Hampshire · London and the South East
The Frenches Roof Leak Investigation
Find out what’s going on with the leaking roof before you decide what to do next. We carry out roof leak investigations in The Frenches, with photographs and a clear written report.
- Ceiling stains that grow after rain
- Damp patches next to the stack
- Leaks below a flat extension roof
What affects the cost of roof leak investigations
Not every roof costs the same to survey, for these reasons:
- Height and safe access
- How big the roof is
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- How many separate roofs there are, like extensions, dormers and garages
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Our price is from £150, including VAT.
Booking your survey
These details help when you contact us:
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- The kind of building and roof involved
- When you need the report by
- Where the property is, with the postcode
We survey roofs on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To find a date that works for you, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Roof leak investigation in The Frenches: what you get
Our job is to find the likely source and tell you. You get a photo-illustrated written report showing the likely entry point and the route the water is taking, plus recommendations on what needs attention. It gives any roofer a clear brief. We find and report the source, while the repair is a separate matter. We survey rooflights and dormers, the roof space and chimney stacks, and the problems we are asked to look at most are staining around the chimney inside and water through the ceiling under a flat roof.
Being in a small place like The Frenches makes no difference to how a leak or storm damage is looked at: the journey and access are just planned ahead of time. Tell us where the water shows, when it appears and anything you’ve noticed outside, plus any earlier repairs. Photos of the stain and of the roof from outside are helpful too.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, along with how urgent it is.
- Location
- The Frenches (SO51)
- Wider area
- Hampshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Nearby places to The Frenches
More services for The Frenches
Common questions in The Frenches
Will you come out to The Frenches?
Yes, The Frenches is covered. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
Is The Frenches in the area you cover?
Yes, The Frenches is within the area we cover. We survey roofs across London and the South East. You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a few details.
How long does a roof leak investigation take?
Allow about one to two hours for most houses, or half a day or so for a commercial building. We’ll give you an idea of timing when booking.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
Could my leak actually be 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, take moisture readings and tell you which is more likely.
Do you need to get into the loft?
Where it’s relevant to the survey and there is safe access, yes. A clear path to the hatch helps, and if the loft cannot be reached safely, the report says so.
What happens after the survey?
We email you the written report with photographs and recommendations. It is yours to share with a seller, insurer, roofer or managing agent, whichever applies.
DIY checks: what’s safe
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
You can learn a lot from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Different roofs, different checks
Parapet and box gutters
Some older terraces have a butterfly roof with a valley gutter in the middle. If that gutter or its outlet fails, water can come through the top-floor ceiling.
Lead flashings
Wherever a roof meets a wall or stack, a flashing keeps rain out. Lifted, split or slipped lead is a common cause, and for flashings that have been patched with bitumen.
Why get it checked now?
Damp loft insulation loses much of its value. A slow leak can soak it for months before a stain appears. Catching it early limits what has to be replaced. For an older or listed building in a place like The Frenches, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so leaving a defect until it’s urgent leaves less time to plan.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before you book.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in The Frenches
- Visits on any day of the week
- Prices that include VAT
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- 98% customer satisfaction
Read how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
Roof leak investigations around The Frenches
Some Hampshire villages still have thatched roofs. Older houses in the South East frequently have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. Different coverings let water in at different points, which shapes where the search starts. The wider area around The Frenches has a long history of building, with Mottisfont Abbey about 3.1 miles north. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
For an older house near a landmark such as Church of All Saints, water on an older roof tends to find its way in at the lead, the valleys or the chimney. Landlords with a home close to Mottisfont & Dunbridge station may find that tracing a leak quickly matters when a tenant is living with it.
The Frenches is about 3 miles west of Romsey, in Hampshire. From houses to flats and shops in The Frenches, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. The Frenches is one of the towns and villages in Hampshire we cover for roof leak investigations. There is also a page for Southampton.
Here we cover the SO51 postcode area for roof leak investigations. Nearby, we also carry out roof leak investigations in Shootash (1 mile east), Plaitford Green (2 miles west), West Wellow (2 miles south-west), East Wellow (2 miles south) and Blackhill (3 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Winchester (11 miles east), Eastleigh (10 miles east), Andover (15 miles north), Totton (6 miles south-east), Chandler's Ford (8 miles east) and Hedge End (13 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in The Frenches
The closest station to The Frenches is Mottisfont & Dunbridge station, about 2.5 miles north of the centre. A little further out are King Johns House (2.7 miles east) and Romsey Community Hospital (3.4 miles east). For a walk, there is Copythorne Common.
Landlords, agents and block managers in The Frenches
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
How it works
We check the roof from outside and, where it is relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the roof space too. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement. All in, the survey normally takes roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, though a hard-to-trace leak can take longer. Somewhere as small as The Frenches, access is often the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- You let us know where the water shows and when it appears.
- We look at the stain, the ceiling and the loft above it.
- Likely entry points outside are looked at, from flashings and valleys to gutters and outlets.
- We use moisture detection, and thermal imaging where it’s useful.
- Your report sets out where the water is most likely getting in, with photos and recommendations.
Before we arrive
- Let us know about parking before the day
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
Arrange a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. You will have a price before anything is arranged.