Greater London · London and the South East
Barking Gutter Survey
We take a careful look at the gutter at your property in Barking, with photographs and a written report.
- Soffits marked by water
- Sagging gutters and loose brackets
- Gutters full of debris and silt
Roof by roof
Lead-lined valley and parapet gutters
Some older roofs have a central valley running to the back and if it blocks, water can come indoors. It is inspected as far as safe access allows.
Aluminium and other metal gutters
Metal gutters are common on commercial buildings and some homes. Joints, outlets and fixings are the parts we focus on.
Gutter survey in Barking: what you get
Leaves, moss and silt are the usual reasons gutters block. Homes close to trees fill their gutters faster, and moss washing off a tiled or slate roof adds to it. Our survey shows which gutters are blocked or standing full and where outlets or hoppers are choked and whether any overflows are doing their job. The photos show you exactly what we found. Blocked gutters are easy to put off, but they rarely get better. We survey outlets and hoppers, eaves gutters and valley gutters, and people most often book us about rotten fascias or stained soffits and dripping or leaking gutter joints.
London has a great many flats in converted houses and purpose-built blocks, so roofs are often shared between several households. Whoever looks after the building needs a clear picture of the roof, chimneys and gutters. Leaks from a shared roof rarely affect just one home. A report gives everyone the same picture to plan from, with photographs.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Place
- Barking (IG11, RM9, RM8, E6)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
Before and after the survey
You don’t need to be a roofer to help. Here’s what helps most:
- Check the loft with care after heavy rain
- Keep climbers away from the eaves
- Check from ground level or a window, not a ladder
- Check for spilling water in a downpour
Once work is carried out, keep an eye on the gutters in the next downpour. Water should run to the outlets and away without spilling over. If it does not, tell whoever did the work.
Get the gutters cleared every year or more frequently near trees. The best time is typically after the leaves have dropped. Clean gutters can do their job.
What we do, step by step
The visit has one job: to see as much of the gutter as can be seen safely and record it clearly. Notes and photos go into the written report. It usually takes between one and two hours for a house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. From the street, a London terrace typically shows only its front slope or parapet, so in Barking we work round the house, using the street, the windows, the loft and any safe vantage point behind it. If other people live in the building, let us know who can let us into the shared parts.
- You let us know where you’ve seen overflows, drips or damp.
- We walk round the building and check the gutters, downpipes and fascias from ground level.
- We look at hidden gutters as far as safe access allows.
- The loft space is checked for staining, where it can be reached safely.
- A written report with photographs and recommendations follows.
Getting ready for the survey
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Let us know about parking near the property
Book a survey
You can call us seven days a week. For a price or to book, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
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Your questions about gutter surveys in Barking
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Barking?
Usually it is manageable with a little notice. Tell us what parking is available nearby, and the visit is planned around it.
Is my home in Barking listed or in a conservation area?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
What’s the best way to book?
Just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address. We’ll ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date.
Does the season matter for a gutter survey?
You can book at any time of year. Before the wetter months gives you time to plan any work, and a wet spell can show where gutters overflow.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you will need a RICS survey as well.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it is applicable. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We will talk about access when you book.
When to book a survey in Barking
Many gutter joints depend on rubber seals or sealant that age. Plastic gutters move with heat and cold so their joints can start to leak. Cast iron joints can corrode and part once the paint has worn away.
Common reasons to book include:
- Choked outlets or hopper heads
- Overflowing valley or parapet gutters
- Fascia boards damaged by overflowing water
- Brackets that have dropped or snapped
If you live near a park such as Mayesbrook Park, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys.
Questions to ask before booking
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- What exactly goes into their report
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
More services for Barking
Barking homes and their roofs
In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. If your home in Barking is one of them, bay roofs, hips and later dormers each have their own details. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. With Eastbury Manor House about 0.1 miles east, Barking sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you look after a building like Eastbury Primary School, large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. Take an older house close to St Patrick's Church: the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Barking is about 9 miles east of London, in Greater London. We carry out gutter surveys in Barking for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings. Our Greater London coverage includes Barking. We also survey roofs in London.
Postcode districts we cover here for gutter surveys: IG11, RM9, RM8 and E6. You’ll find streets like Eastbury Square, London Road and Church Road, all of which we cover. We also cover the places around Barking: Loxford (1 mile north-west), Creekmouth (1 mile south), Wallend (1 mile west), East Ham (2 miles west) and Beckton (2 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns like London (9 miles west), City of Westminster (11 miles west), Marylebone (11 miles west), Kensington (13 miles west), St Pancras (9 miles west) and Shoreditch (8 miles west).
Around Barking
In Barking, that means homes and buildings near Mayesbrook Park, Greatfields School and The Barking Dog pub, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Barking station, roughly 0.8 miles north-west. Nearby you’ll also find East End Women's Museum (0.9 miles west) and Barking Community Hospital (under half a mile north). Green spaces nearby include Ripple Nature Reserve and Hollow Pond.
What affects the cost of gutter surveys
Prices always include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Which survey package you book
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with VAT included. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, both including VAT. You’ll know the price for the job before booking.
What to let us know when you get in touch
What helps most when you contact us:
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
- The kind of building and roof involved
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
Once you know what you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.