Essex · London and the South East
Roof leak investigation in Staple Tye, Essex
Find out what’s going on with the leaking roof before you spend money on it. Roof leak investigations in Staple Tye.
- Damp on a chimney breast
- Water coming in around a roof light or dormer
- Damp walls below an overflowing gutter
Roof leak investigation in Staple Tye
We use moisture detection and thermal imaging where they help. Moisture detection confirms where timbers, plaster or insulation are damp. A thermal camera shows patterns of temperature rather than water, so its findings are checked with moisture readings. Moisture detection is included in the Standard Survey, and thermal imaging in Premium. The best thermal results come after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. Typical surveys look at damp walls below an overflowing gutter and drips in the loft during heavy rain, across slate and tile slopes, the roof space and valleys and parapet gutters.
Chimney stacks on older houses around places like Staple Tye can let water in, through worn flaunching, failed pointing or lifted flashings. Damp on a chimney breast isn’t always rain from above, which is why it is worth tracing properly. The stack, its flashings and the loft space beside it are all worth checking.
What you get is a clear record of the leaking roof on the day we saw it. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, for example when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Where
- Staple Tye (CM18, CM19)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
Getting the most from a roof leak investigation starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Tips:
- Keep a photo record of the damp patch
- Have an electrician check any wet fittings
- Let us know what has already been tried
- Stay off ladders and the roof
Standard includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, while Premium includes one in person. It’s a chance to ask about anything in the report.
After a downpour, look in the loft space with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Watch for water marks, wet underlay and damp wood. Take photos of anything that changes.
Towns and villages near Staple Tye
Other services in Staple Tye
What this survey cannot tell you
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- A structural engineer’s report
- Putting the leak right
- A promise to find every leak on a single visit
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- The roof space
- Flat roof details
- Chimney stacks
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Lead flashings
- Rooflights and dormers
- Slate and tile slopes
Staple Tye questions
My home in Staple Tye has a flat-roofed garage or porch. Is it worth having that looked at?
Yes, if you’d like it included, mention it as you book. Cement sheet roofs on buildings from before 2000 may contain asbestos, so a specialist asbestos surveyor should check before they’re disturbed.
Is Staple Tye within the area you cover?
Yes, Staple Tye is covered. Our area covers London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
How long does the visit take?
On site, it normally takes about one to two hours for a house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, so it’s not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It can sit alongside a RICS survey if you want both.
Why is not the leak directly above the stain?
Water rarely drops straight down. It runs along rafters, battens or underlay before it drips, so the entry point is often well away from the mark. We follow the route back instead of guessing.
Does the report include photos?
Yes, plenty. Pictures sit next to the findings they show.
Can a leak be traced on a dry day?
Typically, yes. Moisture detection shows where materials are damp even on a dry day. If a leak only appears in driving rain from one direction, we will tell you what we found and what’s most likely.
Prices for roof leak investigations in Staple Tye
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The roof’s overall size
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
Roof leak investigation starts from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and the package you choose.
Getting in touch
What helps most when you contact us:
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- What made you get in touch
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
You can call us seven days a week. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
How it works
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you’d like to know. We then inspect everything that can be seen safely, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where applicable. Most surveys take an hour or two on an ordinary house, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Parking around Staple Tye is normally easier than in a town centre, but mention lanes, gates or long drives. Low roofs on bungalows can often be seen well from the ground, and the loft shows the rest, while taller roofs may need other vantage points or the drone where it applies.
- We start with your notes and photos of the leak.
- Inside, we look at the stain and the ceiling around it.
- From the loft space, we trace the water’s route where there’s safe access.
- Outside, we check flashings, valleys, chimneys, gutters and flat roof details from each safe vantage point.
- We email a written report showing where the water most likely gets in.
How to prepare
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Getting a price
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know where you stand. Roof leak investigation starts from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan.
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work with less disruption.
Can I check my roof myself?
It is useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us when you book, as it helps us focus the survey.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Staple Tye roofs and the weather
Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Each of these roof types has its own typical places for water to get in. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, so the council is the place to ask.
If you let a flat or house near Harlow Town station, a tenant living with a leak needs the cause found, not just the stain painted over. For an older house near a landmark such as St James with St Luke, leaks on older roofs frequently start at lead flashings, valleys or around old chimney stacks. If you look after a building like Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, a leak through a large roof is frequently found some distance from where the water shows inside.
Staple Tye is about 1 mile south-west of Harlow, in Essex. We carry out roof leak investigations in Staple Tye for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings, with a written report and photographs every time. Staple Tye is one of the towns and villages in Essex we cover. We also survey roofs in Chelmsford.
All of CM18 and CM19 is covered for roof leak investigations, from the main roads to the quietest streets. If you need a roof leak investigation at a property on Echo Lane, Perry Road and Penlow Road or anywhere close by, we can help. You’ll find Staple Tye on the A1169, so it is easy for us to get to. We also cover the places around Staple Tye: Great Parndon (1 mile north-west), Jack's Hatch (1 mile south-west), Tylerscross (1 mile west), Little Parndon (2 miles north) and Broadley Common (2 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Brentwood (13 miles south-east), Loughton (7 miles south), Waltham Abbey (6 miles south-west), Great Dunmow (14 miles north-east), Epping (4 miles south) and Stansted Mountfitchet (11 miles north-east).
Around Staple Tye
We work in homes and buildings around Hawkenbury Meadow, Brays Grove and Drinker Moth pub. The closest station to Staple Tye is Harlow Town station, roughly 2 miles north of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Princess Alexandra Hospital (1.3 miles north) and Mark Hall Cycle Museum (2.2 miles north-east). Not far away are Hunsdon Mead.