Greater London · London and the South East
Gutter survey in Shortlands, Greater London
A survey of gutters, valleys, outlets and downpipes in Shortlands, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photographs.
- Joints that drip after rain
- Leaking or loose downpipes
- Gutters that have fallen out of line
What a gutter survey doesn’t cover
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:
- Confirming asbestos in older rainwater goods
- What’s behind fascias and inside walls
- What’s hidden inside a downpipe
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will suggest the right survey before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Shortlands
- Fascias and soffits
- Parapet and box gutters
- Eaves gutters
- Outlets and hoppers
- Downpipes
- Valley gutters
Gutter surveys for homes and businesses in Shortlands
Most gutters hang from the fascia boards at the eaves, so we look at the fascias and soffits too. Water that overflows for long enough can rot timber fascias and mark the soffits underneath. Older buildings, from before 2000, can have asbestos cement soffits, gutters or downpipes. We don’t test for asbestos, so we flag anything that might contain it for a specialist asbestos surveyor to check. We are often asked to look into valley or box gutters that overflow inside and rotten fascias or stained soffits, across eaves gutters, outlets and hoppers and parapet and box gutters.
London has Victorian and Edwardian terraces in almost every borough, many with Welsh slate roofs, shared chimney stacks and parapet or valley gutters. Good slates can last over a hundred years, yet the nails often give out first and let slates slip. Homes in Shortlands are no exception. Lead flashings and shared chimney stacks on these houses need a close look too.
You receive the findings by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Where
- Shortlands (BR2, BR1, BR3)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Also near Shortlands
What else we do in Shortlands
For landlords and managing agents
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. Recommendations are set out with the most urgent first where relevant, which helps when budgeting.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work with less disruption.
What happens on the day
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. The whole visit normally takes roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, or half a day or so for a commercial building. In a London area like Shortlands, the main things to sort out are parking and access: let us know about permits, visitor bays or off-street space, which floor the property is on and how to get into the loft. On the day, the roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from inside the loft space and from the roof where it is safe.
- You tell us where you’ve seen overflows, drips or damp.
- We walk round the building and check the gutters, downpipes and fascias from the ground.
- We check hidden gutters as far as safe access allows.
- The loft space is checked for staining, where it can be reached safely.
- You receive a report with photos and recommendations.
How to prepare
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
Arrange a survey
We confirm the price for your survey before you book, so you know where you stand. Gutter survey starts from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Related advice
Shortlands: your questions answered
Is parking a problem for a survey in Shortlands?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway when booking. That way the visit can be planned around it.
How do I find out if my home in Shortlands is listed?
We can’t 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.
Will you check if gutters are causing damp inside?
The survey looks at whether rainwater is spilling onto the wall, through overflows, drips or damaged downpipes. We cannot see inside walls, so the report covers what can be seen.
How experienced are you?
We have been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have completed over 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
How fast do I get the report?
Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24–48 hours and Premium reports on the same day. Each one is emailed.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Not always. Some roofs are too steep or fragile to walk on safely. We use safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where it applies, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. We look at the roof, not the whole building, and it isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
Before and after the survey
Getting the most from a gutter survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Do not leave hidden gutters out of a clear-out
- Check for spilling water in a downpour
- Get the gutters cleaned out every year
- Do not climb a ladder to look in the gutters
How quickly the report arrives depends on the package: within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. It is sent to you by email once it’s done.
Get trees and climbers near the eaves trimmed back by someone who can do it safely. Fewer leaves in the gutters means fewer blockages.
Local roofs in Shortlands
Further from the centre, London’s housing takes in interwar semis with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles as well as slate-roofed terraces. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. Bromley Palace, about 0.8 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Shortlands. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs.
Trees in and around Church House Gardens shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters. Shop and office owners around The Mall may find that a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks. If you let a flat or house near Shortlands station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Shortlands is about 1 mile south-west of Bromley, in Greater London. We survey roofs in Shortlands as part of our work across London and South East England. We cover towns and villages across Greater London, large and small. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
We survey roofs across BR2, BR1 and BR3 for gutter surveys and the streets around it. Local streets include Hayes Lane, Stone Road and Hayes Road. Nearby, we also carry out gutter surveys in Eden Park (1 mile south-west), Hayes (2 miles south), Bromley Common (2 miles south-east), West Wickham (2 miles south-west) and Southborough (2 miles east). We also work in nearby towns such as London (8 miles north-west), City of Westminster (10 miles north-west), Marylebone (11 miles north-west), Kensington (11 miles north-west), St Pancras (10 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (10 miles north).
Near you in Shortlands
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Richmal Crompton pub, Church House Gardens and Langley Park School for Girls, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Shortlands station, about 0.5 miles north. Well-known places in the area include Bromley Hospital (0.7 miles east) and Bethlem Museum of the Mind (1.6 miles south-east). Open spaces near Shortlands include Summer Hill and Downham Woodland Walk.
How the survey changes by roof type
Box and secret gutters
Hidden gutters are a common source of leaks inside. Outlets, linings and overflows are checked as far as access allows.
Aluminium and other metal gutters
Long metal gutter runs on larger buildings can hide blocked outlets, so we check the outlets carefully.
DIY checks: what’s safe
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we look at the roof.
You can learn a lot 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.