Surrey · London and the South East
Abinger Drone Roof Survey
Get a clear view of the roof at a property in Abinger from an independent roof surveyor. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Blocked valleys and parapet gutters
- Tired mortar and pots at the top of a stack
- Cracked mortar along the ridge
Drone roof survey in Abinger: what you get
Drone surveys suit tall houses, blocks of flats, steep roofs and large commercial roofs. They also suit fragile roofs that nobody should walk on, such as old slate, clay tiles or cement sheets. You get close-up views without anyone setting foot on the roof. Before the visit, we check the address for any airspace restrictions that apply. We’ll tell you if another approach would work better. Common reasons to book are ridge pieces that have lifted and moss and weeds taking hold up top, on valleys and parapet gutters, flat roofs on upper floors and fragile roofs.
Somewhere as small as Abinger, older roofs are frequently steep and partly hidden by trees or outbuildings. A drone and a thermal camera each give a view you cannot get from the ground. Weather and airspace are looked at ahead of the visit, and the journey is planned in advance. Steep slopes and tall chimney stacks are where a close-up view adds the most.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the coverings down to the gutters. You’ll see the good as well as the bad.
- Where
- Abinger (RH5)
- Region
- Surrey
- Prices
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
DIY checks: what’s safe
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.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Abinger
We survey roofs for landlords and agents as well as homeowners. A report with photographs gives you a clear record of the roof.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, with the most urgent items set out first.
How it works
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. We take close-ups from wherever is safe. Most surveys take about one to two hours for a house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Older rural homes like those around Abinger can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- First comes the address, plus a note of what worries you about the roof.
- Airspace restrictions are checked and permission sought where needed.
- Before take-off, the wind, the weather and the launch spot are checked.
- The drone photographs the roof closely, kept in sight throughout.
- You receive a written report with the photos and our recommendations.
Before we arrive
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
How to book
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
Drone roof surveys around Abinger
With Polesden Lacey about 3.9 miles north-east, Abinger sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Older houses across Surrey often have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging. A few of Surrey’s oldest buildings have heavy Horsham stone slab roofs. Older coverings on steep or tall roofs are hard to judge from below, so close-up close-up aerial shots and thermal images help.
If you look after a building such as Belmont Prep School, a drone or thermal camera can show a large roof in a single visit.
Abinger is about 4 miles south-west of Dorking, in Surrey. Wherever you are in Abinger, we can carry out drone roof surveys at your property. Our Surrey coverage includes Abinger. There is also a page for Guildford.
We work across the RH5 postcode area for drone roof surveys and the streets around it. If you need a drone roof survey at a property on Raikes Lane, Sutton Lane and Abinger Lane or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Other places close to Abinger include Sutton Abinger (1 mile west), Abinger Hammer (1 mile north-west), Hoe (1 mile west), Gomshall (2 miles north-west) and Shere (3 miles west). We also work in nearby towns such as Guildford (8 miles west), Woking (10 miles north-west), Epsom (11 miles north-east), Horley (11 miles east), Redhill (11 miles east) and Ewell (12 miles north-east).
What’s near Abinger
Typical jobs here are in homes near Wotton and Abinger Commons, The Abinger Hatch Public House and Hurtwood House. Abinger’s nearest station is Gomshall station, about 1.7 miles north-west. Well-known places in the area include Abinger Castle (under half a mile south-east) and Mesolithic Museum (within half a mile south). Not far away are Leith Hill and Combe Bottom.
When to book a survey in Abinger
The top of a stack is the most exposed part of many roofs. From ground level, you rarely see cracked flaunching or loose pots. A drone gets close enough to see them in detail.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed something like this:
- Coverings that have slipped high up on the roof
- Blocked valleys and parapet gutters
- Flat roofs on upper floors that hold water
- Moss and weeds taking hold up top
For an older house near a landmark like Church of St James, older roofs can be steep and hard to see from the street, which is where close-up aerial shots and thermal images help.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Their insurance cover
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
Towns and villages near Abinger
More services for Abinger
What we look for on each type of roof
Ridges and hips
Some ridges are fixed with mortar, others with dry-fix systems. Their condition is noted in the report.
Valleys and parapet gutters
Some older terraces have a butterfly roof with a valley in the middle. It’s almost impossible to see from the ground, but it is plain to see from the air.
Abinger: your questions answered
Do you cover smaller places like Abinger?
Yes. Abinger 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.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Abinger?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions, including zones around airports and prisons. Strong wind or a downpour also stops a small drone flying.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not unless it’s safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where it applies, a drone, and the report notes anything we couldn’t see.
Does the weather affect the survey?
A survey can normally go ahead in light rain. High wind or heavy rain can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so we will agree a new date if the weather isn’t suitable.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We are experienced roof surveyors, and visible signs like sagging are noted, but calculations and an engineer’s opinion are outside what we do. If one is needed, the report says so.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. For the rest of the building, a RICS home survey is a separate job.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
What we can’t see
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- Anything inside the loft or under the coverings
- Roofs and gardens beyond the one we’re surveying
- A flight on a day when the weather isn’t safe
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll suggest the right survey. What a survey covers and does not.
What we check
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Large and complex roofs
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Fragile roofs
- Chimney stacks
- Tall and steep roofs