Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Barnet
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Barnet, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Barnet
If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. About 3.5 miles north lies Wyllyotts Manor, a reminder of how long the area around Barnet has been built on. If you own one of the older houses, 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.
If you let a flat or house near New Barnet station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer. Barnet is in London, so parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day easier.
Barnet is about 9 miles east of Watford, in Greater London. We survey roofs in Barnet and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and South East England. Barnet is one of the towns and villages in Greater London where we work. There is also a page for London.
Here we cover the EN5, EN4, N20 and N11 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We cover properties on Station Road, High Street and Sambroke Square. With the B193 and A1081 close by, Barnet is simple for us to get to. We also cover Underhill (1 mile west), New Barnet (1 mile east), Monken Hadley (1 mile north-west), Hadley Wood (1 mile north-east) and Cockfosters (1 mile east). We also work in nearby towns like London (11 miles south), City of Westminster (9 miles south), Marylebone (9 miles south), Kensington (10 miles south), St Pancras (9 miles south) and Shoreditch (10 miles south-east).
Landmarks near Barnet
We work in homes and buildings around Queen Elizabeth's Girls' School, The Railway Tavern and Highlands Gardens. The closest station to Barnet is New Barnet station, roughly 0.6 miles east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Barnet General Hospital (1.2 miles west) and Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum (2.1 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Darland's Lake and Greenhill Gardens.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Barnet
A Basic Survey starts from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. Standard adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. Premium goes further, with thermal imaging, a drone where applicable and a same-day report. Choose the level that suits the home you are buying. All three include a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations. If you’re worried about slipped or missing slates and tiles and gutters that overflow or drip at the joints, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on the roof space, natural slate and flat-roofed extensions and dormers alike.
London’s housing runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war estates and new blocks of flats, so a property in Barnet might be any of these. Whether you are buying or have just had a roof replaced, the details that cause trouble depend on the age of the building. Slate roofs, butterfly valleys, parapet gutters and flat-roofed rear additions each have their own weak points.
We write the report in plain English, so you don’t need to be a roofer to follow it. Photographs show what each point refers to, and recommendations are put by urgency where it matters.
- Where
- Barnet (EN5, EN4, N20, N11)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Roof by roof
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead-lined valleys and gutters are common on older homes in London and the South East. Splits in a lead valley send water inside, and lead is also a target for theft.
Gutters and parapets
A butterfly roof drains to a central valley gutter, usually to the back of the house. If the home you are buying has one, that gutter and its outlet get a careful look.
How the survey works
The visit has one job: to see as much of the roof as can be seen safely and record it clearly. Notes and photographs go into the written report. The visit usually takes about one to two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. From the street, a London terrace usually shows only its front slope or parapet, so a visit in Barnet moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. Shared stairs or a basement flat? Let us know who holds the keys.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- We agree a time and how we will get in, including the loft.
- The roof is inspected from every safe vantage point, inside and out.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- We email a written report with photographs and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Jot down any questions you want answered
Booking a survey
Not sure which survey you need? It’s easiest to ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Related advice
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Barnet
Are there drone restrictions around Barnet?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. London’s airspace includes flight restriction zones around Heathrow, London City Airport and London Heliport, and 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 my home in Barnet listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. It is a roof survey by an experienced roof surveyor, with a written report and photos. It is not a RICS survey and doesn’t cover the rest of the house.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey seven days a week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
When will the report arrive?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email, with photos.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Do you go up on the roof?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft.
Useful tips for Barnet property owners
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Ask the agent to check the loft hatch can be opened
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Let us know your exchange date as you book
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
We email the report to you, with photos of each finding. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Each defect is explained in plain words, and recommendations are ranked by urgency where that helps.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
When to book a survey in Barnet
Flat roofs turn up on extensions, dormers, porches and garages. Felt flat roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, and ponding, blisters and splits are common signs of age. A buyer can easily miss them, particularly when they’re only visible from an upper floor.
A survey can pick up problems such as:
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
If you live in an older home near St John's United Reformed Church, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs frequently have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
What to check before booking
- What they will not be able to tell you
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Will the report include photos?
Nearby places to Barnet
Also in Barnet
Landlord and commercial surveys in Barnet
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
What happens if roof problems are left?
The lender’s valuation is done for the lender, not for you. Its job is to check the property’s value for the mortgage, not at the condition of each slate and flashing. Our survey is done for you, and the report is written for you to use. Work on a London roof is rarely simple to arrange, with parking, neighbours and access all to think about. That’s a good reason to find problems early, while there is time to plan.
To find out what your survey will cost, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and a few details. We’ll confirm the figure before booking.
What you get with us
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- An independent look at the roof
- Clear package prices, with VAT included
Read what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.