Greater London · London and the South East
Friern Barnet Drone Roof Survey
Close-up drone photographs of roofs that are hard to reach for Friern Barnet, from an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photos.
- Blistered or cracked flat roof coverings
- Hidden gutters full of leaves
- Damage after a storm that cannot be seen from below
Your questions about drone roof surveys in Friern Barnet
How do I find out if my home in Friern Barnet is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Is drone flying allowed in Friern Barnet?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. Across London there are restriction zones around Heathrow, London City and London Heliport, plus 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. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first, including zones around airports and prisons. Strong wind or a downpour also stops a small drone flying.
What will the report tell me?
It works through the roof part by part, in writing and with photos, and ends with what we recommend. The most urgent items are made clear.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so we need permission from the freeholder or managing agent. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
Will you check the loft?
Where it’s relevant to the survey and there’s safe access, yes. A clear path to the hatch helps, and if the loft can’t be reached safely, the report says so.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We’re experienced roof surveyors, and our survey covers the roof rather than the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you’ll need a RICS survey as well.
Drone roof survey in Friern Barnet
We fly a sub-250g drone, and we’re a CAA-registered drone operator, with a Flyer ID and an 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. Safety comes first on every visit. If you’re worried about worn lead at chimneys and walls and chimney tops in poor condition, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Flying in London takes more checking than most places: 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. Before a drone goes up in Friern Barnet, the address is checked against all of them, and permission is never taken for granted.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photographs, sent by email. It sets out the condition of the roof, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Location
- Friern Barnet (N11, N12, N10, N20)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
For landlords and managing agents
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
We survey roofs for landlords and agents as well as homeowners. A photo-illustrated written report gives you a clear record of the roof.
Also near Friern Barnet
More services for Friern Barnet
The survey, step by step
The visit typically starts outside and finishes in the loft: outside views come first, then the loft space if there’s safe access. In total, it takes about 1–2 hours at a house, including the airspace and weather checks before take-off. In a London area like Friern Barnet, the main things to sort out are parking and access: let us know about permits, visitor bays or off-street space, which floor the property is on and how to get into the loft. On the day, the roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from inside the roof space and from the roof where it’s safe.
- You give us the address so we can check the airspace.
- If permission is needed, we ask for it ahead of the visit.
- 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.
- Your report arrives by email, with close-up photos and recommendations.
How to prepare
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Arrange a survey
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Airspace, weather and Friern Barnet roofs
In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. 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. About 2.7 miles south lies Heath Hall, a reminder of how long the area around Friern Barnet has been built on. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years.
For businesses in and around places like Grand Arcade, thermal images can show trapped moisture across a wide commercial roof. Parking in Friern Barnet, as in most of London, takes a little planning: tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space when booking, as a space near the door cannot be promised. The streets around a church such as St John's Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, steep roofs, tall chimneys and hidden valleys can be hard to see from ground level, and that’s where a view from the air or with a thermal camera helps.
Friern Barnet is about 2 miles north-east of Finchley, in Greater London. We visit Friern Barnet as part of our work across Greater London, for homes and businesses alike. We cover towns and villages across Greater London. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
Every address in N11, N12, N10 and N20 is within our area for drone roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Local streets include Martock Gardens, Shapwick Close and Radstock Close, and we cover them all. With the A406 and B550 close by, Friern Barnet is simple for us to get to. Neighbouring places we cover for drone roof surveys include New Southgate (1 mile east), Brunswick Park (1 mile north), North Finchley (1 mile west), Arnos Grove (1 mile east) and Whetstone (1 mile north-west). Further out, we also cover London (8 miles south), City of Westminster (7 miles south), Marylebone (7 miles south), Kensington (8 miles south), St Pancras (6 miles south) and Shoreditch (7 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Friern Barnet
We work in homes and buildings around Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum, Friary Park and Friern Barnet School and the streets around them. There’s a railway station in Friern Barnet itself: New Southgate station. Nearby you’ll also find Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum (1.4 miles west) and Grand Arcade (1 mile west). Open spaces near Friern Barnet include Highgate Hill and Darland's Lake.
DIY checks: what’s safe
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That’s where a survey comes in.
Practical tips
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- Book early if you’re near an airport
- Check there is room outside for the drone to take off
- A word with neighbours beforehand helps
- Tell us about any leaks or concerns
Premium also includes a 12-month follow-up. It helps you see how the roof has changed over the year.
Have high or hard-to-reach roofs surveyed every few years. Comparing surveys shows what is wearing, so small faults are dealt with early.
How we price drone roof surveys
To price your survey, we check:
- Which survey package you book
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
Every price we give includes VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Drone roof survey starts from £400, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
What we need to know
You do not need to know any roofing terms. Just tell us:
- What’s prompted the survey
- When you need the report by
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- The property’s address and postcode
Our price is from £400, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details.
Honest limits
No survey can tell you everything, and it’s better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- Roofs and gardens beyond the one we are surveying
- Photos in conditions too poor to fly
- 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 will give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
What we check
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Chimney stacks
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Large and complex roofs
- Fragile roofs
- Tall and steep roofs