Kent · London and the South East
Swanton Roof Leak Investigation
Roof leak investigations across Swanton, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photographs.
- Stains around a skylight
- Damp patches next to the stack
- Staining where a gutter or parapet meets the wall
Honest limits
It helps to know what a survey will not do before you book:
- Leaks that only appear in weather we can’t recreate
- Plumbing leaks that look like roof leaks
- What’s under the covering or behind the plaster
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we check
- Rooflights and dormers
- The roof space
- Lead flashings
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Slate and tile slopes
- Flat roof details
- Chimney stacks
About our roof leak investigation in Swanton
Some leaks only appear in certain weather. Wind-driven rain, an overflowing gutter or snow melt may be what triggers it. Notes on when it leaks, and what the weather was doing, help us, along with any photos you’ve taken. Even on a dry day, a leak typically leaves clues: stained timbers, tide marks and damp underlay. Moisture readings show where materials are still wet. If you are worried about staining where a gutter or parapet meets the wall and water marks that spread in wet weather, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on chimney stacks, rooflights and dormers and lead flashings alike.
Being in a small place like Swanton makes no difference to how a leak or storm damage is looked at: the journey and access are just planned beforehand. It is useful to know where the water appears, in what weather, and what you’ve seen outside, along with any repairs done before. Photos of the stain and of the roof from outside are helpful too.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Swanton (ME18)
- Region
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Swanton: your questions answered
Do you carry out roof surveys in Swanton?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Swanton as anywhere else.
Is my home in Swanton listed or in a conservation area?
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.
Can every leak be traced?
We cannot promise to find every leak on one visit. Many leave clear signs, but some only appear in certain weather. We report what we found and the likeliest sources.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It is a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
Will you go up on the roof?
Not unless it’s safe. Safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where it applies cover most of what’s needed, and the report notes anything we couldn’t see.
Are you insured?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
Why is the stain in a different place from the leak?
Because water travels. It runs along rafters, battens or underlay before it drips, so the stain may be some distance from where it gets in. We follow the route back instead of guessing.
Leaks and storm damage in Swanton
The wider area around Swanton has a long history of building, with Old Soar Manor about 1.5 miles west. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Different coverings let water in at different points, which shapes where the search starts.
If you look after a building such as Mereworth Community Primary School, water through a big roof can travel a long way before it drips, so the search covers more than the obvious spot. If you let a flat or house near Wateringbury station, tracing a leak quickly matters when a tenant is living with it.
Swanton is about 5 miles north-east of Tonbridge, in Kent. We survey roofs in Swanton as part of our work across London and South East England. Our Kent coverage includes Swanton and the places around it. Our Maidstone page covers surveys nearby.
We survey roofs across ME18 for roof leak investigations and the streets around it. We also cover West Peckham (1 mile south), New Pound (1 mile north-east), Mereworth (1 mile east), Herne Pound (1 mile north-east) and Roughway (1 mile west). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (8 miles east), Dartford (14 miles north-west), Sevenoaks (7 miles west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (9 miles south-west), Gravesend (12 miles north) and Tonbridge (5 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Swanton
We work in homes and buildings around Swan on the Green pub and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Wateringbury station, roughly 3 miles east. Other landmarks nearby include Beechin Wood Archery Museum (2 miles north-west) and Ightham Court (3.8 miles north-west).
Why act early in Swanton
A leak near lights or wiring needs attention quickly. If water is reaching a light fitting or switch, keep clear of it and have an electrician check it. Then the source needs tracing. For an older or listed building in a place like Swanton, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package matters as well. We will give you the figure before anything is booked.
Why us?
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- 20+ years’ experience
- Prices that include VAT
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Read what a roof survey costs and our case studies.
Towns and villages near Swanton
More services for Swanton
What happens on the day
The visit has one job: to look at the leaking roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It typically takes roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, though a hard-to-trace leak can take longer. Cottages and farmhouses around Swanton often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen.
- We start with what you’ve seen: where the stain is and when it gets worse.
- The visit starts indoors, at the stain and in the loft.
- Outside, we check every likely route in.
- Moisture readings and thermal imaging are used where they help.
- You receive a written report with photos showing the likely source and what needs attention.
Before the survey
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Arrange a survey
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Read more
Checking the roof from ground level
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry.
What we are asked to look at in Swanton
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. Corroded nails, known as ‘nail fatigue’, are a frequent cause on slate roofs.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Water dripping from rafters or underlay
- Ceiling stains that grow after rain
- Staining around the chimney inside
- Water coming in around a roof light or dormer
If you live in an older home near Church of St Dunstan, water on an older roof tends to find its way in at the lead, the valleys or the chimney.
Questions to ask before booking
- What insurance they carry
- How long the report takes to arrive
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Whether the price includes VAT
Useful tips for Swanton property owners
There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. Here’s what helps most:
- Catch drips in a bucket and protect the floor
- Mention earlier attempts to fix the leak
- Have an electrician check any wet fittings
- Make sure the loft is accessible
If the leak turns out to be condensation, the report says so, and suggest how the loft space could be better ventilated. That avoids roof work that wouldn’t help.
Keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, ideally once the leaves have fallen. Many leaks start with a blocked outlet. Leave the clearing to someone with the right equipment.