Greater London · London and the South East
Gutter survey in Old Town, Greater London
Gutter surveys around Old Town, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Water backing up from a hidden gutter
- Gutters packed with leaves or moss
- Joints that drip after rain
Tips from our surveys
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Don’t leave hidden gutters out of a clear-out
- Have overhanging branches cut back
- Check the loft with care after heavy rain
- Note any damp stains below the gutters
Questions about the report are welcome. With the Standard Survey there is a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey includes an in-person consultation.
Watch your gutters from ground level or a window during heavy rain. Water spilling over the edge or out of a joint is a sign that something needs attention before damage builds up.
How a gutter survey works in Old Town
People book a gutter survey when gutters overflow, when damp appears or before the wetter months. Landlords and managing agents use it to plan maintenance, and some buyers want the rainwater system checked before exchange. The survey and report follow the same steps whatever the reason with photos and clear recommendations. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. If you’ve noticed overflowing valley or parapet gutters and rotten fascias or stained soffits, we can find out what’s behind it.
London has a great many flats in converted houses and purpose-built blocks, so roofs are often shared between several households. Landlords, managing agents and residents’ companies need to know what condition it is in and what work is coming up. Leaks from a shared roof rarely affect just one home. A report gives everyone the same picture to plan from, with photos.
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.
- Place
- Old Town (CR0, CR9, CR90)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
The visit has one job: to look at the gutter as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. The visit usually takes about one to two hours at a house, depending on how many gutter runs and downpipes there are. 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.
- We agree which parts of the building you’re most worried about.
- We look along each run for debris, sagging and drips.
- We check the outlets, hoppers, downpipes and any overflows.
- We check fascias, soffits and walls for water damage.
- Findings are photographed and set out in a written report.
Getting ready for the survey
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
How to book
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
Landlord and commercial surveys in Old Town
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan.
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps when budgeting.
Honest limits
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Hidden sections we can’t view safely
- Pipes below ground level
- Confirming asbestos in older rainwater goods
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you before booking. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Downpipes
- Valley gutters
- Parapet and box gutters
- Fascias and soffits
- Outlets and hoppers
- Eaves gutters
Nearby places to Old Town
What else we do in Old Town
Can I check my roof myself?
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 don’t climb up for a closer look.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date.
Questions from Old Town
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Old Town?
In much of London, parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day run more smoothly, so mention what’s available when booking.
I let a flat near West Croydon station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, that’s a common request. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Is Old Town in your area?
Yes. We cover Old Town and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and South East England. For a price, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Is a Saturday or Sunday visit possible?
Yes. Surveys are carried out on weekdays and at weekends. Just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email to arrange a day.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It is a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
Does the report include photographs?
Yes. Photos are part of every report.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so whoever owns or manages the building needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
Roof by roof
Lead-lined valley and parapet gutters
Many older homes have lead-lined valley and parapet gutters. Splits and failed joints in the lead can let water straight in.
Box and secret gutters
A box gutter is built into the roof, frequently behind a parapet, so overflows can end up inside. We check them where they can safely be seen.
Old Town homes and their roofs
Outer London has lots of Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Whatever the covering, it is frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. With Addington Palace about 3 miles east, Old Town sits in an area with a long building history. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Trees in and around Duppas Hill shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for example near Centrale Croydon, a roof report helps plan work around trading rather than after a leak. Take an older house close to Croydon Minster: the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Old Town is about 1 mile north-west of Croydon, in Greater London. If you are in Old Town, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Across Greater London, we cover Old Town. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
Here we cover the CR0, CR9 and CR90 postcode area for gutter surveys. We offer gutter surveys to properties on Park Lane, Fell Road and Abbey Road. Nearby, we also carry out gutter surveys in Waddon (1 mile south-west), Broad Green (1 mile north), Beddington (1 mile west), Bandonhill (1 mile south-west) and Russell Hill (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (9 miles north), City of Westminster (10 miles north), Marylebone (10 miles north), Kensington (10 miles north-west), St Pancras (11 miles north) and Shoreditch (11 miles north).
Landmarks near Old Town
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Rutherford School, The Gun Tavern and St Andrew's CofE School, among other places. Old Town has its own railway station: West Croydon station. Other landmarks nearby include Croydon University Hospital (1.2 miles north) and Croydon Airport Visitor Centre (1.3 miles south-west). For a walk, there is Roundshaw Downs and Duppas Hill.