Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Bow, Greater London
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Bow from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us across London and South East England.
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
Pre-purchase roof survey in Bow
The best time to book is once your offer has been accepted and before you exchange contracts. That is when the findings are most useful, while you’re not yet committed. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when the chain is moving fast. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. If you’ve noticed flashings that have lifted or split and ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
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 Bow, or have just had new roofing work done, those junctions are often where problems start. Dormer cheeks, lead work and new flat roofs are worth checking closely, as faults there are easy to miss.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Bow (E3)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Bow
Rear extensions, dormers and garages often have flat roofs. A felt roof often lasts around 15 to 20 years, and ponding, blisters and splits are common signs of age. They’re easy to overlook on a viewing, particularly when they’re only visible from an upper floor.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
Bow is in London, so parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day easier, as a space near the door can’t be promised.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- What happens after the report arrives
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- What they won’t be able to tell you
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Bow
Bow is about 2 miles from the edge of the flight restriction zone around London City Airport. If your survey includes the drone, we check the exact boundary for the address before flying. The wider area around Bow has a long history of building, with Sutton House about 1.6 miles north-west. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years.
If you let a flat or house near Hackney Wick station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. If you live in an older home near St Paul Old Ford, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Bow is about 1 mile south-east of Hackney, in Greater London. Bow is one of many places we visit across Greater London, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. Bow is one of the places in Greater London where we work.
We cover every part of the E3 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. You will find streets such as Trellis Square, Sheffield Square and Bromley High Street, all of which we cover. Bow is on the B142, so it is easy for us to get to. Close by, we survey roofs in Donnybrook Quarter (1 mile north), Old Ford (1 mile north-east), Mile End (1 mile south), Fish Island (1 mile north) and Bromley (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include London (4 miles south-west), City of Westminster (6 miles west), Marylebone (5 miles west), Kensington (8 miles west), St Pancras (4 miles west) and Walthamstow (4 miles north).
Near you in Bow
Around Bow, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Lord Tredegar Public House, Grove Hall Park and Mulberry UTC. The closest station to Bow is Hackney Wick station, roughly 0.9 miles north. Nearby you’ll also find V&A East (0.9 miles north-east) and St Clement's Hospital (under half a mile south). Not far away are Hollow Pond and Old Ford Island.
Different roofs, different checks
Gutters and parapets
A butterfly roof drains to a central valley gutter, usually to the back of the house. If the home you’re buying has one, that gutter and its outlet get a careful look.
Clay and concrete tiles
Concrete interlocking tiles are common on post-war and newer homes. They’re heavy and hard-wearing, but they weather and can crack, and low-pitched roofs need their laps to be right.
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Bow
When we price a survey, we consider:
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Building height and the viewpoints available
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT.
Getting in touch
Before you get in touch, it is useful to have:
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- What made you get in touch
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- What kind of property and roof it is
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To send them or to book, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Nearby places to Bow
More services for Bow
Honest limits
Every survey has limits, and it’s better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- Whether timbers meet design loads
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
What happens on the day
A survey visit follows a simple order: we hear what you’ve seen, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photos as we go and make notes for the report. Most visits take between one and two hours for most houses, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Surveys in Bow 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.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed in advance.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it is safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
How to prepare
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Booking a survey
Getting a price is simple: just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and give us a few details about the property and we’ll suggest the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Related advice
Questions from Bow
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Bow?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. The flight restriction zone around London City Airport comes within about 2 miles of Bow. We check the exact boundary for the address before flying, and if the roof falls inside it, we ask for permission first. 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. Each address is checked against all of them before the drone goes up. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Bow?
In much of London, parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a bay close to the door helps a lot, so mention what’s available when booking.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it isn’t a RICS home survey. It works alongside a home survey.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
It’s your choice, but the two do different jobs. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, and ours concentrates on the roof alone. Our survey complements a RICS survey and doesn’t replace one.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Only where it’s safe. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the roof space.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
Useful tips for Bow property owners
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Mention any deadline when you get in touch
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
Once the home is yours, the report becomes a maintenance list. Deal with the urgent items first, and keep the photographs to compare against later. The Premium Survey includes a 12-month follow-up to see how things have changed.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.