Greater London · London and the South East
Roof leak investigation in Kentish Town, Greater London
A careful look at the leaking roof at your property in Kentish Town, with photographs and a written report.
- Water dripping from rafters or underlay
- Damp patches next to the stack
- Staining where a gutter or parapet meets the wall
Checking the roof from ground level
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Water spilling over the edge can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
Roof leak investigation in Kentish Town: what you get
Older homes have more places for water to get in. Lead flashings crack or lift, valley linings wear and parapet gutters overflow when outlets block. If your home has a butterfly roof, the central valley gutter is a common culprit. Parapet walls and their gutters are looked at from wherever it is safe. The findings are recorded with photos. We survey chimney stacks, the roof space and lead flashings, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are drips in the loft during heavy rain and stains around a skylight.
In London, leaks often start somewhere hidden: the valley gutter in a butterfly roof, a parapet gutter, a chimney flashing or the flat roof over a rear extension. For a leak or storm damage in Kentish Town, those hidden details are where the inspection begins. A hidden gutter that overflows can send water a long way before it shows.
The report records the leaking roof as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, for instance when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Where
- Kentish Town (NW5, NW1, NW3)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What a roof leak investigation doesn’t cover
Every survey has limits, and it is better to know them up front. Keep these in mind:
- Faults hidden behind ceilings or boarding
- Leaks from plumbing, tanks or pipework rather than the roof
- A promise to find every leak on a single visit
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney stacks
- Flat roof details
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Slate and tile slopes
- The roof space
- Lead flashings
- Rooflights and dormers
How the survey works
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof, but as a rough guide the survey takes about 1–2 hours at most homes, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. If you have questions on the day, just ask. In Kentish Town, as in much of London, lots of properties are flats or terraces without side access, so rear slopes are viewed from windows, the loft or, where a flight is allowed, by drone. If the building has a managing agent or access rules, tell us when you book.
- We start with your notes and photos of the leak.
- We examine the damp area and the rooms near it.
- In the loft, we follow any signs of water back towards the roof.
- Outside, we check flashings, valleys, chimneys, gutters and flat roof details from every safe vantage point.
- We email a written report showing where the water most likely gets in.
Getting ready for the survey
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
Book a survey
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
Advice
Landlords, agents and block managers in Kentish Town
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps when budgeting.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Kentish Town. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Common questions in Kentish Town
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Kentish Town?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Is Kentish Town in the area you cover?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs.
Could my leak actually be condensation?
Condensation can look very like a leak. Widespread damp on the underside of the roof in cold weather, with blocked vents, suggests condensation. We look at the pattern, take moisture readings and tell you which is more likely.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it’s applicable and safe, yes. We fly a sub-250g drone and we are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). It is included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where it applies, the Premium Survey.
Is thermal imaging part of a leak investigation?
It can, when the conditions are right. It works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof surface and little wind. Damp areas can hold heat differently from dry ones. We always check what it shows with moisture readings.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling aren’t something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it’s disturbed.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We note visible signs like sagging or deflection, but we don’t carry out calculations or give an engineer’s opinion. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Water and electrics don’t mix. Keep away from any fitting that water is reaching and have an electrician check it. Then the source needs tracing. In Kentish Town, as across London, an overflowing gutter soaks the wall below, which can lead to damp inside. A blocked outlet ignored for a winter or two can mean damp walls inside.
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package matters as well. We’ll give you the figure before anything is booked.
Why book with us
- Prices that include VAT
- Surveys on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Plain-English reports with photos
- 98% customer satisfaction
See what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
Tips from our surveys
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Keep water away from lights and sockets
- Take dated photos of the leak
- Clear the loft hatch so we can get in
- Put a bucket under the drip and move valuables
If condensation is the cause, we explain it, and suggest how the loft space could be better ventilated. That avoids roof work that wouldn’t help.
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.
Roof leak investigations around Kentish Town
Close to the centre of London, a great many houses are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, many of them roofed in Welsh slate. Many have butterfly roofs draining to a central valley gutter, with parapet walls and gutters hidden behind them. Shared chimney stacks, party-wall upstands and lead work come with this kind of house. Where water gets in depends a good deal on what the roof is made of and how it’s detailed. Keats House, about 1.2 miles north-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Kentish Town. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof.
If you live near a park such as Primrose Hill, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls. Take a building like Holy Trinity and Saint Silas CofE Primary School: a leak through a large roof is often found some distance from where the water shows inside. Shop and office owners around O2 Centre may find that finding where water is getting in quickly keeps disruption down.
Kentish Town is about 2 miles east of Hampstead, in Greater London. Kentish Town is one of many places we visit across Greater London. Our Greater London coverage includes Kentish Town.
Postcode districts we cover here for roof leak investigations: NW5, NW1 and NW3. If you need a roof leak investigation at a property on Eton Road, Oval Road and Regal Lane or anywhere close by, we can help. If you’re just outside Kentish Town, we cover Chalk Farm (1 mile west), Camden Town (1 mile south-east), Gospel Oak (1 mile north), Primrose Hill (1 mile south-west) and Agar Town (1 mile south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as London (4 miles south-east), Kensington (4 miles south-west), Shoreditch (3 miles south-east), Walthamstow (6 miles north-east), Hoxton (3 miles east) and Whitechapel (4 miles south-east).
Near you in Kentish Town
We work in homes and buildings around Primrose Hill, Haverstock School and North Bridge House School and the streets around them. You’ll also find The Hawley Arms (under half a mile south) and Vaughan Williams Memorial Library (0.5 miles south). There is a railway station in Kentish Town itself: Kentish Town West station. Well-known places in the area include O2 Centre (1.6 miles west) and Montfichet's Tower (2.9 miles south-east). For a walk, there is The Long Water and Primrose Hill.