Greater London · London and the South East
Shadwell Roof Leak Investigation
Tracing where water is getting into your roof across Shadwell, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Call or email for a price.
- Staining where a gutter or parapet meets the wall
- Leaks at a dormer or roof window
- Staining around the chimney inside
Roof leak investigation in Shadwell: what you get
Our roof leak investigations cover Shadwell and the wider South East. Surveys are carried out on weekdays and at weekends. The investigation covers inside and out, from the stain to the likely entry points. You get a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations. If water is coming in now, catch it in a bucket and keep it away from lights and sockets, and then call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We survey chimney stacks, rooflights and dormers and lead flashings, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are water coming in around a roof light or dormer and drips from nail tips in a cold loft.
In converted houses and blocks across London, water from a roof can run a long way before it shows on a ceiling. Tracing it back matters, both for dealing with the cause and for any insurance claim. We check what we’re given access to in Shadwell, inside and out. Let us know when the water shows, and in what kind of weather.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photos, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the leaking roof, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Place
- Shadwell (SE16, E1, E1W)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work with less disruption.
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, phone 07833 053749 or email us with the addresses.
Shadwell: your questions answered
Do you cover Shadwell?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Shadwell?
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.
Is thermal imaging part of a leak investigation?
We use thermal imaging where it helps, and it is included in our Premium Survey. It picks up temperature patterns rather than water, so we confirm its findings with moisture readings.
How much does a roof leak investigation cost in Shadwell?
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Our three packages are Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, including VAT.
When does the report arrive?
The Premium Survey report comes the same day, the Standard within 24–48 hours and the Basic within 48 hours. Each one is emailed, ready to forward.
Why doesn’t the damp patch line up with the hole?
Rain that gets in will run along whatever it lands on. On a pitched roof it frequently runs down a rafter before it shows. Tracing that path is the heart of a leak investigation.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime. Just say which days work for you.
Shadwell roofs and the weather
With Mansion House about 1.9 miles west, Shadwell sits in an area with a long building history. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Inner London’s Victorian and Edwardian terraces frequently have Welsh slate roofs. From the street you may see only a parapet, with a butterfly roof and a valley gutter behind it draining to the back. Shared chimney stacks, party-wall upstands and lead work come with this kind of house. Different coverings let water in at different points, which shapes where the search starts.
For landlords with property near Wapping station, a clear finding on where water gets in helps you brief a roofer right away. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for instance near Surrey Quays Shopping Centre, a quick answer on where water is coming in keeps a business running. Take a building like Peter Hills with St Mary's and St Paul's CofE Primary School: water through a big roof can travel a long way before it drips, so the search covers more than the obvious spot.
Shadwell is about 1 mile south-east of Whitechapel, in Greater London. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Shadwell can all book roof leak investigations, with a written report and photographs every time. Shadwell is one of the places in Greater London where we work for roof leak investigations.
Every address in SE16, E1 and E1W is covered for roof leak investigations, from the main roads to the quietest streets. You will find streets like Swan Road, Thame Road and Brunel Road, and we cover them all. Main roads around Shadwell include the A101 and A126. We also cover Ratcliff (1 mile north), East End of London (1 mile north-west), Wapping (1 mile west), St George in the East (1 mile west) and Limehouse (1 mile north-east). Further out, we also cover City of Westminster (5 miles west), Marylebone (4 miles west), Kensington (7 miles west), St Pancras (3 miles north-west), Walthamstow (6 miles north) and Hampstead (7 miles north-west).
Around Shadwell
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Bacon's College, Bishopsgate Institute Special Collections and Archives and Russia Dock Woodland, among other places. Also close by are Prospect of Whitby pub (under half a mile west) and St Mellitus College (0.6 miles west). Shadwell has its own railway station: Wapping station. A little further out are St Olave's Hospital (0.8 miles south-west) and The Pumphouse Educational Museum (under half a mile east). For a walk, there’s Lavender Pond and Tower Hill.
Tips that help
A little preparation and a few simple habits help, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- Do not touch fittings that water is reaching
- Photograph the stain each time it appears
- Clear the loft hatch so we can get in
- Mention earlier attempts to fix the leak
We email the report to you, 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.
Keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, especially in autumn. Many leaks start with a blocked outlet. Use a professional rather than climbing up yourself.
Towns and villages near Shadwell
Also in Shadwell
The survey, step by step
Photographs are taken throughout the visit, so you can see in the report what we found and where. We take close-ups from wherever is safe, including by drone where it is applicable and the weather allows. A typical visit takes between one and two hours at a typical home, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. From the street, a London terrace normally shows only its front slope or parapet, so a visit in Shadwell 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.
- We agree a date, including weekends.
- The investigation works from the stain back to the roof.
- Where it is useful and included, we take moisture readings and use thermal imaging.
- The report explains the likely entry point and what needs attention.
Before we arrive
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
Book a survey
We survey roofs on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To find a date that works for you, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Related advice
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney stacks
Chimneys let water in through pointing, flaunching, flashings and open pots. Each is checked from every safe vantage point.
Flat roof upstands and outlets
On a flat roof, a leak can show some distance from the split. Moisture readings and thermal imaging can help narrow it down where conditions suit.
Why it is worth a survey now in Shadwell
Lingering damp encourages mould on ceilings and walls. Once mould takes hold, it’s harder to clear. Finding the leak comes first. A hidden valley or parapet gutter on a London house can hold water for weeks before anyone notices. When the stain finally shows, the damage underneath is often older than it looks.
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, both with VAT included. You will know the price for your survey before booking.
What you get with us
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- A written report with photos
- An independent view of the roof
Read what a roof survey costs and our case studies.
Honest limits
It is useful to know what a survey will not do before booking:
- A structural engineer’s report
- Carrying out the fix
- An intermittent leak that shows no trace on the day
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will suggest the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Shadwell
- Slate and tile slopes
- Lead flashings
- Flat roof details
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Rooflights and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space