Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Addington, Greater London
We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Addington and the rest of Greater London. We survey seven days a week.
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Addington
The best time to book is once your offer has been accepted and before you exchange contracts. That’s when the findings are most useful, because nothing is binding yet. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when a sale is moving quickly. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. We survey the roof space, lead flashings and valleys and natural slate, and people most often book us about standing water on a flat extension roof and signs of past leaks inside the loft.
London’s housing runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war estates and new blocks of flats, and a home in Addington could be any of them. 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.
Where we cannot see part of the roof, the report says so. You will know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Location
- Addington (CR0, CR2, BR4)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we look for on each type of roof
Natural slate
On a slate roof, the underlay may be old bitumen felt, or there may be none at all on very old roofs. From inside the loft space, we report what we can see of it.
Clay and concrete tiles
Older homes in the South East frequently have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles on some. Where pegs have rotted, tiles can slip, so we look for gaps along the courses.
Buying a home or a new roof in Addington
In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. Hips, bay roofs and later loft conversions are typical of those semis, if your home is one of them. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most. With Addington Palace about 0.4 miles west, Addington sits in an area with a long building history. Older homes in the wider area often 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.
As a London address, Addington can be tricky for parking: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day easier, as a space near the door cannot be promised. If you let a flat or house near West Wickham station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. Take an older house close to Church of St Mary: the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Addington is about 3 miles south-east of Ashburton, in Greater London. Surveys in Addington work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Addington is one of the places in Greater London we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. We also survey roofs in London.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: CR0, CR2 and BR4. Streets in the area include Lodge Lane, Falconwood Road and Addington Village Road. We also cover Coney Hall (1 mile north), Forestdale (1 mile south), Spring Park (1 mile north), New Addington (1 mile south-east) and Selsdon (1 mile south-west). We also work in nearby towns like London (10 miles north), City of Westminster (12 miles north-west), Marylebone (12 miles north-west), Kensington (12 miles north-west), St Pancras (12 miles north) and Shoreditch (12 miles north).
Around Addington
In Addington, that means homes and buildings near Addington Park and John Ruskin College, among other places. The closest station to Addington is West Wickham station, roughly 1.7 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include National Psychosis Unit (1.6 miles north) and St George's Walk (3.1 miles west). The countryside around Addington includes Bramley Bank and Duppas Hill.
What affects the price in Addington
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. The main factors are:
- House, block, shop or office
- Which survey package you book
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- How many separate roofs there are, like extensions, dormers and garages
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 with VAT included. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Booking your survey
There’s no need for technical words. It’s enough to tell us:
- Dates you are working to, such as exchange
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- What made you get in touch
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. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Can I check my roof myself?
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
A lot can be seen from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Honest limits
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
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. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
How it works
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the roof space if there’s safe access. In total, it takes roughly 1–2 hours for a house, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Surveys in Addington can be booked for any day of the week. London parking is frequently by permit or pay-and-display, so it helps to know what’s near you, and to clear a path to the loft hatch. A back bedroom window can be the best vantage point for a rear addition, so we may ask to use one.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you are buying.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Before the survey
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
Arrange a survey
Not sure which survey you need? It is easiest to ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
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Towns and villages near Addington
Also in Addington
Questions from Addington
Is parking a problem for a survey in Addington?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway when you book. That way the visit can be planned around it.
Is drone flying allowed in Addington?
That depends on where the roof is and on the weather. Across London there are restriction zones around Heathrow, London City and London Heliport, plus restricted areas over Hyde Park, the City of London and the Isle of Dogs. Every London address is checked against them before a flight. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather, and the rest of the survey doesn’t depend on the drone.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. Roofs over flats are frequently shared, so we need permission from whoever owns or manages the building. We inspect only the parts we’re allowed to reach.
Do you need to go inside the property?
If it can be arranged, yes. From the roof space we can see staining, timbers and underlay. If we can’t get in, the report says so.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. You might ask for work to be done, ask questions or ask for a change to the price. The outcome is between you and the seller, so we can’t promise any saving.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in, while outside access can be discussed as you book.
Before and after the survey
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Ask for loft access on the day
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. They’ll see exactly what we found, and where, so each quote covers the same ground.
Do not block the vents at the eaves. Condensation in a roof space can look like a leak and can damage timbers over time. Keep insulation clear of eaves vents so air can move.