Greater London · London and the South East
Drone roof survey in Shoreditch, Greater London
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you decide what to do next. We carry out drone roof surveys in Shoreditch, with photos and a clear written report.
- Loose ridge and hip tiles
- Tired mortar and pots at the top of a stack
- Plant growth and moss on the roof
How a drone roof survey works in Shoreditch
Drone surveys suit tall houses, blocks of flats, steep roofs and large commercial roofs. They’re useful where walking on the roof could damage it or isn’t safe. You get close-up views without anyone setting foot on the roof. Before the visit, we check the address for any airspace restrictions that apply. If a drone is not the right tool, we’ll say so. If you are worried about lead work pulling away at abutments and ponding and splits on a high flat roof, we can find out what’s behind it, on chimney stacks, valleys and parapet gutters and fragile roofs alike.
London’s roofs are often hard to see from the street: valley gutters behind parapets, dormers and flat-roofed rear additions. That’s where a view from the air or a thermal camera helps, by showing what can’t be reached safely. Weather on the day decides whether it goes ahead, in Shoreditch as anywhere. What a thermal image shows is temperature, so anything that looks like moisture is checked with a meter.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photos, sent by email. It sets out the condition of the roof, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Where
- Shoreditch (E1, E2, N1)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How we price drone roof surveys
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before booking. This is what makes a difference:
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- Which survey package you book
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Our price is from £400, including VAT.
What we need to know
The more you let us know, the easier it is to price the survey. When you contact us, tell us:
- When you need the report by
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- What’s prompted the survey
Prices start from £400, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can call 07833 053749 or send us an email to find out.
Places near Shoreditch
What else we do in Shoreditch
How it works
Photographs are taken throughout the visit, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available. A typical visit takes about one to two hours at a house, including the airspace and weather checks before take-off. In converted houses and mansion blocks, the loft hatch is frequently on a shared landing. If that applies to your building, it helps 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.
- We assess the wind, the weather and the surroundings before take-off.
- The sub-250g drone takes close-up photos of the roof, kept in sight throughout.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
Book a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or send us an email. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Related advice
Tips from our surveys
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Keep pets indoors during the flight
- Make sure there’s room outside for the drone to take off
- Tell next door if the drone will be near their property
- Move stored items away from the hatch
With the Premium Survey, the report arrives the same day. It includes the drone photos where a flight was possible, alongside the other checks in the package.
Plan a drone survey every few years for tall or large roofs. Regular photos make changes easy to spot, and early repairs keep water out.
Common questions in Shoreditch
Is drone flying allowed in Shoreditch?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. Shoreditch is about 1 mile from the restricted area over the City of London, where drone flights need permission from NATS. We check whether the address falls inside it, and if it does we apply for permission, which isn’t always given. 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. Every London address is checked against them before a flight. Strong wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying.
Is my home in Shoreditch listed or in a conservation area?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Do you cover Shoreditch for drone roof surveys?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, Shoreditch included.
How do I arrange a drone roof survey in Shoreditch?
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price and agree a day with you.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
How soon will I get the report?
That depends on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day. Reports are sent by email.
Does the report include photos?
Yes. The report includes photographs of what we found, so you can see exactly what each finding refers to.
Different roofs, different checks
Large commercial roofs
Cement sheet roofs on buildings from before 2000 may contain asbestos. We don’t test for it, but we flag it so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check.
Valleys and parapet gutters
When a parapet outlet blocks, water can come inside. Outlets and any debris around them are photographed.
What a drone roof survey looks like in Shoreditch
The restricted area over the City of London, where drone flights need permission from NATS, is about 1 mile from Shoreditch. If a roof falls inside it, we apply for permission before flying, and the flight only goes ahead if it is granted. The wider area around Shoreditch has a long history of building, with Mansion House about 1 mile south-west. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters.
If you look after a building such as Virginia Primary School, thermal images can show where wet insulation sits under a big flat roof. If you run a hotel or guest house in or near Shoreditch, a roof problem can mean rooms out of use, so it pays to find faults before guests do.
Shoreditch is about 2 miles north of London, in Greater London. We cover Shoreditch and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and South East England. Shoreditch is one of the places in Greater London where we work.
Surveys in E1, E2 and N1 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Whether your property is on New Road, Moor Lane and City Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. You will find Shoreditch on the A1 and A10, which makes it straightforward to reach. Neighbouring places we cover for drone roof surveys include Haggerston (1 mile north), Hoxton (1 mile north-west), St Luke's (1 mile west), Spitalfields (1 mile south) and Finsbury (1 mile west). Further out, we also cover City of Westminster (3 miles west), Marylebone (3 miles west), Kensington (6 miles west), Walthamstow (5 miles north-east), Hampstead (5 miles north-west) and Ruislip (15 miles west). Shoreditch is one of the larger places we cover in Greater London.
Around Shoreditch
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Prince's School of Traditional Arts, Hackney University Technical College and Bishopsgate Institute Special Collections and Archives and the streets around them. Other local landmarks include Artillery Ground (0.5 miles south-west), Former London Apprentice pub (under half a mile north-west) and St Mary-at-Hill (1.1 miles south). There is a railway station in Shoreditch itself: Shoreditch High Street station. Other landmarks nearby include Tower of London (1.2 miles south) and Gabriel's Wharf (1.8 miles south-west). Open spaces near Shoreditch include Tower Hill and St. James's Park Lake.
Signs you need a drone roof survey in Shoreditch
Many roofs are never seen properly from the ground. Rear slopes, valleys and the tops of chimneys are hidden. Problems in those places often go unseen until they leak, which is why owners turn to a drone.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Blocked valleys and parapet gutters
- Moss building up on slopes and in gutters
- Slipped or missing slates on a high roof
- Flat roofs on upper floors that hold water
Controlled parking zones are common in London, so mention any permit rules for Shoreditch.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Are they insured for the work?
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.