Medway · London and the South East
Roof leak investigation in Sharnal Street, Medway
Know where you stand with the leaking roof before you spend money on it. We carry out roof leak investigations in Sharnal Street.
- Damp on a chimney breast
- Drips in the loft during heavy rain
- Water that shows only in certain storms
Leaks and storm damage in Sharnal Street
Sharnal Street is within about 2 miles of the coast, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Strong wind lifts anything already loose, and driving rain gets in wherever it can, and salt air slowly wears metal fixings. Many older homes in Kent have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles held by pegs through two holes, and tile-hanging on their upper walls. Kent’s older buildings take in oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses as well. The covering and its details give the first clues when tracing where water is coming from.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as High Halstow Primary Academy, tracing a leak on a big roof starts with where the water appears and works back. If you own a rental within reach of Gillingham (Kent) station, finding the cause of a leak fast keeps a tenant’s home dry and the work focused.
Sharnal Street is about 5 miles north of Gillingham, in Medway. We provide roof leak investigations for homes and businesses in Sharnal Street and nearby. Our Medway coverage includes Sharnal Street and the places around it. You can also see our page for Maidstone.
Surveys in ME3 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We also cover Fenn Street (1 mile north-east), High Halstow (1 mile north-west), Tunbridge Hill (1 mile south-east), Kingsnorth (1 mile south-east) and Hoo St Werburgh (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Gillingham (5 miles south), Chatham (6 miles south), Rochester (5 miles south-west), Rainham (6 miles south), Strood (5 miles south-west) and Luton (5 miles south).
What’s near Sharnal Street
In Sharnal Street, that means homes and buildings near The Hundred of Hoo Academy and The Red Dog Public House. Sharnal Street’s nearest station is Gillingham (Kent) station, roughly 3.9 miles south. Nearby you’ll also find Upnor Castle (3.2 miles south-west) and Medway Maritime Hospital (4.5 miles south). Open spaces near Sharnal Street include Bishop Saltings.
How a roof leak investigation works in Sharnal Street
Not every drip is a leak. In a badly ventilated roof space, condensation can form under the roof and drip, and the stains look much like a leak. Telling the two apart matters, because they need very different work. We look at the pattern of damp, the weather and the ventilation before reaching a view. We survey valleys and parapet gutters, rooflights and dormers and flat roof details, and common reasons people get in touch are drips in the loft during heavy rain and damp on a chimney breast.
Many homes in small places like Sharnal Street face open ground, where storms hit ridges, verges and chimneys hardest. Once water gets into older walls, it takes a long time to dry, so it pays to find the cause quickly. A written record also helps if you need to explain it to anyone else.
The report records the leaking roof as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, such as when you want to compare after future work.
- Location
- Sharnal Street (ME3)
- Wider area
- Medway
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Also near Sharnal Street
More services for Sharnal Street
What affects the price in Sharnal Street
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Helping us price your survey
Before you get in touch, it helps to have:
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- The address and postcode of the property
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- The kind of building and roof involved
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We’ll confirm the price before booking.
What happens on the day
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you want to find out. We then inspect everything that can be seen safely. Most surveys take about 1–2 hours, more where the leak is intermittent or the roof is large. Cottages and farmhouses around Sharnal Street often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- 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 vantage point.
- You receive a report with the likely source, photos and recommendations.
How to prepare
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Tell us about parking before the day
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Getting a price
A quick phone call is usually the easiest start: call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
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Landlord and commercial surveys in Sharnal Street
Letting agents frequently book on a landlord’s behalf, with the report sent to whoever needs it. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the leaking roof, with photos, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
Before and after the survey
Getting the most from a roof leak investigation starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Leave roof access to professionals
- Photograph the stain each time it appears
- Catch drips in a bucket and protect the floor
- Let us know what has already been tried
Your report arrives by email. It sets out where we believe the water is getting in, how it’s travelling and what needs attention. 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. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Small faults dealt with quickly rarely become leaks.
FAQs for Sharnal Street
Is Sharnal Street within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We survey roofs across London and the South East. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when booking.
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Sharnal Street?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there is more wind, and more salt in the air. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it normally shows.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We’re roof surveyors, not structural engineers, and it doesn’t include calculations. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we will recommend one.
Will you fix the leak as part of this?
Our job here is to trace the leak and explain it, not to carry out the repair. The report gives any roofer a clear brief.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not always. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs can’t always be walked on. Safe viewpoints, the loft and a drone where it applies let us see the rest, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
How long does the visit take?
On site, it normally takes between one and two hours at a typical home, and longer for a large or complex roof. Report times depend on the package.
How much is a survey?
Roof leak investigation starts from £150, including VAT. The final figure depends on the roof and the package you choose, and it is agreed before booking.
When you need someone else
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Leaks that only appear in weather we can’t recreate
- A structural engineer’s report
- The repair itself (the investigation finds and reports the cause)
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Chimney stacks
- Flat roof details
- Lead flashings
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Rooflights and dormers
- The roof space
- Slate and tile slopes
When to book a survey in Sharnal Street
When a slate slips or a tile cracks, the underlay takes the water. Ageing felt underlay eventually tears and lets water through, while some very old roofs have nothing under the coverings. Corroded nails, known as ‘nail fatigue’, are a frequent cause on slate roofs.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Water dripping from rafters or underlay
- Leaks that appear only in driving rain
- Brown rings on upstairs ceilings
- Damp ceilings under a flat roof
Historic houses such as Restoration House, about 4.9 miles south-west, show how far back building around Sharnal Street goes. Leaks in period homes nearby frequently come from lead work and valleys that have been patched before.
Before booking anyone
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- Whether the price includes VAT
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- What follow-up you get after the report