Greater London · London and the South East
North Greenwich Roof Leak Investigation
Roof leak investigations across North Greenwich, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photos.
- Condensation that looks like a leak
- Leaks at a dormer or roof window
- Wet patches on loft insulation
Roof leak investigation in North Greenwich: what you get
Our roof leak investigations cover North Greenwich and the wider South East. We visit on weekdays and at weekends. The investigation covers inside and out, from the stain to the likely entry points. You get a written report with photos and recommendations. If water is coming in now, catch it in a bucket and keep it away from lights and sockets, then call 07833 053749 or email us. We survey flat roof details, valleys and parapet gutters and rooflights and dormers, and the problems we are asked to look at most are wet patches high on an inside wall and brown rings on upstairs ceilings.
London’s Victorian and Edwardian roofs have often been repaired many times. Telling wear from a one-off event matters, because insurers normally exclude wear and tear. That’s as true in North Greenwich as anywhere in London. A written record with photos helps you explain what was found to whoever deals with it next.
The report is written in plain words, so you do not need to be a roofer to follow it. Photographs show what each point refers to.
- Place
- North Greenwich (E14, SE8, SE10)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Should I look at the roof myself first?
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That’s where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
Roof leak investigations in North Greenwich: local notes
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. If your home in North Greenwich is one of them, lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are part of the picture too. Different coverings let water in at different points, which shapes where the search starts. The wider area around North Greenwich has a long history of building, with Queen's House about 0.8 miles south-east. 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.
Living close to Mudchute Park and Farm is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls. If you let a flat or house near Greenwich station, a tenant living with a leak needs the cause found, not just the stain painted over.
North Greenwich is about 1 mile north-west of Greenwich, in Greater London. Anywhere in North Greenwich, we can carry out roof leak investigations at your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, large and small.
Surveys in E14, SE8 and SE10 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you need a roof leak investigation at a property on Creek Road, Wynan Road and Undine Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Neighbouring places we cover for roof leak investigations include Isle of Dogs (1 mile south-east), Millwall (1 mile west), Cubitt Town (1 mile north-east), Deptford (1 mile south-west) and Greenwich (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include London (3 miles west), City of Westminster (6 miles west), Marylebone (6 miles west), Kensington (8 miles west), St Pancras (5 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (4 miles north-west).
What’s near North Greenwich
We work in homes and buildings around Laban Centre, Canary Wharf College 3 and St. Paul's and the streets around them. Also close by are Mudchute Park and Farm (within half a mile north-east) and The Ferry House Public House (less than half a mile south-east). The closest station to North Greenwich is Greenwich station, roughly 0.8 miles south of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Old Royal Naval College (0.7 miles south-east) and Greenwich Castle (1.1 miles south-east). Not far away are Sue Godfrey Nature Park and Tower Hill.
Common roof problems in North Greenwich
A chimney stack has a good many places for rain to get in. Water can enter through crumbling mortar, cracked flaunching, worn flashings or uncapped pots. It can show up on the chimney breast, nearby ceilings or in the roof space.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Leaks that appear only in driving rain
- Drips from nail tips in a cold loft
- Leaks below a flat extension roof
- Wet patches high on an inside wall
If you look after a building such as Harbinger Primary School, a leak through a large roof is often found some distance from where the water shows inside.
Questions to ask before you book
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
How the survey works
There is not much for you to do on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we’ll take it from there. A typical survey takes about one to two hours for a house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Surveys in North Greenwich can be booked for any day of the week. London parking is often by permit or pay-and-display, so it helps to know what’s near you. Upstairs rooms at the back are useful too, as they often give the best view of a rear addition.
- We start with what you’ve seen: where the stain is and when it gets worse.
- We check the stain, the ceiling and the loft above it.
- Likely entry points outside are looked at, from flashings and valleys to gutters and outlets.
- We use moisture detection, and thermal imaging where it’s useful.
- Your report sets out where the water is most likely getting in, with photos and recommendations.
Before we arrive
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Book a survey
A quick phone call is normally the easiest start: ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
Related advice
Different roofs, different checks
Lead flashings
Some roofs have mortar where you’d expect lead. They crack as the roof and wall move, letting rain run behind the joint.
Flat roof upstands and outlets
The upturned edge of a flat roof covering keeps water out at walls. If it is too low, cracked or poorly dressed, water gets behind it.
For landlords and managing agents
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it when you book and we’ll plan the visit with that in mind.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, with the most urgent items set out first.
Questions from North Greenwich
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in North Greenwich?
Usually it’s manageable with a little notice. Let us know the parking rules on your street and we will work around them.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in North Greenwich?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Could my leak actually be condensation?
It’s a common question. Leaks tend to follow wet weather and show in one place, while condensation is frequently spread out and worse in cold weather. We tell you which it is most likely to be.
How long does a roof leak investigation take?
Allow an hour or two at most homes; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. We’ll give you an idea of timing as you book.
Will you fix the leak as part of this?
The investigation is about finding the cause. The repair isn’t part of it. You get a report with photos showing where the water is getting in and what needs attention.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We look at the roof, not the whole building, and it isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
Will you photograph what you find?
Yes. Photographs are taken throughout the survey, and they go into the written report.
Tips from our surveys
You do not need to be a roofer to help. Here’s what helps most:
- Leave roof access to professionals
- Let us know about any past repairs to the roof
- Protect furniture and flooring under the leak
- Photograph the stain each time it appears
If condensation is the cause, we explain it, and suggest how the roof space could be better ventilated. It saves chasing a leak that isn’t there.
Have flashings and flat roofs looked at every few years. They’re where most leaks start, and wear is easier to deal with before water gets in.