Kent · London and the South East
Forstal Drone Roof Survey
Need a drone roof survey in Forstal? We can help, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Slates or tiles shifted by high winds
- Standing water on a flat roof
- Loose ridge and hip tiles
How it works
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect what can be seen safely, and anything we can’t see is noted in the report. Most visits take about 1–2 hours at a house, including the airspace and weather checks before take-off. Cottages and farmhouses around Forstal often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- First, we check whether a drone is the right tool.
- A date is fixed, with a fallback in case the weather turns.
- We fly over the roof, keeping the camera on the property we’re surveying.
- If the loft can be reached safely, it is checked too.
- The report sets out what we found, with photos and recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Keep pets in another room
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Getting a price
Prices start from £400, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so phone 07833 053749 or email us with the details.
Advice
How a drone roof survey works in Forstal
The weather decides whether a drone can fly. We don’t fly in strong wind or heavy rain, because the drone has to stay safely under control. If the weather turns, we’ll agree another day. We check the forecast before the visit and again on site. Calm, dry conditions give the sharpest close-up photos. Waiting for a better day is better than a rushed flight. Common reasons to book are blistered or cracked flat roof coverings and tired mortar and pots at the top of a stack, across tall and steep roofs, flat roofs on upper floors and large and complex roofs.
Somewhere as small as Forstal, older roofs are frequently steep and partly hidden by trees or outbuildings. Close-up drone photos and thermal images help show what can’t be reached safely. Weather and airspace are checked before the visit, and the journey is planned ahead of time. Older roofs with steep slopes and tall chimneys are where the extra view helps most.
Most points in the report come with a picture, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Where
- Forstal (ME20)
- Region
- Kent
- Prices
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Also in Forstal
Before and after the survey
Small things make a difference. Some pointers:
- Check the loft can be reached
- Book early if you are near an airport
- Allow for a change of day in poor weather
- Tell us about any leaks or concerns
The Premium Survey report comes the same day. Drone photographs are included where we could fly.
Keep the roof space ventilated. Condensation in the loft can damage timbers and insulation, and it is something only an inside check will show. Make sure insulation does not block the airflow.
When you need someone else
Before booking, it is worth knowing what a survey will not do:
- Anything inside the loft or under the coverings
- Flights in high wind or heavy rain
- Flights in a restricted zone without permission
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Forstal
- Tall and steep roofs
- Fragile roofs
- Chimney stacks
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Large and complex roofs
- Valleys and parapet gutters
What we’re asked to look at in Forstal
From the pavement, most of a tall roof is out of sight. You cannot see the back slope, the valleys or the chimney tops. Problems in those places often go unseen until they leak, which is why owners turn to a drone.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- Ponding and splits on a high flat roof
- Blocked valleys and parapet gutters
- Wind damage high on the roof
- Lead work pulling away at abutments
With Starkey Castle about 4.4 miles north, the area around Forstal has a long history. Older roofs nearby can be steep and hard to see from ground level, and a survey from above or with a thermal imager doesn’t touch the roof itself.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- How soon the report will arrive
- Their track record with similar roofs
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
Your questions about drone roof surveys in Forstal
Is Forstal within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We survey roofs across London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when booking.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Forstal?
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. Strong wind or a downpour also stops a small drone flying.
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.
What’s in the survey report?
Written findings with photographs, covering the condition of the roof, the defects we found and what we recommend. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check, and the Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies and structural analysis.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in; we will agree the details when booking.
Do you look in the loft space?
Usually, if there’s one and it can be reached safely. From inside, the underside of the roof often shows damp, staining or daylight that can’t be seen from outside.
How do I book a survey in Forstal?
Just phone 07833 053749 or email us. We’ll ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date.
What a drone roof survey looks like in Forstal
The drone we use is under 250g, flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID. In the open category, flights stay below 120 m (400 ft) and within sight. Many older homes in Kent have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles held by pegs through two holes, and tile-hanging on their upper walls. Oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of the county’s older buildings too. Many roofs like these can’t be judged properly from the pavement, and that is where a view from above or a thermal image earns its place.
If you look after a building such as St Peter's Church of England Primary School, big roofs are where photos from the air and thermal images show the most at once. If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Methodist Church Including Sunday School, older roofs can be steep and hard to see from the street, which is where photos from the air and thermal images help.
Forstal is about 3 miles north-west of Maidstone, in Kent. We visit Forstal as part of our work across Kent, for homes and businesses alike. Our Kent coverage includes Forstal and the places around it.
Drone roof surveys in ME20 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include Beddow Way and Forstal Road. We also cover Pratling Street (1 mile north-east), Eccles (1 mile north-west), New Hythe (2 miles west), Burham (2 miles north) and Larkfield (2 miles west). We also work in nearby towns such as Maidstone (3 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (11 miles east), Dartford (15 miles north-west), Sevenoaks (13 miles west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (15 miles south-west) and Gravesend (10 miles north-west).
Around Forstal
Around Forstal, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Aylesford School, The Bush pub and Tyland Barn, among other places. The nearest railway station is Aylesford station, about 1.2 miles west. Other landmarks nearby include Medway megaliths (1 mile north) and Maidstone Hospital (2 miles south). Open spaces near Forstal include Boxley Hills and Burham Down.
Why act early in Forstal
Faults on high roofs tend to be found late. By that stage the damage has spread inside. Looking from above picks up the early signs. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Forstal, driving rain gets into any weakness, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before you book.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Forstal
- A written report with photos
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- An independent view of the roof
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
See what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
Different roofs, different checks
Steep slate and tile slopes
Walking on fragile coverings can break them. A drone avoids that, so the survey does not add damage.
Chimney stacks
Our drone check of a chimney is visual, not a flue, gas or sweep inspection. We’ll say if a specialist is needed.