Damp survey and diagnosis in London
Condensation, rising damp and penetrating damp can leave much the same mark on a wall. Each one calls for a different remedy, though, and a wrong guess spends your money while the real fault carries on. Our survey combines moisture meter readings with a close visual check and, when it helps, a look at the outside of the building for the source. You get a written report first. Treatment is only discussed after that.
- Fully insured and Gas Safe registered
- Engineers who are DBS-checked
- 24/7 emergency callouts on offer
- You agree the price before we start
- Our workmanship is guaranteed
Monday – Sunday, 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Out-of-hours emergency? Call 020 3576 5825
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What the job covers
- Visual inspection backed by moisture meter readings
- Telling rising damp, penetrating damp and condensation apart
- Finding the outside cause — guttering, render, ground level, DPC
- A written report setting out findings and the action we advise
- Damp surveys for buyers before they purchase
- An independent second look at a damp report you already hold
Things to check before booking
A few of these points could mean you need no visit at all. We would sooner you knew that.
No survey means the damp-proofing quote is guesswork
When a firm names a fixed price for a damp-proof course without looking at the property, you are being sold to, not diagnosed. Rising damp, penetrating damp and condensation each need their own treatment. Pick the wrong one and nothing gets better.
Meter readings only mean something once they are interpreted
Paint, plaster and certain modern materials can show "damp" on a surface meter even when no water is getting in at all. So one number proves very little. The useful clues are the pattern of readings, how high they reach and whether an outside fault lines up with them.
Rising damp gets diagnosed far more often than it occurs
Plenty of older buildings have no damp-proof course and stay sound for decades. Much of the damp called rising damp turns out to be penetrating damp from a fault higher up, or condensation caused by weak ventilation. Both cost less to put right and are simpler to stop coming back.
One pre-purchase survey can cover its own cost
If a survey on a period home overlooks damp, you find the bill after completion. Booking a separate damp survey to sit beside your building survey costs little compared with that risk.
Questions people ask us
How long will the survey take?
For one property, usually between an hour and ninety minutes. It depends on how many rooms show damp and whether we also need to check the outside walls.
Is there a charge for the survey if I decide against treatment?
Yes, because the survey is its own service with its own price. Having it done does not tie you to any further work.
Can you survey a home I am thinking of buying?
Yes. There is no need to wait until exchange, and plenty of buyers book it at the offer stage, next to their building survey.
Another company has already given me a damp report. Will you review it?
Yes. People often ask us for a second opinion on a report or a treatment quote, and we are happy to give one.
When the cause is plumbing
If a leaking pipe or fitting is behind the problem, not damp as such, these pages explain that work.
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General Plumbing
Radiators, pipework, taps and toilets: the small jobs that keep getting put off.
Read about General Plumbing -
Leak Detection
Acoustic and thermal equipment to trace hidden leaks before any floor is lifted.
Read about Leak Detection
Other damp and condensation pages
Looking for damp survey & diagnosis in London?
Let us know the problem and your address, and you will hear the cost before any work begins.