Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Arkley, Greater London
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Arkley, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photos.
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Arkley
Asbestos was banned in UK construction in 1999. Cement roof sheets, soffits and flue pipes are typical places to find it. We don’t test for it or carry out asbestos surveys, but our report flags materials that could contain it so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before anything is disturbed.
Things that frequently lead to a survey include:
- Old water stains in the roof space
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
If you own a rental within reach of Elstree & Borehamwood station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Questions to ask before you book
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- What exactly goes into their report
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Arkley
Buying a home is a big commitment, and the roof is one of the costliest parts to put right. Our pre-purchase roof survey gives you a close look at it before you are committed. We check the coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, plus the loft where there’s safe access. You get a photo-illustrated written report. Common reasons to book are lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney and gaps where slates or tiles have come loose, on natural slate, chimney stacks and the roof space.
Homes across London range from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war blocks and new developments, and a home in Arkley could be any of them. Whether you are buying or have just had a roof replaced, the details that cause trouble depend on the age of the building. Slates, hidden valley gutters, parapets and flat roofs over back additions all need checking in their own way.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Arkley (EN5, NW7)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
When you need someone else
To be straight with you, there are limits to any roof survey:
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
- Asbestos testing of any kind
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you. What our survey covers.
What we check
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
Buying a home or a new roof in Arkley
If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. 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. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
Wyllyotts Manor lies about 3.7 miles north-east, so building around Arkley goes back a long way. When you buy an older home, the roof’s age, past repairs and any listing all affect what you might spend later. Controlled parking zones are common in London, so mention any permit rules for Arkley, along with any off-street space.
Arkley is about 2 miles west of Barnet, in Greater London. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for householders, landlords and businesses in Arkley and nearby. Across Greater London, we cover Arkley and the places around it. Our London page covers surveys nearby.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in EN5 and NW7 are booked the same way as anywhere else. You will find streets such as Well Road, Glebe Lane and Brett Road, and we cover them all. With the A411 close by, Arkley is simple for us to get to for pre-purchase roof surveys. We also cover the places around Arkley: Rowley Green (1 mile north-west), High Barnet (1 mile north-east), Hadley (1 mile north-east), Totteridge (2 miles south-east) and Well End (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover London (12 miles south-east), City of Westminster (10 miles south), Marylebone (10 miles south), Kensington (10 miles south), St Pancras (10 miles south-east) and Shoreditch (11 miles south-east).
Around Arkley
Around Arkley, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Susi Earnshaw Theatre School, Whitings Hill Open Space and Queen Elizabeth's School and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Elstree & Borehamwood station, about 2.1 miles west. Well-known places in the area include Hilfield Castle (4.5 miles west) and Hertfordshire Scout Museum (1.9 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Glebe Lane Pastures and Darland's Lake.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
FAQs for Arkley
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Arkley?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Are there drone restrictions around Arkley?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. 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. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
It depends on the roof and how confident you want to be. Home surveys sometimes suggest a closer look at the roof, and our survey gives you that closer look. It does not stand in for a RICS survey.
Do you work in Arkley?
Yes, we do. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Arkley, and the service is the same as everywhere else we work.
What if it rains on the day?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drone flights need calm, dry weather, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. We’ll rearrange with you if the weather isn’t right.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so the freeholder or managing agent needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
The sooner after your offer is accepted, the better. You need the report before you exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
Places near Arkley
What else we do in Arkley
What happens on the day
On the day, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you want to find out. After that, we check everything we can see safely. The survey usually takes an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. For a visit in Arkley, parking and access are the things to plan: let us know about parking, the floor the property is on, any shared entrance and loft access. On the day, the roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from inside the roof space and from the roof where it’s safe.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- We check the roof from ground level, from windows, from the loft space and from the roof where safe.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Preparing for the visit
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Book a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To send them or to book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
What happens if roof problems are left?
When a chain is moving fast, a roof survey can feel like one more delay. We visit on weekdays and at weekends, and the Premium Survey report arrives the same day, which helps it fit around your exchange date. In a London terrace or conversion, a roof defect rarely stays your problem alone: failed flashings and blocked valley gutters can send water into more than one home. Dealing with it early is far less disruptive.
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on how big and how high the roof is, how it can be seen safely and the package you choose.
What you get with us
- Visits on any day of the week
- Package prices that include VAT
- Plain-English reports with photos
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
Take a look at our cost guide or two real surveys.
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney stacks
Our chimney check is a visual one, not a flue, gas or sweep inspection. If a flue needs testing, we will suggest who to ask.
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.