear on a chimney breast, a ceiling or in the loft.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Damp on a chimney breast
- Water through the ceiling under a flat roof
- Leaks that appear only in driving rain
- Drips in the loft during heavy rain
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Wheatcroft Primary School, a leak through a large roof is often found some distance from where the water shows inside.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
How a roof leak investigation works in Foxholes
Leaks tend to begin where one part of a roof meets another. Flashings at chimneys and walls, valleys, gutters, parapets and flat roof upstands and outlets are the usual suspects. We check each likely route and follow the evidence. Every chimney, dormer and roof light adds more joints to check. We look at all of them, from every safe vantage point. If you’re worried about brown rings on upstairs ceilings and leaks below a flat extension roof, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on flat roof details, slate and tile slopes and rooflights and dormers alike.
Chimney stacks on older houses around places like Foxholes can let water in, at the flashings, the pointing or the mortar round the pots. Damp in a chimney breast can have more than one cause, so it isn’t always obvious where it starts. The stack, its flashings and the loft space beside it are all worth checking.
The report records the leaking roof as we found it on the day. It is useful straight away, and a good reference for later, for instance when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Place
- Foxholes (SG13)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Leaks and storm damage in Foxholes
If your home is older, it is worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before planning roof work. Listed building consent covers changes to a listed building’s special interest, and an Article 4 direction can bring extra controls in a conservation area. Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. Different coverings let water in at different points, which shapes where the search starts.
If you own a rental within reach of Hertford East station, a clear finding on where water gets in helps you brief a roofer right away. If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of the Holy Trinity, water on an older roof tends to find its way in at the lead, the valleys or the chimney.
Foxholes is about 1 mile east of Hertford, in Hertfordshire. We survey roofs in Foxholes and the rest of Hertfordshire, as part of our work across London and South East England. Our area takes in places right across Hertfordshire. London is in our area too.
Here we cover the SG13 postcode area for roof leak investigations. If you need a roof leak investigation at a property on Ware Road, London Road and Fairfax Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Other places close to Foxholes include Rush Green (1 mile north-east), Hertford Heath (1 mile south-east), Hertford (1 mile west), Little Amwell (1 mile south-east) and Horns Mill (1 mile south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Stevenage (10 miles north-west), St Albans (12 miles west), Bishop's Stortford (10 miles north-east), Welwyn Garden City (6 miles west), Harpenden (13 miles west) and Hitchin (14 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Foxholes
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Simon Balle All-Through School, The Saracens Head Public House and Hertford Regional College, among other places. The nearest railway station is Hertford East station, roughly 0.8 miles north-west of the centre. A little further out are Hertford County Hospital (1.5 miles west) and Mcmullen & Sons Brewery Museum (1.2 miles west). The countryside around Foxholes includes King's Meads.
What you can safely check yourself
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That’s where a survey comes in.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are frequently out of sight.
Places near Foxholes
What else we do in Foxholes
How the survey works
Where it is relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. All in, the survey normally takes about 1–2 hours at most homes, and more on a big or complicated roof. A visit to Foxholes is planned like any other: the time, the access and where to park are agreed beforehand. Weekday and weekend visits are both possible. Let us know about any garages, outbuildings or extensions you want included.
- You let us know where the water shows and when it appears.
- The visit starts indoors, at the stain and in the loft.
- Likely entry points outside are checked, from flashings and valleys to gutters and outlets.
- We use moisture detection, and thermal imaging where it’s useful.
- You receive a written report with photos showing the likely source and what needs attention.
Before the survey
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Jot down any questions you want answered
Getting a price
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll explain the options and the price.
Related advice
What happens if roof problems are left?
Wet insulation doesn’t insulate well. A slow leak can soak it for months before a stain appears. Catching it early limits what has to be replaced. Arranging work in a smaller place like Foxholes is easier with notice than in an emergency. A survey gives you that notice.
Prices start from £150, with VAT included, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. We confirm the exact price before you book.
Why book us in Foxholes
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- A photo-illustrated written report
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Package prices that include VAT
See what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
Honest limits
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- Putting the leak right
- A promise to find every leak on a single visit
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will recommend the right survey. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we look at
- Flat roof details
- Slate and tile slopes
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Lead flashings
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Rooflights and dormers
Questions from Foxholes
Do you cover Foxholes?
Yes, Foxholes is within the area we cover. We cover the whole of London and South East England. You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and a few details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Will you come out to Foxholes?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Why does not the damp patch line up with the hole?
Rain that gets in will run along whatever it lands on. On a flat roof it can travel under the covering before it shows. Tracing that path is the heart of a leak investigation.
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.
Do you look in the roof space?
Typically, if there is one and it can be reached safely. From inside, the underside of the roof often shows damp, staining or daylight that can’t be seen from outside.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We’re 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.
Do I need to be at home?
Not necessarily. If we only need the outside, we can agree that beforehand, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
Useful tips for Foxholes property owners
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Check the loft is accessible
- Don’t touch fittings that water is reaching
- Protect furniture and flooring under the leak
- Don’t climb onto the roof to look
Where we find more than one possible route, we say which is most likely and why. We say which items need prompt attention.
Plan a roof survey every few years. Flashings, valleys and flat roof details are frequent weak points, and catching wear early keeps water out.