Greater London · London and the South East
Gutter survey in Finchley, Greater London
Wondering about the gutter at a property in Finchley? You can book a gutter survey in Finchley and across Greater London.
- Overflowing valley or parapet gutters
- Cracked or loose downpipes
- Rotten fascias or stained soffits
About our gutter survey in Finchley
Some gutters are easy to see from the street but lots of gutters are tucked away. Valley gutters between slopes, gutters behind parapet walls and box or secret gutters can overflow inside the building when they block. We inspect them as far as it is safe to see them, from the ground, from windows, from the loft space and from the roof where it is safe. Hidden gutters are a common source of leaks inside. If you’ve noticed leaks at the gutter joints and leaves and moss blocking gutters, we can find out what’s behind it.
A London butterfly roof slopes down to a central valley gutter that drains to the back of the house. From the street you see only a parapet wall, so blocked outlets and split linings go unnoticed until water comes through a ceiling. For a house in Finchley with this kind of roof, the hidden gutter is one of the first things to check.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Place
- Finchley (N3, N2, N12, NW11)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Local roofs in Finchley
Alongside Victorian and Edwardian terraces, outer London has a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs of clay or concrete tiles. Hips, bay roofs and later loft conversions are typical of those semis, if your home is one of them. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. Historic houses such as Heath Hall, about 1.8 miles south, show how far back building in the area around Finchley goes. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Landlords with a home close to New Southgate station may find that the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near St Paul's Finchley, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Finchley is about 6 miles north of City of Westminster, in Greater London. Wherever you are in Finchley, we can come and survey your property. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, large and small. We also survey roofs in London.
Surveys in N3, N2, N12 and NW11 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Streets in the area include Station Road, Chaplin Square and Market Place, and we cover them all. You will find Finchley on the B1462, so it is easy for us to get to. If you’re just outside Finchley, we cover Church End (1 mile west), Woodside Park (1 mile north), North Finchley (1 mile north), Friern Barnet (2 miles north-east) and Oakleigh Park (2 miles north). Larger places within reach include London (8 miles south-east), City of Westminster (6 miles south), Marylebone (6 miles south), Kensington (7 miles south), St Pancras (6 miles south-east) and Shoreditch (7 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Finchley
Around Finchley, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Elephant Inn, Bishop Douglass School and Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum. Nearby too are Victoria Park (under half a mile north) and Woodhouse College (1 mile north-east). Finchley’s nearest station is New Southgate station, roughly 1.9 miles north-east. Other landmarks nearby include Finchley Memorial Hospital (within half a mile north-east) and Grand Arcade (1 mile north). Not far away are Highgate Hill and Lakeside Nature Reserve.
Do you need a gutter survey in Finchley?
A good many tiled and slate roofs carry moss, and rain washes it down into the gutters. Mixed with grit from the roof, it settles as silt that holds water in the gutter and lets weeds take root.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Choked outlets or hopper heads
- Valley or box gutters that overflow inside
- Gutters overflowing in heavy rain
- Downpipes that are split or coming away
If you look after a building like Manorside Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- How long the report takes to arrive
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
Landlord and commercial surveys in Finchley
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it when booking and we will plan the visit with that in mind.
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, call 07833 053749 or email us with the addresses.
Why get it checked now?
Clearing gutters removes the debris but it will not explain why water keeps spilling over. We also check the falls, joints, brackets, outlets and downpipes, so you know whether there is more to it. A hidden valley or parapet gutter on a London house can hold water for weeks before anyone notices. By the time a ceiling stains, the timbers underneath may have been wet for a while.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can be seen safely and the package you choose.
Why us?
- Package prices that include VAT
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- 5,000+ surveys completed
Take a look at our cost guide and two real surveys.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
Also near Finchley
Also in Finchley
What we do, step by step
On the day, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you need to know. After that, we check everything we can see safely. The survey typically takes between one and two hours on an ordinary house, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. In Finchley, visits are available on weekdays and at weekends. London parking is frequently by permit or pay-and-display, so it helps to know what’s near you. A back bedroom window can be the best vantage point for a rear addition, so we may ask to use one.
- First, you let us know what you’ve seen, like overflows or damp.
- We look along the gutters, downpipes and fascias from ground level and from windows.
- Valley, parapet and box gutters are inspected as far as they can safely be seen.
- We look in the loft space, where there’s safe access, for signs of water getting in.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Booking a survey
Getting a price is simple: just call 07833 053749 or email us and give us a few details about the property and we will point you to the right survey. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Before and after the survey
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Tips:
- Look for green streaks or damp patches on walls
- Keep climbers away from the eaves
- Do not climb a ladder to look in the gutters
- Check downpipe clips are holding
For let and shared buildings, the report can go on file and use it to plan upkeep. The photos help when you explain the work to others.
Hidden gutters need clearing too. They block in the same way as the gutters you can see but they’re much harder to spot, so check they’re included in any clearing work.
Common questions in Finchley
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Finchley?
Normally it is manageable with a little notice. Let us know the parking rules on your street and we’ll work around them.
Can a landlord with a rental near New Southgate station book a roof survey?
Yes, landlords and letting agents book with us as well as owners. You can ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and some details, including who will give access on the day.
How much is a gutter survey?
Gutter survey starts from £150, including VAT. The size of the property and the access affect the price. To get a price, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Do you use drones?
Where it’s applicable and safe, yes. We are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It is included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where it applies, the Premium Survey.
Will you check the drains below ground?
No. We look at above-ground rainwater only down to where the downpipes reach the ground. If a drain below ground looks like the cause, the report says so.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Only where it is safe to do so. We look at everything that can safely be seen: from ground level, from windows and vantage points, from the loft space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we cannot see is noted in the report.
What happens next?
You’ll receive the report by email, and you decide the next step: use it with a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent.