Greater London · London and the South East
Drone roof survey in Charlton, Greater London
Close-up drone photographs of roofs that are hard to reach around Charlton, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Moss and weeds taking hold up top
- Lead work pulling away at abutments
- Blocked valleys and parapet gutters
Different roofs, different checks
Flat roofs on tall buildings
Felt often lasts around 15 to 20 years, EPDM rubber around 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30. We record the signs of age we can see.
Valleys and parapet gutters
Valleys and parapet gutters are hidden from the street. A drone shows linings, joints and build-ups of debris.
How a drone roof survey works in Charlton
Our drone weighs under 250g, and we hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID. We keep it in sight throughout, and well below the 120-metre height limit. Every flight is planned around the roof, the site and the people nearby. Airspace and weather are checked before every flight. We never fly where it is not safe. We survey fragile roofs, flat roofs on upper floors and valleys and parapet gutters, and people most frequently book us about cracked slates and tiles out of sight from below and damage after a storm that can’t be seen from below.
London airspace is busy and tightly controlled: there are flight restriction zones around Heathrow, London City and London Heliport, and restricted areas over Hyde Park, the City of London and the Isle of Dogs. Every address in Charlton is checked before any drone flight, and permission is never taken for granted.
The report records the roof as we found it on the day. It’s useful straight away, and a good reference for later.
- Where
- Charlton (SE7, SE18)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in Charlton
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Charlton?
Sometimes, yes. Where there are permit zones, a visitor permit or nearby pay-and-display bay works well, and a driveway is even better.
Are there drone restrictions around Charlton?
Usually it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. The flight restriction zone around London City Airport covers Charlton, or comes right up to its edge. We ask the airport for permission before flying there, and only fly if it’s 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. Strong wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so the building owner or managing agent needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
Are you insured?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
When does the report arrive?
It depends on the package: the Basic Survey report arrives within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey the same day. The report is emailed to you.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We carry out surveys on any day of the week. To arrange a date, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We do not sample or test for asbestos. Where a material might contain it, like old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it.
Do you need a drone roof survey in Charlton?
Big commercial and industrial roofs cover a lot of ground. A drone can photograph a large roof methodically, showing patterns of wear that are hard to spot up close. That gives a clearer picture of the roof as a whole.
Common reasons to book include:
- Standing water on a flat roof
- Coverings that have slipped high up on the roof
- Cracked flaunching or loose chimney pots
- Outlets choked with leaves and silt
Charlton is in London, so parking needs planning: let us know about parking bays, permits or a driveway when booking, as a space near the door can’t be promised.
What to check before booking
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- What experience they bring
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
What you can safely check yourself
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we look at the roof.
What a drone roof survey doesn’t cover
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- A flight on a day when the weather isn’t safe
- Close-up photos of next door’s property
- The underside of the roof (that needs an inside check)
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Charlton
- Tall and steep roofs
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Chimney stacks
- Large and complex roofs
- Fragile roofs
Leave it or get it looked at?
It is hard to plan maintenance for a roof nobody has looked at. Our report shows the condition of each area. You can tackle the urgent items first. Work on a London roof is rarely simple to arrange, with parking, neighbours and access all to think about. Knowing what’s needed early gives you time to plan it calmly, rather than in a rush after a leak.
Our price is from £400, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and which survey you book.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Charlton
- An independent view of the roof
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- A photo-illustrated written report
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
Towns and villages near Charlton
Also in Charlton
How the survey works
The visit has one job: to see as much of the roof as can be seen safely and record it clearly. Notes and photos go into the written report. The visit normally takes roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. In Charlton, as in much of London, plenty of properties are flats or terraces without side access, so the back of the roof is often seen from upstairs windows, from inside or, where a flight is allowed, from the air. If the building has a managing agent or access rules, tell us when booking.
- First, we check whether a drone is the right tool.
- We agree a date, including weekends, subject to the weather.
- Aerial photos are taken of your roof only, not the neighbours’.
- We also look inside the roof space where it is safe.
- The report sets out what we found, with photos and recommendations.
Before the survey
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Arrange a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? It is easiest to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will explain the options and the price.
Read more
Drone roof surveys in Charlton: local notes
Charlton is inside, or right on the edge of, the flight restriction zone around London City Airport. We ask the airport for permission before flying there, and only fly if it is given. Within a mile and a half or so of Charlton there are several hotels, and like offices and blocks, hotels often sit under flat roofs. If you look after one, a large roof can be surveyed without guests having anyone working above them.
Anyone responsible for a site like Thorntree Primary School will know that a drone or thermal camera can show a large roof in a single visit. If you live in an older home near St Catherine Labouré, steep roofs, tall chimneys and hidden valleys can be hard to see from the ground, and that is where a view from the air or with a thermal camera helps.
Charlton is about 2 miles west of Plumstead, in Greater London. Whether the building in Charlton is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, we can survey the roof on a weekday or at the weekend. Charlton is one of the places in Greater London where we work. You can also see our page for London.
We work across SE7 and SE18 for drone roof surveys. You’ll find streets such as Floyd Road, Guild Road and Priolo Road, and we cover them all. Other places close to Charlton include New Charlton (1 mile north-west), Westcombe Park (1 mile west), Woolwich (1 mile east), Vanbrugh Park Estate (1 mile south-west) and Kidbrooke (2 miles south). We also work in nearby towns like London (6 miles west), City of Westminster (8 miles west), Marylebone (8 miles west), Kensington (10 miles west), St Pancras (7 miles west) and Shoreditch (6 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Charlton
In Charlton, that means homes and buildings near Charlton Park, Wildwood Montessori School and Royal Greenwich Trust School. There is a railway station in Charlton itself: Charlton station. Nearby you’ll also find British Hospital for Mothers and Babies (0.5 miles east) and Gallions Reach Shopping Park (2.3 miles north-east). Not far away are Gilbert's Pit.