Surrey · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Abinger Bottom, Surrey
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Abinger Bottom, and put it all in a photo-illustrated written report.
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Abinger Bottom
Tall, steep or hidden roofs are hard to judge from the street. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, plus a drone inspection where it applies, along with a same-day report. Where a flight is not possible, because of airspace rules or the weather, we tell you and look from ground level, windows and the loft instead. Common reasons to book are ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof and lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney, across gutters and downpipes, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and the roof space.
For a small place like Abinger Bottom, the visit is planned like any other: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed beforehand. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, along with how urgent it is.
- Location
- Abinger Bottom (RH5)
- Region
- Surrey
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from the ground
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry.
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.
What we’re asked to look at in Abinger Bottom
The fixings and underlay frequently fail before good slates or tiles do. Good slate can last well over a century, yet the nails holding it rust and let slates slide. That kind of wear is common on older roofs.
Common reasons to book include:
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- A ridge or slope that dips
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of St James, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Before booking anyone
- When you’ll get the report
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- What follow-up you get after the report
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
Landlords, agents and block managers in Abinger Bottom
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photographs, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with the freeholder or managing agent. Mention it when you contact us and we’ll plan the visit with that in mind.
What we do, step by step
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the roof space if there is safe access. All told, expect roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Somewhere like Abinger Bottom needs a little journey planning: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect everything that’s safely in view, inside and out.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from ground level and from vantage points.
- Inside, we check the roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
How to prepare
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Tell us about parking before the day
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Arrange a survey
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email when you are ready.
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Buying a home or a new roof in Abinger Bottom
In Surrey, older roofs are often handmade clay tile, with tile-hanging on many upper walls. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old buildings in Surrey. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most. If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
Polesden Lacey lies about 4.6 miles north, so building around Abinger Bottom goes back a long way. Buying a period property here means asking about the roof’s age and repairs, and about any listing or conservation area. If you own a rental within reach of Gomshall station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Abinger Bottom is about 4 miles south-west of Dorking, in Surrey. We survey roofs in Abinger Bottom and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and South East England. Our area takes in places right across Surrey, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Guildford.
We cover every part of RH5 for pre-purchase roof surveys. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Friday Street (1 mile north), Abinger Common (1 mile north-west), Coldharbour (2 miles south-east), Forest Green (2 miles south) and South Holmwood (3 miles east). Larger places within reach include Guildford (9 miles north-west), Woking (12 miles north-west), Epsom (11 miles north-east), Horley (10 miles east), Redhill (10 miles east) and Ewell (13 miles north-east).
What’s near Abinger Bottom
In Abinger Bottom, that means homes and buildings near Wotton and Abinger Commons, Hurtwood House and The Stephan Langton Inn. The closest station to Abinger Bottom is Gomshall station, roughly 3 miles north-west of the centre. A little further out are Abinger Castle (1.1 miles north-west) and Mesolithic Museum (1.1 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Combe Bottom and Leith Hill.
Why get it checked now?
When a chain is moving fast, a roof survey can feel like one more delay. Weekend visits are available as well as weekdays, and a Premium report comes the same day, which helps it fit around your exchange date. Matching old materials, such as handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. That is one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, inc. VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you need to know.
What you get with us
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- An independent look at the roof
- 98% of customers satisfied
- Package prices that include VAT
Read our cost guide and two real surveys.
Roof by roof
Clay and concrete tiles
Tiled roofs often last half a century or longer. We check for slipped, cracked and missing tiles, along with odd replacement tiles that hint at earlier leaks.
Natural slate
Older slate roofs often have bitumen felt under them, and very old ones may have none. Where we can see it from the loft, we say what condition it is in.
Towns and villages near Abinger Bottom
More services for Abinger Bottom
Questions from Abinger Bottom
Do you carry out roof surveys in Abinger Bottom?
Yes, Abinger Bottom is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Abinger Bottom as anywhere else.
Is my home in Abinger Bottom listed or in a conservation area?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Is your roof survey a RICS survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it is not a RICS home survey. It works alongside a home survey.
Do you need access inside the house?
Where possible, yes. The loft tells us a lot about the roof, and views from upper windows help too. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Light rain is typically fine; heavy rain and wind are different. Strong wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, so we’d move the date with you.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Only where it’s safe. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where applicable.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That way you can still act on what we find.