Surrey · London and the South East
Merle Common Drone Roof Survey
Get a clear view of the roof at a property in Merle Common. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Coverings that have slipped high up on the roof
- Wind damage high on the roof
- Ridge pieces that have lifted
FAQs for Merle Common
Is Merle Common within the area you cover?
Yes, Merle Common is covered. Our area covers London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
Is drone flying allowed in Merle Common?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. 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.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We point out what can be seen, like sagging or deflection, but we are not structural engineers and do not carry out calculations. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only if it is safe. We look at everything that can be seen safely: from ground level, from windows and vantage points, from the loft space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where applicable. Anything we can’t see is noted in the report.
How experienced are you?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
Do you need to get into the loft?
Typically, if there is one and it can be reached safely. From inside, the underside of the roof often shows damp, staining or daylight that cannot be seen from outside.
About our drone roof survey in Merle Common
A drone can see more than your roof, so we take care. The camera stays on your roof, not on gardens or windows next door. If your roof is joined to a neighbour’s, it is worth letting them know about the visit. We inspect only what the owner has asked us to. Flights are kept as short as the job allows and focused on the roof in question. Typical surveys look at chimney tops in poor condition and cracked slates and tiles out of sight from below, across flat roofs on upper floors, large and complex roofs and valleys and parapet gutters.
Older buildings in small places like Merle Common may be listed or in a conservation area. A look by drone or thermal camera doesn’t touch the roof, so it is a gentle way to see the condition of an old roof. Check with the council before planning any work on a listed building or one in a conservation area.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, along with how urgent it is.
- Place
- Merle Common (RH8)
- Wider area
- Surrey
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Why act early in Merle Common
Leaving a slipped slate or a blocked valley can turn a small fault into a leak. Spotting them early keeps the work smaller, whatever height the roof is. For an older or listed building in a place like Merle Common, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so leaving a defect until it’s urgent leaves less time to plan.
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package you pick makes a difference too. We’ll give you the figure before anything is booked.
Why us?
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- A written report with photos
- Surveys seven days a week
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and our case studies.
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney stacks
Chimney tops are hard to see from the ground. Close-up photos show the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
Flat roofs on tall buildings
Leaks frequently start at outlets, edges and around plant. We photograph them closely, as far as the flight allows.
What we can’t see
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so there are some things a survey cannot cover:
- Anything inside the loft or under the coverings
- Neighbouring roofs the owner hasn’t asked us to survey
- Flying in a flight restriction zone without the airport’s permission
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Tall and steep roofs
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Fragile roofs
- Chimney stacks
- Large and complex roofs
What we’re asked to look at in Merle Common
From the pavement, most of a tall roof is out of sight. Rear slopes, valleys and the tops of chimneys are hidden. Problems in those places often go unseen until they leak.
People usually book a survey after spotting something like this:
- Slates or tiles shifted by high winds
- Plant growth and moss on the roof
- Blocked valleys and parapet gutters
- Cracked mortar along the ridge
If you look after a building like Holland Junior School, big roofs are where aerial photos and thermal images show the most at once.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Is VAT included in the price?
- What happens after the report arrives
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Will the report include photos?
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. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It usually takes about one to two hours at a house, including the airspace and weather checks before take-off. Rural addresses near Merle Common can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- First, we check the address for flight restrictions.
- If permission is needed, we ask for it ahead of the visit.
- Before the flight, we check the conditions and the take-off spot.
- The sub-250g drone takes close-up photographs of the roof, kept in sight throughout.
- We email a written report with the photographs and our recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Jot down any questions you want answered
Arrange a survey
To get a price for drone roof surveys in Merle Common, ring 07833 053749 or email us. A few details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.
Advice
Nearby places to Merle Common
More services for Merle Common
Drones, thermal imaging and Merle Common roofs
Our drone weighs under 250g, and we hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID. Open category rules keep flights below 120 m (400 ft) and the drone within sight at all times. Older houses across Surrey frequently have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old buildings in Surrey. Steep or complicated roofs are frequently hard to see from ground level, which is where photos from the air and thermal images help.
Chartwell, about 3.3 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Merle Common. A drone or thermal survey does not involve any work on the roof, which suits older buildings.
Merle Common is about 6 miles south-east of Caterham, in Surrey. We provide drone roof surveys for homes and businesses in Merle Common and the surrounding area. Across Surrey, we cover Merle Common. Our Crawley page covers surveys nearby.
Here we cover the RH8 postcode area for drone roof surveys. We also cover Crowhurst (1 mile south-west), Troy Town (2 miles south-east), Hurst Green (2 miles north-west), Pains-Hill (2 miles north) and Crowhurst Lane End (2 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Epsom (14 miles north-west), Horley (8 miles west), Redhill (8 miles west), Ewell (15 miles north-west), Reigate (9 miles west) and Caterham (6 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Merle Common
Typical jobs here are in homes near Oxted School and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Hurst Green station, about 1.4 miles north of the centre. A little further out are Tandridge Priory (2.1 miles north) and Haxted Watermill Museum (2.5 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Botley Hill and Bay Pond.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us as you book and it will help the survey.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are frequently out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.