Surrey · London and the South East
Caterham Drone Roof Survey
A careful look at the roof at your property in Caterham, with photos and a written report.
- Cracked mortar along the ridge
- Tired mortar and pots at the top of a stack
- Storm damage on steep or tall roofs
What we’re asked to look at in Caterham
Large roofs take a long time to see on foot. A drone can photograph a large roof methodically, showing patterns of wear that are hard to spot up close. You see the whole roof, not just the parts near an access point.
People typically book a survey when they’ve noticed something like this:
- Outlets choked with leaves and silt
- Lead work pulling away at abutments
- Cracked mortar along the ridge
- Moss building up on slopes and in gutters
For an older house near a landmark like Sacred Heart Church, thin or patchy insulation under an old roof often shows up clearly on a thermal image.
Questions to ask before booking
- How soon the report will arrive
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- What happens after the report arrives
Drone roof survey in Caterham: what you get
Some roofs are hard or unsafe to reach. Our drone roof survey gets a camera close to them without anyone climbing. It shows coverings, ridges, chimneys, valleys and gutters clearly, including slopes that can’t be seen from the street. Everything we find goes into a photo-illustrated written report. It also suits roofs that would be damaged by someone walking on them. Where a flight isn’t possible, we explain why. If you’ve noticed outlets choked with leaves and silt and flat roofs on upper floors that hold water, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Older homes in a town like Caterham may lose heat through roofs with little or no insulation. Thermal imaging can show where heat escapes, and it can also point to damp patches. It shows temperature, so anything that looks like moisture is checked with a meter. Results depend on the conditions, which is why the date is chosen with care.
Where we can’t see part of the roof, the report says so. You will know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Where
- Caterham (CR3)
- Wider area
- Surrey
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Honest limits
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- Flights in a restricted zone without permission
- Close-up photos of next door’s property
- A flight on a day when the weather isn’t safe
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Caterham
- Large and complex roofs
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Fragile roofs
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Chimney stacks
- Tall and steep roofs
Questions from Caterham
Do you carry out roof surveys in Caterham?
Yes, Caterham is within the area we cover. Our area covers London and South East England. You can call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a few details.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Caterham?
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. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather.
Will you photograph what you find?
Yes. Photographs are part of every report, so you can see exactly what each finding refers to.
How experienced are you?
We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys, over more than 20 years, with 98% customer satisfaction.
How do I book a survey in Caterham?
To book, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and tell us the address and what you’d like to know. We will confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. It’s a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
What happens next?
The report comes by email, and you decide the next step: raise it with a seller, send it to an insurer, brief a roofer or share it with a managing agent.
Drone roof surveys in Caterham: local notes
About 4.7 miles east lies Titsey Place, a reminder of how long the area around Caterham has been built on. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof. 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. Steep or complicated roofs are frequently hard to see from ground level, which is where close-up aerial shots and thermal images help.
Take a building like Hillcroft Primary School: big roofs are where aerial photos and thermal images show the most at once.
Caterham is about 11 miles south-west of Orpington, in Surrey. Caterham is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area across London and South East England. We cover towns and villages across Surrey, large and small. There’s also a page for Crawley.
Here we cover the CR3 postcode area for drone roof surveys. If you need a drone roof survey at a property on High Street, London Road and Park Road or a nearby road, we can help. Caterham sits on or near the B2030 and B2031, which makes travel easy. Neighbouring places we cover for drone roof surveys include Woldingham Garden Village (2 miles east), Tyler's Green (2 miles south-east), Woldingham (3 miles east), Godstone (3 miles south) and Church Town (3 miles south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Epsom (8 miles north-west), Horley (8 miles south-west), Redhill (5 miles south-west), Ewell (8 miles north-west), Reigate (6 miles south-west) and Walton-on-Thames (15 miles north-west).
What’s near Caterham
Typical jobs here are in homes near Sunnydown School, The King And Queen Public House and de Stafford School and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Caterham station, roughly 0.7 miles south-east. Nearby you will also find Bletchingley Castle (3.4 miles south) and East Surrey Museum (0.6 miles south-east). Not far away are South London Downs National Nature Reserve and Mercers Lake.
What we do, step by step
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. The whole visit usually takes between one and two hours for a house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. Semi-detached and terraced homes in a town like Caterham frequently share a roof line with the neighbours, so we look at what can be seen of the shared parts from your side. Let us know about any known leaks, past repairs or building work as you book.
- First, we check whether a drone is the right tool.
- We agree a date, including weekends, subject to the weather.
- The roof is photographed from the air, with the camera kept on your property.
- If the loft can be reached safely, it is checked too.
- The report sets out what we found, with photos and recommendations.
Before the survey
- Keep pets in another room
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
How to book
Once you know what you need, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.
Read more
Landlord and commercial surveys in Caterham
Landlords and letting agents in Caterham book surveys as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photographs, useful for planning maintenance.
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with the building owner or managing agent. Let us know about it when booking and we’ll plan the visit with that in mind.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us when you book.
What happens if roof problems are left?
On a tall building, problems are often found only when water comes in. By then, timbers, ceilings and insulation may be wet. Looking from above picks up the early signs. Blocked gutters and downpipes on homes in Caterham overflow onto walls, and damp follows inside. A slipped tile or worn flashing does the same higher up. Left alone, both only get worse.
Prices start from £150, with VAT included, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. You’ll know the price for your roof before booking.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Caterham
- Prices that include VAT
- A written report with photographs
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Over 20 years’ experience
Read our cost guide and what we found on two real jobs.