Greater London · London and the South East
Roof Leak Investigation in Underhill
Tracing where water is getting into your roof in Underhill, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Call or email for a price.
- Water that shows only in certain storms
- Damp on a chimney breast
- Water dripping from rafters or underlay
Underhill: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in Underhill is listed?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Underhill?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway when booking. The visit is then planned around what’s available.
Can every leak be traced?
Not every leak can be pinned down in a single visit. Many leave clear signs, but some only appear in certain weather. The report sets out what we found and the most likely routes.
What happens next?
You will get the report by email, with photos and clear recommendations. With Standard there is a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.
What will the report tell me?
Written findings with photographs, explaining the condition of the leaking roof, any defects and our recommendations. Standard adds moisture detection and a structural check; Premium adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
How long does the visit take?
The visit normally takes about one to two hours, more where the leak is intermittent or the roof is large. We will give you an idea of timing as you book.
Can you find a leak when it is not raining?
In many cases, yes. Stains, tide marks, damp timbers and moisture readings usually point the way. Some leaks only show in particular weather, so your photos and notes from wet days are very useful.
How a roof leak investigation works in Underhill
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 and so do photos. We look for the clues it leaves behind, such as tide marks, stained timbers and damp underlay. Moisture readings show where materials are still wet. If you’re worried about wet patches on loft insulation and brown rings on upstairs ceilings, we can find out what’s behind it, on lead flashings, chimney stacks and the roof space alike.
In converted houses and blocks across London, water from a roof can run a long way before it shows on a ceiling. Tracing it back matters, both for dealing with the cause and for any insurance claim. In Underhill, we inspect what we can reach safely and are given access to. Let us know when the water shows, and in what kind of weather.
If any part of the leaking roof couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. That way, it is clear what was covered and what wasn’t.
- Place
- Underhill (EN5, N20)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Nearby places to Underhill
Other services in Underhill
What you can safely check yourself
A lot can be seen from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we look at the roof.
How the survey changes by roof type
Flat roof upstands and outlets
Outlets drain a flat roof. When one blocks, water ponds and finds any weak spot. Outlets and the area around them are looked at.
Parapet and box gutters
Parapet and box gutters sit behind walls or inside the roof. A blocked outlet sends water over the lining and into the building.
For landlords and managing agents
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too. Bigger roofs take more time, so they’re priced to suit.
Roof leak investigations in Underhill: local notes
Outer London has plenty of Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. Hips, bay roofs and later loft conversions are typical of those semis, if your home is one of them. The covering and its details give the first clues when tracing where water is coming from. The wider area around Underhill has a long history of building, with Wyllyotts Manor about 3.4 miles north. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Anyone responsible for a site like St Catherine's RC School will know that on a building that size, finding the source of a drip means looking well beyond the stain. Living close to Highlands Gardens is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls. If you let a flat or house near New Barnet station, finding the cause of a leak fast keeps a tenant’s home dry and the work focused.
Underhill is about 1 mile west of Barnet, in Greater London. Whether the building in Underhill is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, the roof can be surveyed. Underhill is one of the towns and villages in Greater London we cover for roof leak investigations. London is in our area too.
We work across the EN5 and N20 postcode area for roof leak investigations and the streets around it. You’ll find streets like Park Road, May's Lane and Manor Road, and we cover them all. Neighbouring places we cover for roof leak investigations include Barnet (1 mile east), New Barnet (1 mile east), Monken Hadley (1 mile north), Hadley Wood (1 mile north-east) and Cockfosters (2 miles east). Larger places within reach include London (11 miles south-east), City of Westminster (9 miles south), Marylebone (9 miles south), Kensington (10 miles south), St Pancras (9 miles south) and Shoreditch (10 miles south-east).
Around Underhill
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Susi Earnshaw Theatre School, Highlands Gardens and The Red Lion pub. The nearest railway station is New Barnet station, roughly 1 mile east. Well-known places in the area include Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum (2.2 miles south) and Barnet General Hospital (0.9 miles west). Not far away are Greenhill Gardens and Darland's Lake.
How it works
We will ask a few questions first, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes an hour or two for most homes, though a hard-to-trace leak can take longer. In Underhill, as in much of London, a good many properties are flats or terraces without side access, so the back of the roof is often seen from upstairs windows, from inside or, where a flight is allowed, from the air. If the building has a managing agent or access rules, let us know when booking.
- You tell us where the water appears, when, and what the weather was doing.
- Inside, we look at the stain and the ceiling around it.
- In the loft, we follow any signs of water back towards the roof.
- Outside, we check flashings, valleys, chimneys, gutters and flat roof details from every safe vantage point.
- You receive a report with the likely source, photos and recommendations.
Before we arrive
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Let us know about parking before the day
Arrange a survey
Booking is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or email us, let us know about the property and we will suggest the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
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Leave it or get it looked at?
Lingering damp encourages mould on ceilings and walls. Once mould takes hold, it is harder to clear. Stopping the water is the first step. London’s older roofs frequently have bitumen felt underlay or none at all, so once the slates or flashings let water past, little stops it reaching ceilings. Left unchecked, water soaks into timber and plaster and the damage spreads.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, including VAT. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400. We confirm the price for the job before you book.
Why book with us
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- An independent view of the roof
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
See what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
Before and after the survey
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Write down the wind direction and rain when it leaks
- Let us know if there are tanks or pipes in the loft
- Do not climb onto the roof to look
- Keep a photo record of the damp patch
With the Standard Survey you get a follow-up consultation, while Premium includes one in person. It’s a chance to ask about anything in the report.
Don’t block the vents at the eaves. Good airflow reduces condensation, which is often mistaken for a leak. Check insulation does not block airflow at the eaves.