Essex · London and the South East
Roof leak investigation in Hare Street, Essex
A careful look at the leaking roof at your property in Hare Street, with photographs and a written report.
- Stains around a skylight
- Damp underlay across a wide area
- Damp ceilings under a flat roof
Hare Street questions
Do you cover Hare Street?
Yes, Hare Street is within the area we cover. We survey roofs across London and South East England. Just call 07833 053749 or send us an email and tell us about the property, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Do you cover smaller places like Hare Street?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Surveys run on any day of the week. To arrange a date, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Why does not the damp patch line up with the hole?
Because water travels. It can follow a timber or the underlay a long way first, so the stain may be some distance from where it gets in. That is why we trace the route rather than patching above the stain.
Can thermal imaging help find my roof leak?
Thermal imaging is used where it is useful, and it is part of the Premium Survey. It shows temperature differences, not water itself, so anything it suggests is checked with moisture readings.
How fast do I get the report?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day. Reports are sent by email.
What happens next?
The report comes by email, and you decide the next step: raise it with a seller, send it to an insurer, brief a roofer or share it with a managing agent.
About our roof leak investigation in Hare Street
On a flat roof, water can travel a long way under the covering. Splits, blisters, failed laps, worn upstands and blocked outlets are common causes. Standing water puts extra pressure on every weak point. We look at the roof surface and the ceiling below. Flat roofs over extensions, garages and dormers are frequent sources of leaks. Felt often lasts around 15 to 20 years, so age is part of the picture. If you’re worried about damp on a chimney breast and wet patches on loft insulation, we can find out what’s behind it.
Roofs in small places like Hare Street frequently stand in the open, so storms hit ridges, verges and chimneys hard. Once water gets into older walls, it takes a long time to dry, so it pays to find the cause quickly. A record with photographs is useful if you need to show the damage to anyone else.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photos, sent by email. It sets out the condition of the leaking roof, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Location
- Hare Street (CM5)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Places near Hare Street
Other services in Hare Street
What we look for on each type of roof
Slate and tile slopes
Slipped, cracked or missing slates and tiles let rain onto the underlay. Ageing felt eventually lets water through.
Lead flashings
Some roofs have mortar where you’d expect lead. Fillets crack and pull away over time, letting rain run behind the joint.
What a roof leak investigation looks like in Hare Street
Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, alongside a good many post-war and newer estates. Each of these roof types has its own typical places for water to get in. Hill Hall, about 3 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Hare Street. On older houses around here, roofs frequently 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.
For an older house near a landmark like Church of St Margaret of Antioch, water on an older roof tends to find its way in at the lead, the valleys or the chimney.
Hare Street is about 5 miles north-west of Brentwood, in Essex. Hare Street is one of many places we visit across Essex. Our Essex coverage includes Hare Street and the places around it. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
Here we cover the CM5 postcode area for roof leak investigations. We also cover the places around Hare Street: Little End (1 mile north-east), Stanford Rivers (1 mile north), Clatterford End (1 mile north-west), Marden Ash (2 miles north-east) and Navestock Heath (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Chelmsford (12 miles east), Basildon (13 miles south-east), Harlow (8 miles north-west), Brentwood (5 miles south-east), Billericay (9 miles east) and Loughton (7 miles west).
What’s near Hare Street
In Hare Street, that means homes and buildings near The Woodman Public House. Nearby you’ll also find St. Margaret's Hospital (4.6 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Gernon Bushes.
Why get it checked now?
A leak that returns after a repair usually means the real source wasn’t found. A careful investigation looks at every likely route, not just the obvious one. That is often what breaks the cycle. Around Hare Street, older homes often have old roof timbers, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it is left.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, including VAT, and we can help you choose.
Why us?
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- 98% customer satisfaction
- Clear package prices, inc. VAT
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Read what a roof survey costs and our case studies.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Hare Street
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, from shops and offices to industrial units. Bigger roofs take more time, and they’re priced for the size.
How the survey works
We do not take risks to get a closer look. Everything that can be seen safely is inspected, and if part of the roof cannot be seen, the report says so. Most visits take about one to two hours for most houses, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. In a small place like Hare Street, access is normally the main thing to plan. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- You tell us where the water appears, when, and what the weather was doing.
- Inside, we check 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 the ground, windows and the roof where safe.
- We email a written report showing where the water most likely gets in.
How to prepare
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Getting a price
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or email us. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Advice
What affects the price in Hare Street
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- Height and safe access
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- The shape of the roof and its details
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, including VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you want to find out.
Helping us price your survey
These details help when you get in touch:
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- When you need the report by
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- What kind of property and roof it is
Getting a price is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email, tell us about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
Tips from our surveys
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. A few suggestions:
- Make sure the loft is accessible
- Let us know if there are tanks or pipes in the loft
- Photograph the stain each time it appears
- Catch drips in a bucket and protect the floor
Any roofer you ask to quote can work from the report. They’ll see exactly where the problem is, rather than at the stain.
After a storm, check the roof from the garden and the street. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Small faults dealt with quickly rarely become leaks.