Greater London · London and the South East
New roof snagging in Eltham, Greater London
A careful look at the new roof at your property in Eltham, with photographs and a written report.
- Underlay ending short at the eaves
- Missing or blocked roof ventilation
- Loose or badly finished ridge tiles
Before and after the survey
There is plenty you can do without going near the roof. What helps most:
- Check ceilings and the loft after heavy rain
- Tell your roofer the work will be inspected
- Check before your warranty period ends
- Check that gutters weren’t left full of offcuts
You receive a written report with photos of each snag and written recommendations. You can send it straight to your roofer.
Keep the final payment until the roof has been checked if your contract allows it. It gives the roofer a reason to finish everything.
New roof snagging in Eltham: what you get
A snag is a fault or unfinished detail left when work is done. On a roof, snags are often at the edges and junctions, where the detailing is hardest. We inspect as far as can be seen safely and photograph each snag. Typical snags include loose ridge tiles, poorly dressed flashings and debris left in gutters. Common reasons to book are debris left in gutters or valleys and loose or badly finished ridge tiles, on ridges and verges, replacement roofs and flashings and valleys.
London’s housing runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war estates and new blocks of flats, so a property in Eltham might be any of these. Whether the roof is old or newly laid, the problem areas depend on how and when the building went up. Slates, hidden valley gutters, parapets and flat roofs over back additions all need checking in their own way.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets, each with a short note and a photograph. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Where
- Eltham (SE9, SE12, DA15, BR7)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Your questions about new roof snagging in Eltham
Do you carry out roof surveys in Eltham?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, and Eltham is part of that. Just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and let us know about the property, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Eltham?
Normally it is manageable with a little notice. Let us know the parking rules on your street and we will work around them.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, like cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
What do you check on a new roof?
Coverings, ridges, verges, hips, valleys and flashings are all checked, along with ventilation, gutters and the underlay at the eaves. We look for leftover debris and knock-on damage too.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, so it’s not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
When should I book new roof snagging?
Once the roofer says the job is done, ideally before you pay in full. That leaves time to raise anything we find.
Also in Eltham
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps with budgets and planning.
Letting agents frequently book on a landlord’s behalf, and the report can go to both. Access is agreed with the tenant ahead of time.
What we are asked to look at in Eltham
A roof is hard for most owners to see properly. Without an independent check, you are relying on what can be seen from the ground and you may be asked to pay anyway.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed something like this:
- Underlay at the eaves left exposed
- Loose or badly finished ridge tiles
- Tiles or slates sitting out of line
- Poorly finished verges
Take an older house close to Church of Holy Trinity: the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
What to check before booking
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- What experience they bring
- What exactly goes into their report
- Their report turnaround times
What we do, step by step
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings as a written report with photos, emailed to you. On timing, it normally takes about one to two hours for most homes, depending on how much new work there is to check. From the street, a London terrace typically shows only its front slope or parapet, so a visit in Eltham moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. If other people live in the building, tell us who can let us into the shared parts.
- First, you let us know what the roofer did and any concerns you have.
- The new coverings, ridge, hips and verges are inspected where it’s safe to see them.
- Flashings, valleys, gutters and visible underlay at the eaves are checked.
- Where it is safe, we check the loft, then look for debris or damage left behind.
- We send a written report with photos of each snag.
How to prepare
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
How to book
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To get started, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Related advice
Buying a home or a new roof in Eltham
Eltham Palace, about 0.4 miles north-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Eltham. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older 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. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most.
If you let a flat or house near Mottingham station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in. Eltham is in London, so parking needs planning: let us know about parking bays, permits or a driveway when booking.
Eltham is about 7 miles west of Dartford, in Greater London. We survey roofs in Eltham and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and the South East. We cover towns and villages across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages. There’s also a page for London.
All of SE9, SE12, DA15 and BR7 is within our area for new roof snagging, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Streets in the area include Eltham High Street, Tarnwood Park and Elmslie Court, all of which we cover. You’ll find Eltham on the A20 and B263, so it’s easy for us to get to. If you’re just outside Eltham, we cover Middle Park (1 mile west), New Eltham (1 mile south-east), Well Hall (1 mile north), Coldharbour (1 mile south) and Avery Hill (1 mile north-east). Further out, we also cover London (8 miles north-west), City of Westminster (10 miles north-west), Marylebone (10 miles north-west), Kensington (12 miles west), St Pancras (9 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (8 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Eltham
In Eltham, that means homes and buildings near Horn Park, Eltham Church of England Primary School and The Greyhound Public House and the streets around them. Eltham has its own railway station: Mottingham station. A little further out are Eltham Community Hospital (under half a mile north) and Metropolitan Police Museum (2.1 miles east). Not far away are The Tarn and Summer Hill.
What affects the price in Eltham
All our prices include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Which survey package you book
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Height and safe access
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so the price reflects that. You will know the figure before booking.
Helping us price your survey
We’ll typically ask about:
- The address and postcode of the property
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Dates you are working to, like exchange
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
You can learn a lot from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level.