Greater London · London and the South East
Cranham Drone Roof Survey
Drone roof surveys for homes and businesses in Cranham. We have completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- Storm damage on steep or tall roofs
- Debris building up in hidden gutters
- Ponding and splits on a high flat roof
What we look for on each type of roof
Valleys and parapet gutters
When a parapet outlet blocks, water can come inside. We check outlets and photograph any build-up.
Chimney stacks
Leaning stacks and loose pots are easier to judge from above. We record what we find with photos.
Drone roof survey in Cranham: what you get
Every flight starts with an airspace check. Near protected airports like Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, flight restriction zones mean permission is needed first. Central London has restricted areas of its own, which need NATS permission. If permission is not given, we inspect by other means and explain why. Prisons have their own drone restriction zones too. We survey tall and steep roofs, flat roofs on upper floors and fragile roofs, and the problems we are asked to look at most are moss building up on slopes and in gutters and chimney tops in poor condition.
London roofs sit shoulder to shoulder in terraces and blocks, which makes care around neighbours part of the job. Images are taken to show the roof we are surveying, with care for neighbours’ privacy. Mention access, height and anything unusual about the building as you book. The extra view helps most on steep slopes, tall stacks and rear additions.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Place
- Cranham (RM14)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Also near Cranham
Other services in Cranham
The survey, step by step
The aim of the visit is simple: to look at the roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It normally takes about one to two hours for most houses, and longer for a large or complex roof. For a visit in Cranham, parking and access are the things to plan: let us know about parking, the floor the property is on, any shared entrance and loft access. On the day, the roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from inside the loft space and from the roof where it is safe.
- We confirm whether a drone suits your roof.
- A visit is booked for a weekday, Saturday or Sunday, weather permitting.
- The roof is photographed from the air, with the camera kept on your property.
- We also look inside the loft space where it is safe.
- Everything is written up, with the aerial photos and our advice.
Before the survey
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
Arrange a survey
To get a price for drone roof surveys in Cranham, call 07833 053749 or email us. Some details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.
Advice
Tips from our surveys
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- A word with neighbours beforehand helps
- Tell us about any leaks or concerns
- Allow time for permission if you’re in a flight restriction zone
- Be ready to move the date if the weather turns
You get an in-person consultation with the Premium Survey to go through what the drone showed. It’s a chance to ask about anything in the report.
Every so often, look in the roof space with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. A drone sees the outside, but the loft shows leaks and condensation from below. Photograph anything new.
Cranham: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in Cranham is listed?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Cranham?
Typically it’s manageable with a little notice. Let us know the parking rules on your street and we will work around them.
Does the drone show the underside of the roof?
No. It sees only the outer surfaces. The underside tells us things the drone cannot, so we check the loft too where we can.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, like cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
Do you work in Cranham?
Yes. We cover Cranham and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and the South East. For a price, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Will you photograph next door’s garden?
We take care around neighbouring homes. The camera is pointed at your roof, not next door. Letting neighbours know in advance helps.
How long does a drone roof survey take?
On site, it typically takes roughly 1–2 hours for most houses; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. Time for the pre-flight checks is included.
What happens if roof problems are left?
With drone photos, everyone can see the same thing. They show the location and extent of each defect. In Cranham, 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. Dealing with it early is far less disruptive.
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package matters as well. The price is always agreed first.
Why us?
- Photos and a written report every time
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- Prices that include VAT
Take a look at our cost guide and two real surveys.
Drone roof surveys around Cranham
Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. Outer London has lots of Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, frequently with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Steep or complicated roofs are often hard to see from ground level, which is where photos from the air and thermal images help.
If you look after a building such as Hall Mead School, a drone or thermal camera can show a large roof in a single visit. As a London address, Cranham can be tricky for parking: let us know about permits, visitor bays or off-street space as you book, as a space near the door cannot be promised.
Cranham is about 2 miles east of Hornchurch, in Greater London. Cranham gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a close look at everything that’s safely in view, photos and a clear written report. Cranham is one of the towns and villages in Greater London we cover. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
Surveys in RM14 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We cover properties on Avon Road, Moor Lane and Front Lane and the roads around them. We also cover the places around Cranham: Upminster (1 mile west), Puddle Dock (1 mile east), Upminster Bridge (1 mile west), North Ockendon (2 miles south-east) and Emerson Park (2 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Shoreditch (15 miles west), Walthamstow (13 miles west), Hoxton (15 miles west), Whitechapel (15 miles west), Orpington (14 miles south-west) and Plaistow (11 miles west).
Near you in Cranham
Typical jobs here are in homes near The James Oglethorpe Primary School, The Crumpled Horn pub and St. Andrew's Park, among other places. Cranham’s nearest station is Upminster station, roughly 0.7 miles west. Well-known places in the area include The Mercury Mall (3.7 miles west) and Upminster Tithe Barn Museum of Nostalgia (0.6 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Cranham Brickfields.
Signs you need a drone roof survey in Cranham
Many roofs are never seen properly from the ground. Rear slopes, valleys and the tops of chimneys are hidden. Faults there can go unnoticed for years.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Flat roofs on upper floors that hold water
- Cracked slates and tiles out of sight from below
- Loose ridge and hip tiles
- Lifted or split lead flashings
If you live in an older home near St Luke's Cranham, older roofs can be steep and hard to see from the street, which is where close-up aerial shots and thermal images help.
Questions to ask before you book
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- Whether VAT is added on top
- What insurance they carry
Checking the roof from the ground
You can learn a lot from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground, and those are details a survey looks at closely.