Greater London · London and the South East
Drone roof survey in Shirley, Greater London
Know where you stand with the roof before you spend money on it. Drone roof surveys in Shirley.
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Hidden gutters full of leaves
- Flat roofs on upper floors that hold water
Useful tips for Shirley property owners
Getting the most from a drone roof survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Allow for a change of day in poor weather
- Tell us about any leaks or concerns
- Keep dogs indoors during the visit
- Let neighbours know about the flight if your roof is shared
File the report and photos with your home documents. They’re a useful baseline for future surveys.
Look at the roof from the ground after strong winds. Pieces of slate or tile on the ground mean something has moved. A drone survey can show what has shifted.
Drone roof survey in Shirley: what you get
Drone surveys suit tall houses, blocks of flats, steep roofs and large commercial roofs. They also suit fragile roofs that nobody should walk on, such as old slate, clay tiles or cement sheets. The roof is photographed without being disturbed. We check the airspace for your address ahead of the visit. If a drone isn’t the right tool, we’ll say so. We survey flat roofs on upper floors, valleys and parapet gutters and tall and steep roofs, and the problems we are asked to look at most are ridge and hip pieces working loose and flat roofs on upper floors that hold water.
London roofs sit shoulder to shoulder in terraces and blocks, so privacy and neighbours matter as much as the view. We take care to focus on the roof we have been asked to look at. Tell us about the building and access as you book. Steep slopes, tall chimneys and rear additions are where the extra view helps most.
We write the report in plain English, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Photos show what each point refers to, with the urgent items made clear.
- Where
- Shirley (CR0, SE25, CR9)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
When you need someone else
In fairness, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
- Anything inside the loft or under the coverings
- Photos in conditions too poor to fly
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Fragile roofs
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Large and complex roofs
- Chimney stacks
- Tall and steep roofs
The survey, step by step
Safety comes first on every visit. Everything that can be seen safely is inspected, and if part of the roof can’t be seen, the report says so. Most visits take about 1–2 hours for most homes, with the pre-flight checks included, and longer for big commercial roofs. In a London conversion, the way into the roof space is frequently from a communal landing or the top flat. If that applies to your building, it’s useful to agree access with the neighbours or the managing agent first. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- 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.
- Your report arrives by email, with close-up photos and recommendations.
Before we arrive
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Find any records of previous roof work
Getting a price
We confirm the price for the job before booking, so you know the cost up front. Our price is from £400, including VAT. For a price for your roof, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Advice
What a survey costs
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. The main factors are:
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The size of the roof
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package matters as well. The price is always agreed first.
Helping us price your survey
There is no need for technical words. It is enough to let us know:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To send them or to book, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Drones, thermal imaging and Shirley roofs
Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions, including zones around airports and prisons. We fly a sub-250g drone and are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). Open category rules keep flights below 120 m (400 ft) and the drone within sight at all times.
For a London address like Shirley, it’s useful to know about controlled parking before the day. Addington Palace, about 1.7 miles south, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Shirley. Photos from the air and thermal images let an old roof be checked without anyone disturbing it.
Shirley is about 2 miles north-east of Croydon, in Greater London. Anywhere in Shirley, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Shirley is one of the places in Greater London we cover for drone roof surveys. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
We work across CR0, SE25 and CR9 for drone roof surveys. Streets in the area include Poppy Lane, Homer Road and Craven Road, and we cover them all. Shirley sits on or near the A232, so getting to you is simple. Close by, we survey roofs in Monks Orchard (1 mile north), Shirley Oaks (1 mile west), Addiscombe (1 mile west), Ashburton (1 mile north-west) and Woodside (1 mile north-west). Larger places within reach include London (8 miles north), City of Westminster (10 miles north-west), Marylebone (10 miles north-west), Kensington (10 miles north-west), St Pancras (10 miles north) and Shoreditch (10 miles north).
What’s near Shirley
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Cricketers pub, Ashburton Park and Orchard Way Primary School and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Elmers End station, roughly 1.2 miles north of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Crystal Palace Museum (2.8 miles north) and St George's Walk (2 miles west). The countryside around Shirley includes Duppas Hill and Bramley Bank.
What we look for on each type of roof
Ridges and hips
Wind lifts loose ridge and hip tiles. Spotting them early stops them falling.
Valleys and parapet gutters
Hidden gutters and valleys sit out of sight. A drone shows linings, joints and build-ups of debris.
Your questions about drone roof surveys in Shirley
How do I find out if my home in Shirley is listed?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Shirley?
That depends on where the roof is and on the weather. 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. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather.
How soon will I get the report?
Report times are set by the package. Basic: within 48 hours. Standard: 24 to 48 hours. Premium: the same day. Mention any deadline when booking.
Are you structural engineers?
No. Visible signs like deflection or sagging are recorded, but calculations and an engineer’s opinion are outside what we do. If one is needed, the report says so.
How long will you be at the property?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof, but most surveys take an hour or two for a house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. The report is sent afterwards by email.
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. Shared roofs just need a little more planning. Tell us about it when booking and we will plan the survey around it.
Signs you need a drone roof survey in Shirley
Strong winds can lift slates, tiles and ridge pieces. Damage on a high or steep roof is hard to judge from the garden. Close-up photos make it clear what has been disturbed.
Problems we come across often include:
- Storm damage on steep or tall roofs
- Vegetation in valleys and gutters
- Slipped or missing slates on a high roof
- Tired mortar and pots at the top of a stack
For businesses in and around places such as St George's Walk, thermal images can show trapped moisture across a wide commercial roof.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Is VAT included in the price?
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Will the report include photos?