West Berkshire · London and the South East
Hell Corner Roof Leak Investigation
Roof leak investigations across Hell Corner, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Water through the ceiling under a flat roof
- Leaks at a dormer or roof window
- Damp on a chimney breast
Can I check my roof myself?
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That’s where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
How a roof leak investigation works in Hell Corner
Moisture readings and thermal imaging are used where they’re useful. Moisture detection confirms where timbers, plaster or insulation are damp. Thermal imaging shows temperature differences that can point to wet areas, not water itself, so we confirm what it suggests with moisture readings. Moisture detection is included in the Standard Survey, and thermal imaging in Premium. The best thermal results come after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. If you’ve noticed drips from nail tips in a cold loft and wet patches on loft insulation, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Many homes in small places like Hell Corner face open ground, where storms hit ridges, verges and chimneys hardest. Damp in old stone, brick or timber walls is slow to dry out, so it pays to find the cause quickly. A record with photos is useful if you need to show the damage to anyone else.
The written findings come by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Place
- Hell Corner (RG17)
- Wider area
- West Berkshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What this survey can’t tell you
Before you book, it’s worth knowing what a survey will not do:
- Putting the leak right
- Leaks from plumbing, tanks or pipework rather than the roof
- Whether rotten timbers meet design loads
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Chimney stacks
- Rooflights and dormers
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Slate and tile slopes
- The roof space
- Lead flashings
- Flat roof details
What we’re asked to look at in Hell Corner
A gutter that overflows can soak a wall and mark the ceiling inside. Parapet and box gutters are the worst for this, since a blocked outlet sends water over the lining and into the building.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Damp walls below an overflowing gutter
- Brown rings on upstairs ceilings
- Staining around the chimney inside
- Leaks at a dormer or roof window
Landlords with a home close to Kintbury station may find that tracing a leak quickly matters when a tenant is living with it.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Will the report include photos?
- Is VAT included in the price?
What a roof leak investigation looks like in Hell Corner
Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. The covering and its details give the first clues when tracing where water is coming from. Stargroves, about 2.6 miles south-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Hell Corner. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
Anyone responsible for a site like Inkpen Primary School will know that a leak through a large roof is frequently found some distance from where the water shows inside. If you live in an older home near Church of St Laurence, old mortar, worn lead and slipped slates are the usual suspects when water gets in.
Hell Corner is about 6 miles west of Newbury, in West Berkshire. Bookings from Hell Corner are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our area takes in places right across West Berkshire. For surveys nearby, see our Reading page.
Roof leak investigations in RG17 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Neighbouring places we cover for roof leak investigations include Inkpen Common (1 mile west), Inkpen (1 mile west), Upper Green (1 mile south-west), Kintbury (2 miles north) and Lower Green (2 miles west). Within a short drive, we also cover Newbury (6 miles east), Thatcham (8 miles east), Speenhamland (6 miles east), Hungerford (4 miles north-west), Lambourn (10 miles north) and Shaw (6 miles east).
Around Hell Corner
Around Hell Corner, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Crown and Garter pub, among other places. The closest station to Hell Corner is Kintbury station, about 1.8 miles north. Nearby you will also find Hamstead Marshall 3 (2.8 miles north-east). Not far away are Kintbury Newt Ponds and Inkpen Hill.
The survey, step by step
Before we start, let us know why you’ve booked: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. Most visits take roughly 1–2 hours for most houses, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. Cottages and farmhouses around Hell Corner frequently have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- You pick a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey.
- We agree a date, including weekends.
- We inspect inside and out, starting from the stain.
- Where it’s useful and included, we take moisture readings and use thermal imaging.
- The report explains the likely entry point and what needs attention.
Before the survey
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
Arrange a survey
A quick phone call is usually the easiest start: ring 07833 053749 or email us. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Related advice
Hell Corner questions
Will you come out to Hell Corner?
Yes, Hell Corner is covered. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
Do you cover Hell Corner?
Yes, Hell Corner is within the area we cover. We work right across London and the South East. Just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know about the property, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
What happens next?
You receive the written report by email, with photographs and recommendations. You can use it to talk to a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent, whichever applies.
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. If one is needed, the report says so.
How do I book a survey in Hell Corner?
To book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and tell us the address and what you’d like to know. We will confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey is a roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey of the whole building. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
Why is the stain in a different place from the leak?
Because water travels. It can follow a timber or the underlay a long way first, so the entry point is often well away from the mark. We follow the route back instead of guessing.
Nearby places to Hell Corner
What else we do in Hell Corner
Tips from our surveys
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Make sure the loft is accessible
- Catch drips in a bucket and protect the floor
- Photograph the stain each time it appears
- Record whether it leaks in every downpour or only some
Standard includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, while Premium includes one in person. You can ask us about anything that is not clear.
Have flashings and flat roofs looked at every few years. Flashings, valleys and flat roof details are frequent weak points, and catching wear early keeps water out.
What affects the price in Hell Corner
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. That comes down to:
- Roof area
- Which survey package you book
- House, block, shop or office
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package you pick makes a difference too. We’ll give you the figure before anything is booked.
Booking your survey
These details help when you get in touch:
- What’s prompted the survey
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.