Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Barkingside, Greater London
Need a pre-purchase roof survey in Barkingside? We can help, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Barkingside
About 1.2 miles south-west lies Valentines Mansion, a reminder of how long the area around Barkingside has been built on. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
For landlords with property near Seven Kings station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. For a London address like Barkingside, it helps to know about controlled parking before the day, along with any off-street space.
Barkingside is about 3 miles south-east of Woodford, in Greater London. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Barkingside and nearby. Our area takes in places right across Greater London. You can also see our page for London.
We work across IG6, IG2 and IG5 for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on Bute Road, Duke Road and Oaks Lane. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Newbury Park (1 mile south), Fullwell Cross (1 mile north), Gants Hill (1 mile south-west), Fairlop (1 mile north) and Seven Kings (1 mile south-east). We also work in nearby towns like London (10 miles south-west), City of Westminster (11 miles south-west), Marylebone (11 miles south-west), Kensington (14 miles south-west), St Pancras (10 miles south-west) and Shoreditch (8 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Barkingside
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The New Fairlop Oak pub, Fairlop Waters and Ilford County High School, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Seven Kings station, about 1.6 miles south. Well-known places in the area include King George Hospital (1.2 miles east) and Redbridge Museum (2 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Hollow Pond and Hainault Lodge.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Barkingside
With a written roof report, you can go back to the seller or agent with specifics. You might ask about past repairs, ask for work to be done before completion or think again about your offer. We can’t say how a seller will respond, but you will be asking from facts rather than guesses. It also helps you decide whether to go ahead at all. Typical surveys look at slates or tiles that have slipped or gone and bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs, across gutters and downpipes, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and clay and concrete tiles.
Many London homes have been converted into flats, extended at the back or given a loft conversion with a dormer. Every alteration brings new junctions, flashings and flat-roof areas to look at. If you’re buying a flat or house in Barkingside, or have just had new roofing work done, those junctions are often where problems start. Lead work around dormers and new flat roofs is easy to get wrong and easy to miss.
We write the report in plain English, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Photographs show what each point refers to.
- Location
- Barkingside (IG6, IG2, IG5)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Surveys for landlords and agents in Barkingside
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- Asbestos testing of any kind
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
Barkingside questions
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Barkingside?
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.
Is parking a problem for a survey in Barkingside?
It can be, so it helps to let us know about permits, visitor bays or off-street space when you book. The visit is then planned around what’s available.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
It depends on the roof and how confident you want to be. A home survey may recommend further investigation of the roof, and that is where a roof survey helps. It doesn’t stand in for a RICS survey.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes, you can. You’ll have photos and a written description of each defect, so you can raise them with the seller or their agent. How the seller responds is up to them.
How long does the survey visit take?
Allow about 1–2 hours for a house, and more on a big or complicated roof. We’ll give you an idea of timing as you book.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in Barkingside?
Just call 07833 053749 or email us. We’ll ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date.
How experienced are you?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have completed over 5,000 surveys.
How it works
After the inspection, everything we found is written up as a written report with photos, sent to you by email. On timing, it typically takes about one to two hours at a typical home, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Surveys in Barkingside 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. A back bedroom window can be the best vantage point for a rear addition, so we may ask to use one.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Before the survey
- Keep pets in another room
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
Booking a survey
If you are buying, it’s useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form whenever suits you.
Related advice
Before and after the survey
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Ask the agent to check the loft hatch can be opened
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Book once your offer is accepted
It’s worth sharing the report with your solicitor so they can raise enquiries with the seller’s side. It can prompt questions about past roof work and any paperwork for it, especially where we have found patch repairs.
Once you’ve moved in, keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Blocked gutters cause much of the damp we see. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.
Why act early in Barkingside
Small roof defects let water in slowly. By the time a stain shows, timber or plaster may already be damp. Spotting it before you buy means you know about it from day one. Behind a London parapet, a blocked gutter can sit full of water without anyone seeing it. By the time a ceiling stains, the timbers underneath may have been wet for a while.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with VAT included. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, both including VAT. You will know the price for your roof before booking.
Why book us in Barkingside
- Visits on any day of the week
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
See our cost guide and two real surveys.
Also near Barkingside
Also in Barkingside
What we’re asked to look at in Barkingside
Viewings rarely include a proper look at the roof. You see the rooms, not the slates. Fresh decoration can also cover the marks an old leak left behind, which is why buyers book a closer look before committing.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
Take an older house close to Children's Church And Lych Gate At Barnardo's: ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs frequently have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Questions to ask before booking
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- What follow-up you get after the report
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- What the survey won’t cover