Greater London · London and the South East
Drone Roof Survey in Richmond upon Thames
Drone roof surveys across Richmond upon Thames, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Gaps where slates or tiles have gone
- Storm damage on steep or tall roofs
- Standing water on a flat roof
Drone roof survey in Richmond upon Thames: what you get
Tall, steep, large or fragile roofs can’t always be inspected up close. A drone takes close-up photos of those roofs from the air. You see slates, ridges, chimneys, valleys and gutters in detail, including slopes that can’t be seen from the street. The photos go into a written report. It is also a good option where walking on the roof could break slates or tiles. Where a flight isn’t possible, we explain why. If you’re worried about ridge and hip pieces working loose and ponding and splits on a high flat roof, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on large and complex roofs, tall and steep roofs and chimney stacks alike.
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. Before a drone goes up in Richmond upon Thames, the address is checked against all of them, and permission is never taken for granted.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Where
- Richmond upon Thames (TW9, TW10, SW14, TW1)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
We photograph the roof as we go, so the report shows exactly what we saw. We take close-ups from wherever is safe. Most surveys take between one and two hours for most homes, with the pre-flight checks included, and longer for big commercial roofs. Many London properties are flats or terraces with no side access, so rear slopes are viewed from windows, the loft or, where a flight is allowed, by drone. Mention any building rules, key holders or managing agents as you book.
- First, we check the address for flight restrictions.
- Where a flight restriction zone or restricted area applies, we seek permission first.
- Before the flight, we check the conditions and the take-off spot.
- We fly the drone close to the roof to photograph it in detail, always in sight.
- We email a written report with the photos and our recommendations.
How to prepare
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Arrange a survey
Booking is simple: just call 07833 053749 or send us an email, tell us about the property and we will recommend the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Advice
Why get it checked now?
Photos from a drone survey show how the roof looks today. Next time, you can compare and see what has moved or worn. It helps when you plan ahead. London’s older roofs frequently have bitumen felt underlay or none at all, so a slipped slate can soon mean water inside. Left alone, that means wet timbers and plaster, which is a far bigger job than the roof fault itself.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where applicable, from £400 including VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you need to know.
What you get with us
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- Prices that include VAT
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
Take a look at our cost guide and what we found on two real jobs.
Nearby places to Richmond upon Thames
What else we do in Richmond upon Thames
Do you need a drone roof survey in Richmond upon Thames?
Not every roof can take a person’s weight. Old slates and clay tiles crack underfoot, and fragile sheet roofs are dangerous to walk on. With a drone, the roof is photographed without anyone stepping on it.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Ridge pieces that have lifted
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Debris building up in hidden gutters
- Vegetation in valleys and gutters
Take an older house close to Holy Trinity Richmond: older roofs can be steep and hard to see from the street, which is where photos from the air and thermal images help.
Questions to ask before you book
- How soon the report will arrive
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
Airspace, weather and Richmond upon Thames roofs
In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Many roofs like these cannot be judged properly from the pavement, and that’s where a view from above or a thermal image earns its place. We fly a sub-250g drone and are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). Flights in the open category stay under 120 m (400 ft), with the drone kept in sight.
Pembroke Lodge lies about 1.3 miles south, so building around Richmond upon Thames goes back a long way. Older roofs nearby can be steep and hard to see from the ground, and a survey from the air or with a thermal camera doesn’t touch the roof itself. Take a building like Marshgate Primary School: a view from above covers a wide roof far faster than walking it.
Richmond upon Thames is about 3 miles south of Ealing, in Greater London. We visit Richmond upon Thames as part of our work across Greater London, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. We cover towns and villages across Greater London. You can also see our page for London.
Surveys in TW9, TW10, SW14 and TW1 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. That includes homes and businesses on Church Road, King George Square and Topiary Square and the roads around them. Richmond upon Thames is on the B321 and B322, so it’s easy for us to get to. Close by, we survey roofs in North Sheen (1 mile north-east), East Sheen (1 mile east), Mortlake (1 mile east), Kew (2 miles north-east) and Strand-on-the-Green (2 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include London (9 miles east), City of Westminster (7 miles north-east), Marylebone (8 miles north-east), Kensington (5 miles north-east), St Pancras (9 miles north-east) and Shoreditch (10 miles north-east).
Local landmarks in Richmond upon Thames
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Pesthouse Common, The White Horse Richmond pub and Kneller Hall Junior School. There’s a railway station in Richmond upon Thames itself: Richmond station. Nearby you will also find Eel Pie Island Museum (1.5 miles south-west) and Treaty Centre (3 miles west). The countryside around Richmond upon Thames includes Duke's Hollow and Richmond Hill.
Useful tips for Richmond upon Thames property owners
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. A few suggestions:
- Make sure there’s room outside for the drone to take off
- A word with neighbours beforehand helps
- Let us know what you want to see
- Clear the loft hatch so we can check inside too
The Premium Survey includes an in-person consultation to go through what the drone showed. It is a chance to ask about anything in the report.
Keep the loft space ventilated. Poor airflow lets condensation build up. Check insulation does not block the airflow.
Your questions about drone roof surveys in Richmond upon Thames
How do I find out if my home in Richmond upon Thames 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.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Richmond upon Thames?
Usually it’s manageable with a little notice. Let us know the parking rules on your street and we will work around them.
Will you photograph next door’s garden?
No, the camera is kept on your roof. Neighbouring homes and gardens are not the subject, and flights are kept short. It is useful to tell neighbours beforehand.
Can a drone see inside my loft?
No. It shows what’s on the outside. The underside tells us things the drone cannot, so we inspect the loft space as well where access is safe.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We are roof surveyors, not structural engineers, and it does not include calculations. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we will recommend one.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, if the freeholder or managing agent agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed beforehand. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends, which can make access easier.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, including offices, shops and units. Larger roofs take longer, and they’re priced for the size.
What you can safely check yourself
You can learn a lot from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.