Greater London · London and the South East
Putney Vale Roof Leak Investigation
Wondering about the leaking roof at a property in Putney Vale? We carry out roof leak investigations in Putney Vale and across Greater London.
- Water that shows only in certain storms
- Drips from nail tips in a cold loft
- Staining around the chimney inside
Should I look at the roof myself first?
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level.
You can learn a lot from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Roof leak investigations for homes and businesses in Putney Vale
On older houses, leaks frequently start at lead work and hidden gutters. Worn lead, tired valley linings and blocked parapet outlets are frequent causes. If your home has a butterfly roof, the central valley gutter is a common culprit in heavy rain. Parapet walls and their gutters are checked from wherever it is safe. The findings are recorded with photos. We survey slate and tile slopes, flat roof details and lead flashings, and common reasons people get in touch are condensation that looks like a leak and water through the ceiling under a flat roof.
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 Putney Vale as anywhere in London. A written record with photographs helps you explain what was found to whoever deals with it next.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Place
- Putney Vale (SW15, KT2, SW19)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Putney Vale: your questions answered
Is my home in Putney Vale listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Is Putney Vale in the area you cover?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Not unless it’s safe. Safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where applicable cover most of what’s needed, and anything out of sight is recorded in the report.
Why isn’t the leak directly above the stain?
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.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where applicable and safe. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It’s included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where applicable, the Premium Survey.
How do I arrange a roof leak investigation in Putney Vale?
It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or send us an email. Let us know the address and a little about the roof, and we’ll suggest the right survey. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.
How much does a roof leak investigation cost in Putney Vale?
Roof leak investigation starts from £150, including VAT. Our Basic Survey starts from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all including VAT.
Roof leak investigations in Putney Vale: local notes
Outer London has lots of Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. Where water gets in depends a good deal on what the roof is made of and how it’s detailed. With Southside House about 1.5 miles south-east, Putney Vale sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you look after a building like Hall School Wimbledon, a leak through a large roof is often found some distance from where the water shows inside. Homes near green spaces such as Wimbledon Common can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn. If you let a flat or house near Raynes Park station, a clear finding on where water gets in helps you brief a roofer straight away.
Putney Vale is about 2 miles north-west of Wimbledon, in Greater London. Bookings from Putney Vale are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. We cover towns and villages across Greater London. London is in our area too.
Every address in SW15, KT2 and SW19 is covered for roof leak investigations. We offer roof leak investigations to properties on Stag Lane, Friars Avenue and Kingston Road and the roads around them. With the A308 close by, Putney Vale is easy for us to reach. Nearby, we also carry out roof leak investigations in Kingston Vale (1 mile south), Coombe Hill (1 mile west), Coombe (1 mile south-west), Crooked Billet (1 mile south-east) and Copse Hill (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include London (8 miles north-east), City of Westminster (7 miles north-east), Marylebone (7 miles north-east), Kensington (5 miles north-east), St Pancras (9 miles north-east) and Shoreditch (10 miles north-east).
Near you in Putney Vale
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Robin Hood Primary School, Duke of Cambridge pub and Wimbledon Common. The closest station to Putney Vale is Raynes Park station, about 2 miles south-east. A little further out are Wimbledon Windmill Museum (0.8 miles east) and Putney Exchange (2.5 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Kew Gardens Lake and Fishpond Wood and Beverley Meads.
Roof by roof
Lead flashings
Some roofs have mortar where you’d expect lead. Fillets crack and pull away over time, letting rain run behind the joint.
Slate and tile slopes
Ridge and hip tiles can loosen as their mortar cracks. Rain can then run in at the ridge.
Also near Putney Vale
More services for Putney Vale
Honest limits
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- Putting the leak right
- What’s under the covering or behind the plaster
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
What we check
- Chimney stacks
- Slate and tile slopes
- Lead flashings
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Flat roof details
- Rooflights and dormers
- The roof space
Landlords, agents and block managers in Putney Vale
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you get in touch and we will plan the survey around it.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the addresses.
Before and after the survey
Nothing here needs a ladder. Our suggestions:
- Keep a photo record of the damp patch
- Put a bucket under the drip and move valuables
- Check whether pipes or tanks run near the stain
- Leave roof access to professionals
If there are several possible sources, we list them in order of likelihood. We say which items need prompt attention.
After a storm, check the roof from the garden and the street. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Prompt repairs stop gaps turning into leaks.
How it works
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect whatever is safely visible, and anything we cannot see is noted in the report. The survey normally takes roughly 1–2 hours at a typical home, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. In Putney Vale, as in much of London, plenty of properties are flats or terraces without side access, so the back of the roof is frequently seen from upstairs windows, from inside or, where a flight is allowed, from the air. Mention any building rules, key holders or managing agents as you book.
- We start with your notes and photos of the leak.
- We examine the damp area and the rooms near it.
- From the roof space, we trace the water’s route where there’s safe access.
- Outside, we check flashings, valleys, chimneys, gutters and flat roof details from every safe viewpoint.
- You receive a report with the likely source, photos and recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Let us know about parking near the property
Book a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or email us, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.