East Sussex · London and the South East
Roof Leak Investigation in South Malling
Tracing where water is getting into your roof in South Malling, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Call or email for a price.
- Drips in the loft during heavy rain
- Damp underlay across a wide area
- Leaks at a dormer or roof window
Roof leak investigation in South Malling
Most roof leaks start at a joint rather than the middle of a slope. Common entry points include chimney and wall flashings, valleys, parapet and box gutters, and the upstands and outlets on flat roofs. Each of these is checked in turn and follow the evidence. Chimneys, dormers and roof lights each add joints of their own. We check all of them, from every safe viewpoint. Typical surveys look at staining where a gutter or parapet meets the wall and condensation that looks like a leak, on rooflights and dormers, chimney stacks and lead flashings.
Older cottages and houses around South Malling may have roofs with little or no underlay. Once the slates or tiles let water past, there’s little to stop it reaching the ceiling. Finding where it gets in, and whether it’s old wear or new damage, decides what comes next. In the loft, damp battens or wet insulation are often the first clues.
You receive the findings by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Place
- South Malling (BN7, BN8)
- Wider area
- East Sussex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photographs. On timing, it normally takes between one and two hours for most homes, though a hard-to-trace leak can take longer. A visit to South Malling is planned like any other: the time, the access and where to park are agreed ahead of time. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. If there are outbuildings or garages you want looked at, mention them.
- You get in touch with details of the leak and any photos.
- The visit starts indoors, at the stain and in the loft.
- Likely entry points outside are checked, from flashings and valleys to gutters and outlets.
- Moisture readings and thermal imaging are used where they help.
- We email a report with photos, the likely entry point and recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Leave side gates unlocked
Book a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine. To send them or to book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Advice
More services for South Malling
What you can safely check yourself
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Your questions about roof leak investigations in South Malling
Will you come out to South Malling?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
How do I find out if my home in South Malling is listed?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Are you insured?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and details are available on request.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it is applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator.
How do you tell a leak from condensation?
The two can look alike. Widespread damp on the underside of the roof in cold weather, with blocked vents, suggests condensation. We check the pattern of damp and the ventilation, then say which is most likely.
Is the repair included in the leak investigation?
A leak investigation finds and reports the likely source. The repair itself is a separate job. You get a report with photos showing where the water is getting in and what needs attention.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. We look at the parts we’re given access to, and the report makes that clear.
What a roof leak investigation does not cover
Every survey has limits, and we’d rather be clear about that before you book. Bear these in mind:
- Carrying out the fix
- An intermittent leak that shows no trace on the day
- Faults hidden behind ceilings or boarding
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and does not.
What we look at
- Flat roof details
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- The roof space
- Slate and tile slopes
- Lead flashings
- Chimney stacks
- Rooflights and dormers
What a roof leak investigation looks like in South Malling
About 0.8 miles south-west lies Anne of Cleves House, a reminder of how long the area around South Malling has been built on. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters. Many older homes in Sussex have handmade clay tiles and tile-hung walls. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old Sussex buildings, alongside oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. The covering and its details give the first clues when tracing where water is coming from.
Take an older house close to Church of St Michael: leaks on older roofs frequently start at lead flashings, valleys or around old chimney stacks. If you run a hotel or guest house in or near South Malling, a roof problem can mean rooms out of use.
South Malling is about 1 mile north-east of Lewes, in East Sussex. Bookings from South Malling are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our area takes in places right across East Sussex, from the larger towns to small villages. Brighton is in our area too.
Surveys in BN7 and BN8 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include Lee Road, New Road and Mill Road, all of which we cover. South Malling is on the A26 and A2029, so it’s easy for us to get to. Nearby, we also carry out roof leak investigations in Lewes (1 mile south-west), Cliffe (1 mile south-east), Southover (1 mile south), Hamsey (1 mile north) and Offham (1 mile north-west). We also work in nearby towns like Eastbourne (14 miles south-east), Seaford (8 miles south-east), Hailsham (11 miles east), Crowborough (14 miles north-east), Uckfield (7 miles north-east) and Newhaven (6 miles south).
Around South Malling
Typical jobs here are in homes near Elephant and Castle pub, Priory School and Railway Land, among other places. South Malling’s nearest station is Lewes station, roughly 0.7 miles south. A little further out are Lewes Victoria Hospital (0.8 miles south-west) and Lewes Castle (0.5 miles south-west). For a walk, there’s Malling Down and Cliffe Hill.
How the survey changes by roof type
Parapet and box gutters
We check the linings, joints and outlets where we can see them safely, and look for signs of past overflowing.
Lead flashings
Wherever a roof meets a wall or stack, a flashing keeps rain out. Lifted, split or slipped lead is a common cause.
Why it’s worth a survey now in South Malling
Patching the spot above the stain often does not work. The real way in may be a metre or more away. We find the probable source before anyone starts work, so the repair is aimed at the right place. Around South Malling, a leak in an older house can soak into timbers and plaster, which is far harder to put right than the roof fault itself.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with VAT included. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both including VAT. We confirm the exact price before booking.
Why book us in South Malling
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Package prices that include VAT
Read what a roof survey costs and our case studies.
Signs you need a roof leak investigation in South Malling
Slipped or missing slates and tiles let rain reach the underlay. Old bitumen felt may cope for a while, but it tears and sags with age, and very old roofs may have no underlay at all. On slate roofs, slipping is often caused by corroded nails.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Leaks below a flat extension roof
- Wet patches high on an inside wall
- Water that shows only in certain storms
- Condensation that looks like a leak
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as South Malling CofE Primary and Nursery School, water through a big roof can travel a long way before it drips, so the search covers more than the obvious spot.
Questions to ask before booking
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- What exactly goes into their report
- What insurance they carry
- What the survey won’t cover