Greater London · London and the South East
Bow Common Drone Roof Survey
A careful look at the roof at your property in Bow Common, with photos and a written report.
- Slates or tiles shifted by high winds
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Debris building up in hidden gutters
About our drone roof survey in Bow Common
Drone surveys suit tall houses, blocks of flats, steep roofs and large commercial roofs. They also suit fragile roofs that nobody should walk on, like old slate, clay tiles or cement sheets. The roof is photographed without being disturbed. Before the visit, we check the address for any airspace restrictions that apply. We’ll tell you if another approach would work better. If you’ve noticed slipped or missing slates on a high roof and worn lead at chimneys and walls, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
London roofs sit shoulder to shoulder in terraces and blocks, which makes care around neighbours part of the job. We take care to focus on the roof we have been asked to look at. Mention access, height and anything unusual about the building as you book. Steep slopes, tall chimneys and rear additions are where the extra view helps most.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Bow Common (E14, E3, E1)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
Every roof is different, but as a rough guide the survey takes about 1–2 hours at a house, including the airspace and weather checks before take-off. You’re welcome to ask questions while we’re there. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so a visit in Bow Common moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. If other people live in the building, let us know who can let us into the shared parts.
- We start by checking the airspace and any restrictions at your address.
- We arrange any permission that is needed before we fly.
- On the day, we check the weather and the site before flying.
- We fly the drone close to the roof to photograph it in detail, always in sight.
- We email a written report with the photos and our recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
How to book
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from the ground or a window, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Related advice
Also near Bow Common
Also in Bow Common
Why get it checked now?
A drone survey disturbs nothing on the roof. Fragile slates and tiles stay as they are, so you see the roof exactly as it is. In Bow Common, as in much of London, water from a roof defect can reach a neighbour’s home as easily as yours: a blocked parapet gutter or slipped slate can let water into the flat below or the house next door. Finding it early keeps the work smaller.
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. Drone roof survey starts from £400, including VAT.
Why us?
- Visits on any day of the week
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Clear package prices, including VAT
See what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.
How the survey changes by roof type
Flat roofs on tall buildings
Felt frequently lasts around 15 to 20 years, EPDM rubber around 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30. Photos show how the covering is wearing.
Steep slate and tile slopes
Steep roofs are risky to walk on. A drone photographs them closely from a safe position, showing slipped, cracked and missing pieces.
Bow Common: your questions answered
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Bow Common?
It rarely stops a survey, but it is worth planning. Let us know what parking is available nearby, and the visit is planned around it.
Is drone flying allowed in Bow Common?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. The flight restriction zone around London City Airport comes within about 1 mile of Bow Common. We check the exact boundary for the address before flying, and if the roof falls inside it, we ask for permission first. The restricted area over the Isle of Dogs, where drone flights need permission from NATS, is about 2 miles from Bow Common. We check whether the address falls inside it, and if it does we apply for permission, which is not always given. London’s airspace includes flight restriction zones around Heathrow, London City Airport and London Heliport, and restricted areas over Hyde Park, the City of London and the Isle of Dogs. Each address is checked against all of them before the drone goes up. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you when booking.
What’s in the report?
It sets out what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, with photos throughout. Anything we couldn’t see safely is noted too, so you know exactly what was covered.
Will I get photos?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and they go into the written report alongside our recommendations.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Not unless it’s safe. Safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where it applies cover most of what’s needed.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey is a roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey of the whole building. It focuses on the roof and can sit alongside a RICS survey.
Prices for drone roof surveys in Bow Common
When we price a survey, we consider:
- How big the roof is
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package you pick makes a difference too. We’ll give you the figure before anything is booked.
Booking your survey
When you call or email, these details help:
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
Booking is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form, let us know about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Flying and imaging in Bow Common
Bow Common is about 2 miles from the restricted area over the Isle of Dogs, where drone flights need permission from NATS. We check whether the address falls inside it, and if it does we apply for permission, which is not always given. There are several hotels within about a mile and a half of Bow Common. If you look after one, a large roof can be surveyed without guests having anyone working above them.
For businesses in and around places such as Surrey Quays Shopping Centre, thermal images can show trapped moisture across a wide commercial roof. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as St Paul's Way Trust School, a drone or thermal camera can show a large roof in a single visit. Controlled parking zones are common in London, so mention any permit rules for Bow Common, along with any off-street space.
Bow Common is about 2 miles east of Whitechapel, in Greater London. Bow Common is part of the area we cover as part of our work across London and South East England. Our Greater London coverage includes Bow Common and the places around it.
Every address in E14, E3 and E1 is within our area for drone roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Local streets include Market Way, Knapp Road and Thomas Road, all of which we cover. Neighbouring places we cover for drone roof surveys include Limehouse (1 mile west), Bromley (1 mile north-east), Mile End (1 mile north-west), Poplar (1 mile south) and Canary Wharf (1 mile south). We also work in nearby towns such as London (3 miles south-west), City of Westminster (6 miles west), Marylebone (5 miles west), Kensington (8 miles west), St Pancras (4 miles west) and Walthamstow (5 miles north).
Around Bow Common
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Stebon Primary School, The Widow's Son pub and Bartlett Park. The nearest railway station is Limehouse station, about 0.8 miles south-west. A little further out are Tower of London (2.4 miles west) and St Clement's Hospital (0.6 miles north-west). Not far away are Tower Hill and Hollow Pond.
Practical tips
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- A word with neighbours beforehand helps
- Tell us the exact address as you book
- Clear a spot on the drive or lawn
- Keep pets indoors during the flight
With the Premium Survey, the report arrives the same day. It includes the drone photos where a flight was possible, alongside the other checks in the package.
Check the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. The underside often shows problems before the outside does. Take photos of any changes.
Can I check my roof myself?
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are frequently out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we look at the roof.