Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Bow Common, Greater London
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat around Bow Common, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
Pre-purchase roof survey in Bow Common: what you get
A RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey covers the whole building, so the roof is one item among many. Our survey isn’t a RICS survey, and it doesn’t replace one. What it adds is a closer look at the roof alone, with photos and written recommendations you can act on. The two sit side by side. We survey flat-roofed extensions and dormers, natural slate and gutters and downpipes, and the problems we are asked to look at most are sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes and gutters that overflow or drip at the joints.
In London, lots of houses have been split into flats, extended or fitted with a dormer loft conversion. Every alteration brings new junctions, flashings and flat-roof areas to look at. If you are buying a flat or house in Bow Common, or have just had new roofing work done, those junctions are frequently where problems start. Lead work around dormers and new flat roofs is easy to get wrong and easy to miss.
It is not only a list of defects. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, so you can plan your next steps.
- Place
- Bow Common (E14, E3, E1)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
The aim of the visit is simple: to look at the roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. The visit typically takes between one and two hours at most homes, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. In a London conversion, the way into the loft space is often from a communal landing or the top flat. Where that is the case, access needs agreeing with whoever controls that landing. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- 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.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
How to prepare
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
Arrange a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To send them or to book, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
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Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Bow Common?
Slates and tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay that hold them. Natural slate can last 100 years or more, yet the nails holding it rust and let slates slide. It is a frequent finding on older houses.
Look out for signs like these:
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- A ridge or slope that dips
Controlled parking zones are common in London, so mention any permit rules for Bow Common.
Questions to ask before booking
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
For landlords and managing agents
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photographs included.
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants. We survey on weekdays and at weekends, which can make access easier.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Bow Common
The restricted area over the Isle of Dogs, where drone flights need permission from NATS, is about 2 miles from Bow Common. If your survey includes the drone, the address is checked against it before any flight. Sutton House, about 2.4 miles north-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Bow Common. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters.
If you let a flat or house near Limehouse station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Bow Common is about 2 miles east of Whitechapel, in Greater London. Bow Common gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a proper look at what can be seen safely, photos and a clear written report. Our Greater London coverage includes Bow Common and the places around it.
We survey roofs across the E14, E3 and E1 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Market Way, Knapp Road and Thomas Road and the roads around them. Close by, we survey roofs in Limehouse (1 mile west), Bromley (1 mile north-east), Mile End (1 mile north-west), Poplar (1 mile south) and Canary Wharf (1 mile south). Within a short drive, we also cover London (3 miles south-west), City of Westminster (6 miles west), Marylebone (5 miles west), Kensington (8 miles west), St Pancras (4 miles west) and Walthamstow (5 miles north).
Local landmarks in Bow Common
Typical jobs here are in homes near Stebon Primary School, The Widow's Son pub and Bartlett Park and the streets around them. The closest station to Bow Common is Limehouse station, about 0.8 miles south-west. Well-known places in the area include Tower of London (2.4 miles west) and St Clement's Hospital (0.6 miles north-west). Open spaces near Bow Common include Tower Hill and Hollow Pond.
Towns and villages near Bow Common
More services for Bow Common
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Bow Common
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Bow Common?
Normally it’s manageable with a little notice. Tell us what parking is available nearby, and the visit is planned around it.
Is my home in Bow Common listed or in a conservation area?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do I need to be at home?
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 when booking.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That gives you time to use the findings.
How many surveys have you done?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first. Mention it when you contact us and we will plan the survey around it.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
It typically takes an hour or two on an ordinary house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
What we can’t see
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- The condition of the rest of the house (that is a RICS home survey)
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll suggest the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Bow Common
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
Practical tips
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Ask the agent to check the loft hatch can be opened
After you move in, keep the report somewhere safe. Deal with the urgent items first, and use the photos as a record of how the roof looked when you bought. The Premium Survey includes a 12-month follow-up to see how things have changed.
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. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.
Why act early in Bow Common
Plenty of buyers go ahead anyway, but with their eyes open. You will know which jobs are urgent and which can wait, and you can line up a roofer before small faults grow. London’s older roofs often have bitumen felt underlay or none 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.
Price depends partly on the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, with VAT included. The roof’s size, height and access matter as well.
Why book with us
- 20+ years’ experience
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- An independent view of the roof
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)