Greater London · London and the South East
Roof leak investigation in St Giles, Greater London
Tracing where water is getting into your roof across St Giles, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Get in touch for a price.
- Brown rings on upstairs ceilings
- Damp on a chimney breast
- Condensation that looks like a leak
DIY checks: what’s safe
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.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Roof leak investigation in St Giles: what you get
Older homes have more places for water to get in. Lead flashings crack or lift, valley linings wear and parapet gutters overflow when outlets block. A central valley gutter on a butterfly roof often turns out to be the source in heavy rain. Parapet walls and their gutters are looked at from wherever it’s safe. Our report shows what we found, with photos. We’re often asked to look into water marks that spread in wet weather and stains around a skylight, across the roof space, slate and tile slopes and valleys and parapet gutters.
In converted houses and blocks across London, water from a roof can run a long way before it shows on a ceiling, sometimes in a different flat from the one below the defect. Tracing it back matters, both for dealing with the cause and for any insurance claim. We check what we are given access to in St Giles, inside and out. It helps to know when the water appears and in what weather.
Where we can’t see part of the leaking roof, the report says so. That way, it’s clear what was covered and what wasn’t.
- Where
- St Giles (W1F, W1D, W1T)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Wind, rain and roofs in St Giles
Close to the centre of London, a great many houses are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, many of them roofed in Welsh slate. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that can’t be seen from the pavement. Lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are typical of these houses, if yours is one of them. Where water gets in depends a good deal on what the roof is made of and how it’s detailed. Benjamin Franklin House, about 0.5 miles south, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around St Giles. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Living close to St Anne's Churchyard is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn. If you live in an older home near Soho Baptist Chapel, the leak may come from a chimney, a valley or tired lead rather than the covering itself.
St Giles is about 1 mile east of City of Westminster, in Greater London. Roofs in St Giles get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Greater London. We cover towns and villages across Greater London, large and small.
We cover every part of W1F, W1D and W1T for roof leak investigations and the streets around it. We offer roof leak investigations to properties on Duck Lane, Drury Lane and Bridle Lane. You’ll find St Giles on the A301 and A400, so it is easy for us to get to. Close by, we survey roofs in Seven Dials (1 mile south), West End (1 mile south-west), Soho (1 mile south-west), Covent Garden (1 mile south-east) and Chinatown (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include Kensington (3 miles west), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (13 miles west), Stockwell (3 miles south) and Orpington (13 miles south-east).
Landmarks near St Giles
In St Giles, that means homes and buildings near LSE Shaw Library, The Crown pub and Mercers' School, among other places. Also close by are London Nautical School (1 mile south-east) and St Anne's Churchyard (less than half a mile south-west). There is a railway station in St Giles itself: Tottenham Court Road station. Nearby you will also find Montfichet's Tower (1.1 miles east) and Kingly Court (0.5 miles west). Open spaces near St Giles include Barnsbury Wood and Ludgate Hill.
How the survey changes by roof type
Parapet and box gutters
Hidden gutters run behind parapets or between roofs. When their outlets block, water rises over the lining and runs indoors.
Slate and tile slopes
Slipped, cracked or missing slates and tiles let rain onto the underlay. Older felt may hold for a while, but it tears with age.
Places near St Giles
Other services in St Giles
FAQs for St Giles
Does a conservation area affect roof work in St Giles?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in St Giles?
It rarely stops a survey, but it is worth planning. Let us know what parking is available nearby, and the visit is planned around it.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Do you use thermal imaging to find leaks?
It can, when the conditions are right. It works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof surface and little wind. Wet insulation holds heat longer than dry, which can show up on the image. Its findings are confirmed with a moisture check.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you’ll need a RICS survey as well.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first, with the building owner or managing agent. Mention it when you get in touch and we will explain what’s needed.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only where it is safe to do so. We inspect what can safely be seen: from ground level, from windows and vantage points, from the loft space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where applicable. Anything we cannot see is noted in the report.
What affects the cost of roof leak investigations
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- The shape of the roof and its details
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
A Basic Survey starts from £150, inc. VAT. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both including VAT. You will know the price for the job before booking.
Booking your survey
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Dates you are working to, such as exchange
- The address and postcode of the property
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
The survey, step by step
There isn’t much for you to do on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we’ll get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes roughly 1–2 hours, more where the leak is intermittent or the roof is large. Surveys in St Giles can be booked for any day of the week. It helps if you can point us to a visitor permit or a nearby bay. Upstairs rooms at the back are useful too, as they frequently give the best view of a rear addition.
- We help you choose the package that suits the leak.
- A visit is booked for a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- The investigation works from the stain back to the roof.
- Moisture detection and thermal imaging are used where your package includes them and they help.
- You get photos, the likely cause and clear recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
Book a survey
Getting a price is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form, let us know about the property and we will explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
Common roof problems in St Giles
When a slate slips or a tile cracks, the underlay takes the water. Ageing felt underlay eventually tears and lets water through, and very old roofs may have no underlay at all. On slate roofs, slipping is frequently caused by corroded nails.
We’re often asked to look at:
- Brown rings on upstairs ceilings
- Damp walls below an overflowing gutter
- Stains around a skylight
- Leaks below a flat extension roof
If you run a business near Kingly Court, a quick answer on where water is coming in keeps a business running.
Questions to ask before you book
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Their report turnaround times
- Their insurance cover
Tips from our surveys
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- Stay off ladders and the roof
- Move stored items away from the hatch
- Note the weather when the leak shows
- Tell us if there are tanks or pipes in the loft
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.
Plan a roof survey every few years. They’re where most leaks start, and wear is easier to deal with before water gets in.