Kent · London and the South East
Reading Street Gutter Survey
A survey of gutters, valleys, outlets and downpipes for Reading Street, from an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photographs.
- Downpipes that are split or coming away
- Leaks at the gutter joints
- Gutters packed with leaves or moss
What a gutter survey looks like in Reading Street
About 1.8 miles west lies Smallhythe Place, a reminder of how long the area around Reading Street has been built on. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Older houses across Kent often have handmade clay or peg tiles, and many have tile-hung walls. Oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of the county’s older buildings too. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
For landlords with property near Appledore (Kent) station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Reading Street is about 9 miles south-west of Ashford, in Kent. Bookings from Reading Street are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our area takes in places right across Kent, large and small. For surveys nearby, see our Maidstone page.
We survey roofs across TN30 for gutter surveys and the streets around it. Other places close to Reading Street include Stone Corner (1 mile south-west), Acton (2 miles south-west), Appledore Heath (2 miles east), Leigh Green (2 miles north-west) and Stone in Oxney (2 miles south-east). We also work in nearby towns like Ashford (9 miles north-east), Hythe (15 miles east), Tenterden (3 miles north-west), Kennington (11 miles north-east), New Romney (10 miles south-east) and Staplehurst (12 miles north-west).
Around Reading Street
Reading Street’s nearest station is Appledore (Kent) station, about 3.3 miles east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Smallhythe Place (1.8 miles west). For a walk, there is Orlestone Forest.
Gutter survey in Reading Street
Owners get in touch after seeing an overflow, finding damp or planning ahead for winter. Landlords and managing agents use it to plan maintenance and buyers sometimes want the gutters looked at before they exchange. Whoever books, we inspect and report in the same way, with photos and written recommendations. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. We survey parapet and box gutters, fascias and soffits and outlets and hoppers, and people most often book us about overflowing eaves gutters and blocked outlets and hoppers.
Some older homes in villages like Reading Street are listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
It isn’t only a list of defects. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend.
- Location
- Reading Street (TN30)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What you can safely check yourself
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we look at the roof.
Reading Street questions
Do you cover smaller places like Reading Street?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Reading Street?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, so it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
Are hidden gutters like valleys and box gutters included?
Yes, as far as they can be seen safely. We look from vantage points, the roof space and the roof itself where safe and a drone where applicable.
How soon will I get the report?
Each package has its own report time. Basic is within 48 hours, Standard is 24–48 hours and Premium is the same day. Mention any deadline when you book.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only if it’s safe. We inspect whatever is safely visible: from the ground, from windows and vantage points, from the roof space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where it applies. Anything we can’t see is noted in the report.
What happens on the day
The aim of the visit is simple: 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 normally takes about one to two hours for most houses, and longer for a large or complex roof. Older roofs in small places like Reading Street can have low, tight loft spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it’s safe.
- 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.
- Fascias, soffits and the walls below are looked at for signs of overflow.
- You get photos and written recommendations, prioritised where relevant.
Getting ready for the survey
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Arrange a survey
A quick phone call is typically the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Advice
What affects the cost of gutter surveys
Survey packages start from £150, including VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- How big the roof is
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
A Basic Survey starts from £150, inc. VAT. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both with VAT included. We confirm the price for the job before booking.
What we need to know
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. For a price or to book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
What we’re asked to look at in Reading Street
Brackets can loosen, corrode or snap over the years. A gutter full of wet debris is heavy and the extra load drags the gutter down. Lose the fall and water gathers in the dip, then overflows.
We are frequently asked to look at:
- Water backing up from a hidden gutter
- Fascia boards damaged by overflowing water
- Leaves and moss blocking gutters
- Blocked outlets and hoppers
The streets around a church like Church of St Mary are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- Whether the price includes VAT
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Places near Reading Street
Other services in Reading Street
What we can’t see
It’s a careful look at the gutter, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- The inside of buried drains
- The inside of a downpipe along its whole length
- Hidden sections we cannot view safely
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we check
- Parapet and box gutters
- Outlets and hoppers
- Fascias and soffits
- Valley gutters
- Eaves gutters
- Downpipes
Why act early in Reading Street
Water spilling from a gutter runs down and soaks the wall below. Left for months, that can lead to damp inside, worn pointing and rotten timber. Spotting the problem early tends to mean a simpler fix. Around Reading Street, older homes frequently have old roof timbers, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it is left.
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package matters as well. The price is always agreed first.
Why us?
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Visits on any day of the week
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed