Kent · London and the South East
Roof leak investigation in Winterbourne, Kent
Tracing where water is getting into your roof in Winterbourne, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photos.
- Brown rings on upstairs ceilings
- Damp on a chimney breast
- A leak that comes and goes with the weather
Why it is worth a survey now in Winterbourne
Water and electrics don’t mix. Keep away from any fitting that water is reaching and have an electrician check it. Finding where the water is getting in should follow right away. Older and listed buildings around Winterbourne may need consent and matching materials for repairs, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, including VAT.
Why book us in Winterbourne
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
Read what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.
Roof leak investigations for homes and businesses in Winterbourne
Some leaks only appear in certain weather. Driving rain from one direction, melting snow or a gutter that overflows in a downpour can all set it off. Telling us when it happens helps a lot, along with any photos you’ve taken. Even on a dry day, a leak normally leaves clues: stained timbers, tide marks and damp underlay. Moisture detection shows which materials are still damp. If you’ve noticed leaks at a dormer or roof window and wet patches high on an inside wall, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
In a village or hamlet like Winterbourne, older cottages and farmhouses frequently have roofs that have been patched over many years. That makes it hard to tell new damage from old wear, and the difference matters, especially to an insurer. We look at whatever is safely visible and set out what we find. Damp in old walls and timbers is slow to dry, so the sooner the cause is found the better.
The report records the leaking roof as we found it on the day. It is useful right away, and a good reference for later.
- Location
- Winterbourne (ME13)
- Region
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Winterbourne roofs and the weather
The coast is about 5 miles or less from Winterbourne, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. In a coastal gale, rain is driven sideways into laps, verges and flashings. Many older homes in Kent have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles held by pegs through two holes, and tile-hanging on their upper walls. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Each of these roof types has its own typical places for water to get in.
Trees in and around Mount Ephraim Gardens shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching. If you let a flat or house near Selling station, a clear finding on where water gets in helps you brief a roofer straight away.
Winterbourne is about 4 miles south-east of Faversham, in Kent. Roofs in Winterbourne get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Kent. Our Kent coverage includes Winterbourne and the places around it.
All of ME13 is covered for roof leak investigations, from the main roads to the quietest streets. If you’re just outside Winterbourne, we cover Hickmans Green (1 mile north-west), Oversland (1 mile south-west), South Street (1 mile west), Boughton under Blean (1 mile north) and Crouch (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover Ashford (11 miles south), Canterbury (5 miles east), Sittingbourne (11 miles north-west), Whitstable (6 miles north-east), Faversham (4 miles north-west) and Herne Bay (9 miles north-east).
Near you in Winterbourne
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Queens Head pub and Mount Ephraim Gardens. The nearest railway station is Selling station, about 1 mile south-west. Other landmarks nearby include Chilham Castle (2.9 miles south) and Eastbridge Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr (5.1 miles east). Not far away are Blean Woods RSPB Reserve.
What you can safely check yourself
You can learn a lot from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Also near Winterbourne
Other services in Winterbourne
Common roof problems in Winterbourne
Blocked gutters can look like a roof leak. Hidden gutters behind parapets cause the most trouble, since a blocked outlet sends water over the lining and into the building.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Water that shows only in certain storms
- Drips in the loft during heavy rain
- Water coming in around a roof light or dormer
- Drips from nail tips in a cold loft
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Christ Church, water on an older roof tends to find its way in at the lead, the valleys or the chimney.
Before booking anyone
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- How soon the report will arrive
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
Questions from Winterbourne
Is the coastal weather around Winterbourne hard on roofs?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Is Winterbourne within the area you cover?
Yes. Winterbourne is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
Will I get photos?
Yes, plenty. Pictures sit next to the findings they show.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, if the building owner or managing agent agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we are allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
Why doesn’t the damp patch line up with the hole?
Rain that gets in will run along whatever it lands on. On a pitched roof it frequently runs down a rafter before it shows. Following that route is what our investigation does.
What happens next?
You’ll receive the report by email, and you decide the next step: use it with a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it is applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, including flight restriction zones near airports. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
What happens on the day
The aim of the visit is simple: to look at the leaking roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Notes and photographs go into the written report. The visit typically takes between one and two hours for most homes, though a hard-to-trace leak can take longer. Older roofs in small places like Winterbourne can have low, tight loft spaces, so tell us about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it is safe.
- You pick a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey.
- We agree a date, including weekends.
- We inspect inside and out, starting from the stain.
- Where it’s useful and included, we take moisture readings and use thermal imaging.
- You get photos, the likely cause and clear recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
Booking a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or email us and we will ask a few questions about the roof. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
Read more
When you need someone else
We only report what can safely be seen on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Plumbing leaks that look like roof leaks
- What’s under the covering or behind the plaster
- Whether rotten timbers meet design loads
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will point you to the right survey. What a survey covers and does not.
What we look at
- Lead flashings
- Flat roof details
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Chimney stacks
- Rooflights and dormers
- Slate and tile slopes
- The roof space
Before and after the survey
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Our tips:
- Let us know if there are tanks or pipes in the loft
- Leave roof access to professionals
- Move stored items away from the hatch
- Record whether it leaks in every downpour or only some
Your report arrives by email, with photos of what we found. It sets out where we believe the water is getting in, how it’s travelling and what needs attention. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day.
After a downpour, look in the roof space with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Look for drips, damp patches and stains on timbers. Photograph anything new.