Greater London · London and the South East
Landlord roof survey in Downe, Greater London
Landlord roof surveys in Downe, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Flashings that have come away
- Damp or stains in top-floor flats
- Damaged party-wall upstands or parapets
Honest limits
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so there are some things a survey cannot cover:
- Whether materials contain asbestos (a specialist asbestos surveyor’s job)
- Structural calculations or an engineer’s report
- Who pays under the lease (that is a legal question)
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Shared roofs
- Blocks of flats
- Rented houses
- Gutters and downpipes
- Converted houses
- Flat roofs on blocks
Landlord roof survey in Downe: what you get
Managing agents and freeholders use our reports to plan maintenance and budgets. You can see what’s urgent and what can wait based on what can be seen. It doesn’t include repair cost estimates but contractors can price from it. Urgent defects are flagged clearly, so you can deal with it first and budget for the rest. If you’ve noticed ceiling stains reported by tenants and standing water on a flat roof, we can find out what’s behind it.
London has Victorian and Edwardian terraces in almost every borough, many with Welsh slate roofs, shared chimney stacks and parapet or valley gutters. Slates can last a century or more, but the nails holding them corrode, and slates slip. In Downe, as across London, that’s why a roof needs a close look rather than a glance from the street. Lead flashings and shared chimney stacks on these houses need a careful look too.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Downe (BR6)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Why get it checked now?
Tenants can only report what shows inside. A ceiling stain often means water has been coming in for some time. A survey looks at the roof itself. Many older London roofs have only old felt under the slates, or no underlay at all, so once the slates or flashings let water past, little stops it reaching ceilings. Left unchecked, water soaks into timber and plaster and the damage spreads.
Every price we give includes VAT. Landlord roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. We confirm the exact price before booking.
Why book with us
- Packages from £150, with VAT included
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Read our cost guide and our case studies.
Different roofs, different checks
Pitched roofs on houses and blocks
Slate and tiled pitched roofs are common on let and shared buildings. We check coverings, ridges, hips, valleys and flashings where it’s safe to see them.
Shared chimney stacks
Damp in a chimney breast can start at the top of the stack. We record anything visible.
More services for Downe
What we do, step by step
We will ask a few questions first, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes an hour or two for a single let house, with blocks of flats taking longer. Many London properties are flats or terraces with no side access, so the back of the roof is often seen from upstairs windows, from inside or, where a flight is allowed, from the air. If the building has a managing agent or access rules, let us know when booking.
- We agree the roofs to be surveyed and what you need the report for.
- Access to flats and the loft space is arranged by you or your agent.
- We inspect each roof as far as it can be seen safely.
- Every defect is photographed and its urgency noted where relevant.
- A written condition report follows to help you plan.
Preparing for the visit
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
Book a survey
To book a survey, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We will confirm the price before booking.
Read more
What we are asked to look at in Downe
A roof nobody lives directly under can be easy to overlook. Small defects go unnoticed until water comes through a ceiling and by then more has been damaged.
Common reasons to book include:
- Mortar falling from ridges and verges
- Chimney stacks in poor repair
- Cracked or lifting flashings
- Gutters overflowing onto walls
Landlords with a home close to Chelsfield station may find that a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
What to check before booking
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
What a landlord roof survey looks like in Downe
With Down House about 0.6 miles south, Downe 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. Outer London has plenty 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. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
Take a building like Downe Primary School: large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. If you live in an older home near St Mary's Church, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Downe is about 4 miles south-west of Orpington, in Greater London. We survey roofs in Downe and the rest of Greater London. Our Greater London coverage includes Downe and the places around it. Our London page covers surveys nearby.
Every address in BR6 is within our area for landlord roof surveys. Whether your property is on High Street, North End Lane and Belle Vue Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. Other places close to Downe include Farthing Street (1 mile north-west), Hazelwood (1 mile east), Luxted (1 mile south), Leaves Green (1 mile west) and Single Street (2 miles south). Further out, we also cover London (13 miles north-west), City of Westminster (15 miles north-west), Marylebone (15 miles north-west), St Pancras (15 miles north-west), Shoreditch (14 miles north-west) and Hoxton (15 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Downe
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Queens Head pub, Charles Darwin School and South Park, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Chelsfield station, roughly 2.6 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Crofton Roman Villa (2.7 miles north-east) and Princess Royal University Hospital (1.8 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Downe Bank Nature Reserve and Betsom's Hill.
Common questions in Downe
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Downe?
Parking in Downe, as in most of London, takes a little planning: a visitor permit or a bay close to the door helps a lot.
I let a flat near Chelsfield station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. Just phone 07833 053749 or email us with the details.
Are you insured?
We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Can you survey a shared roof on a terrace or converted house?
Yes, we survey shared roofs often. We can only inspect neighbouring parts from where we are allowed to be and we will say so.
Does the report help with maintenance planning?
Yes, that is one of the main reasons clients book. A repeat survey later shows how the roof has changed, which suits a rolling plan.
How long does the survey take?
Time on site depends on the roof; most visits take about one to two hours for a single let house, with blocks of flats taking longer. The written report follows by email.
What does a roof survey cost?
Prices start from £150, including VAT. You will know the price for the job before booking, based on the roof’s size, access and package. For a price, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Downe
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with the building owner or managing agent. Mention it when you get in touch and we will plan the survey around it.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the addresses.