Greater London · London and the South East
Kensington Roof Leak Investigation
We carry out roof leak investigations in Kensington and the rest of Greater London. Surveys run seven days a week.
- Damp patches next to the stack
- Water marks that spread in wet weather
- Water dripping from rafters or underlay
About our roof leak investigation in Kensington
We use moisture detection and thermal imaging where they help. 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. Thermal imaging is part of the Premium Survey, and moisture detection comes with Standard. The best thermal results come after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. If you are worried about wet patches high on an inside wall and damp ceilings under a flat roof, we can find out what’s behind it.
In converted houses and blocks across London, water from a roof can run a long way before it shows on a ceiling, sometimes in a different flat from the one below the defect. That makes the source hard to pin down, and finding it matters for whoever has to deal with it. In Kensington, we inspect what we can reach safely and are given access to. It is useful to know when the water appears and in what weather.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Location
- Kensington (W11, W8, W14, SW7)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Should I look at the roof myself first?
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Leave it or get it looked at?
A leak rarely stays small. Wet timbers start to decay, plaster softens and insulation stops working. Finding the source early keeps the damage down. Behind a London parapet, a blocked gutter can sit full of water without anyone seeing it. When the stain finally shows, the damage underneath is frequently older than it looks.
To find out what your survey will cost, phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and some details. We’ll confirm the figure before booking.
Why book with us
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- 98% of clients satisfied
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Packages from £150, including VAT
Read what a roof survey costs or two real surveys.
Kensington: your questions answered
Do you carry out roof surveys in Kensington?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, and Kensington is part of that. Just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and tell us about the property, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Is parking a problem for a survey in Kensington?
Parking in Kensington, as in most of London, takes a little planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day run more smoothly.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and every flight depends on the airspace and the weather.
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.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We point out what can be seen, such as sagging or deflection, but we are not structural engineers and don’t carry out calculations. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not unless it is safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where it applies, a drone.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. We are experienced roof surveyors, and our survey covers the roof rather than the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you’ll need a RICS survey as well.
Wind, rain and roofs in Kensington
Leighton House, about 0.1 miles south, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Kensington. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs. Close to the centre of London, a great many houses are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, many of them roofed in Welsh slate. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that can’t be seen from the pavement. If your home in Kensington is one of them, lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are part of the picture too. Knowing the roof type helps narrow down where water may be getting in.
If you own a rental within reach of Kensington Olympia station, a clear finding on where water gets in helps you brief a roofer right away. Take an older house close to Church of St Barnabas: water on an older roof tends to find its way in at the lead, the valleys or the chimney. Anyone responsible for a site like St Barnabas and St Philip's CofE Primary School will know that a leak through a large roof is often found some distance from where the water shows inside.
Kensington is about 5 miles west of London, in Greater London. We survey roofs in Kensington and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and South East England. We cover towns and villages across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages.
Here we cover the W11, W8, W14 and SW7 postcode area for roof leak investigations. If you need a roof leak investigation at a property on Kensington High Street, Edwardes Square and Somerset Square or a nearby road, we can help. Kensington is on the A402 and B316, so it’s easy for us to get to. Close by, we survey roofs in Holland Park (1 mile north), Notting Hill (1 mile north), Shepherd's Bush (1 mile west), Notting Dale (1 mile north) and White City (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (5 miles east), Marylebone (3 miles north-east), St Pancras (4 miles north-east), Shoreditch (6 miles east), Walthamstow (10 miles north-east) and Hoxton (6 miles north-east). Kensington is one of the larger places we cover in Greater London.
What’s near Kensington
We work in homes and buildings around Holland Park, Scarsdale Tavern and Holland Park School, among other places. Also close by are Kensington School (0.5 miles east) and Abdus Salam Library (1 mile east). Kensington has its own railway station: Kensington Olympia station. A little further out are Kensington Arcade (under half a mile east) and London Museum (0.7 miles north-east). The countryside around Kensington includes WWT London Wetland Centre and The Long Water.
How it works
We check the roof from outside and, where it is relevant and there is safe access, from inside the roof space too. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey typically takes an hour or two for most homes, though a hard-to-trace leak can take longer. From the street, a London terrace typically shows only its front slope or parapet, so a visit in Kensington moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. If other people live in the building, tell us who can let us into the shared parts.
- We help you choose the package that suits the leak.
- A visit is booked for a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- The investigation works from the stain back to the roof.
- Where it’s useful and included, we take moisture readings and use thermal imaging.
- You get photos, the likely cause and clear recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Keep pets in another room
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Booking a survey
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email, let us know about the property and we will point you to the right survey. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
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Rented homes, blocks and businesses
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it as you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Useful tips for Kensington property owners
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. A few suggestions:
- Let us know if there are tanks or pipes in the loft
- Keep a photo record of the damp patch
- Keep water away from lights and sockets
- Record whether it leaks in every downpour or only some
Your report arrives by email, with photos of what we found. It explains the likely entry point, the route the water takes and our recommendations. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day.
After a storm, check the roof from the garden and the street. Slipped slates, lifted ridge tiles and debris on the ground are signs to act on. Prompt repairs stop gaps turning into leaks.
How we price roof leak investigations
Not every roof costs the same to survey, and it comes down to:
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Which survey package you book
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- House, block, shop or office
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Booking your survey
You do not need to know any roofing terms. It’s enough to tell us:
- The property’s address and postcode
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
You can call us seven days a week. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.