Greater London · London and the South East
Aldwych Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Aldwych. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
Pre-purchase roof survey in Aldwych
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. That is when the findings are most useful, because nothing is binding yet. We survey seven days a week, 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’re often asked to look into ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof and flashings that have lifted or split, across natural slate, the roof space and flat-roofed extensions and dormers.
Homes across London range from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war blocks and new developments, so a property in Aldwych 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. Slate roofs, butterfly valleys, parapet gutters and flat-roofed rear additions each have their own weak points.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the coverings down to the gutters, with a note and a photo for each point. It records what’s sound as well as what isn’t.
- Where
- Aldwych (W1D, WC2H, W1F)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips from our surveys
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
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.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, particularly after autumn. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.
Common questions in Aldwych
Is my home in Aldwych listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Is drone flying allowed in Aldwych?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. The flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea comes within about 2 miles of Aldwych. The exact boundary is checked for each address before any flight, and a roof inside it needs permission before we fly. Aldwych is about 2 miles from the restricted area over the City of London, where drone flights need permission from NATS. If a roof falls inside it, we apply for permission before flying, and the flight only goes ahead if it’s granted. 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. Each address is checked against all of them before the drone goes up. Strong wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in Aldwych?
It is easiest to ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email. Give us the address and a few details about the roof, and we’ll suggest the right survey. We survey on any day of the week.
Are you insured?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and details are available on request.
Do you go up on the roof?
Where it’s safe, yes. Much of the inspection is done from ground level, from windows and from the roof space. On Premium, a drone is used where applicable.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, like cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
It’s your choice, but the two do different jobs. A home survey looks at the whole property, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
Leave it or get it looked at?
It is tempting to skip the roof to keep a sale moving. Weekend visits are available as well as weekdays, and the Premium Survey report arrives the same day, which helps it fit around your exchange date. 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 alone, that means wet timbers and plaster, which is a far bigger job than the roof fault itself.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included.
Why us?
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Clear package prices, inc. VAT
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or two real surveys.
What happens on the day
Photos are taken throughout the visit, so the report shows exactly what we saw. We take close-ups from wherever is safe. Most surveys take between one and two hours at most homes, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. From the street, a London terrace typically shows only its front slope or parapet, so in Aldwych we work round the house, using the street, the windows, the loft and any safe vantage point behind it. Shared stairs or a basement flat? Let us know who holds the keys.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- 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
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
Arrange a survey
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Read more
How the survey changes by roof type
Flat roofs
Standing water, blisters, splits and tired upstands all point to wear. We check outlets too, since a blocked one leaves water sitting on the roof.
Chimney stacks
A stack stands exposed above the roof line. We check the pots, the flaunching, the pointing and the flashings.
What this survey can’t tell you
It’s a careful look at the roof, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll recommend the right survey. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Aldwych
- Natural slate
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
Also near Aldwych
More services for Aldwych
DIY checks: what’s safe
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Do not go up yourself.
Local roofs and buyers in Aldwych
Historic houses such as Dr Johnson's House, about 0.4 miles east, show how far back building in the area around Aldwych goes. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. The restricted area over the City of London, where drone flights need permission from NATS, is about 2 miles from Aldwych. If your survey includes the drone, the address is checked against it before any flight.
For landlords with property near London Charing Cross station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. For a London address like Aldwych, it helps to know about controlled parking before the day. For an older house near a landmark like St Mary le Strand, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Aldwych is about 1 mile north-west of London, in Greater London. Surveys in Aldwych work the same way as everywhere we cover: a proper look at what can be seen safely, photographs and a clear written report. Aldwych is one of the places in Greater London where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys.
Every address in W1D, WC2H and W1F is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys. Whether your property is on Shoe Lane, Drury Lane and New Square or a nearby road, we can survey it. With the A4 and A301 close by, Aldwych is simple for us to get to. We also cover Clare Market (1 mile north), Covent Garden (1 mile west), Temple Bar (1 mile east), Temple (1 mile east) and Adelphi (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include Kensington (4 miles west), Walthamstow (6 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (13 miles west), Stockwell (3 miles south) and Orpington (13 miles south-east).
Near you in Aldwych
Typical jobs here are in homes near Ye Old White Horse pub, Lincoln's Inn Fields and Mercers' School, among other places. You’ll also find LSE Shaw Library (under half a mile north-east) and London Nautical School (0.6 miles south-east). Aldwych’s nearest station is London Charing Cross station, roughly 0.5 miles south-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Montfichet's Tower (0.7 miles east) and Gabriel's Wharf (0.5 miles south-east). The countryside around Aldwych includes Barnsbury Wood and Ludgate Hill.