Kent · London and the South East
Bowmans Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Bowmans, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
Pre-purchase roof survey in Bowmans
The best time to book is once your offer has been accepted and before you exchange contracts. That’s when the findings are most useful, because nothing is binding yet. We survey on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when the chain is moving fast. The report comes within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Common reasons to book are lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney and a ridge or slope that dips, across natural slate, gutters and downpipes and lead flashings and valleys.
Smaller places like Bowmans often have bungalows and cottages as well as houses, and many have been extended or had dormers added. Low roofs are easier to see from the ground, but dormer cheeks, valleys and flat-roofed additions still need close attention. That applies whether you are buying in Bowmans or checking a new roof there. Snags and wear both tend to show at dormer lead work and along flat-roof edges.
The report records the roof as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, such as when you want to compare after future work.
- Place
- Bowmans (DA1, DA2, DA5)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Why act early in Bowmans
It is tempting to skip the roof to keep a sale moving. Weekend visits are available as well as weekdays, and a Premium report comes the same day, which helps it fit around your exchange date. Homes in smaller places like Bowmans can face more weather, so a loose ridge or verge soon lets rain in. Wind gets under it and lifts more.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so the price reflects that. You will know the figure before booking.
Why book us in Bowmans
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Bowmans: local notes
Across Kent, older roofs are often handmade clay or peg tiles, and tile-hanging on upper walls is a familiar sight. You’ll also find oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses among the county’s older buildings. Whether you’re buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds. About 1.1 miles north-west lies Hall Place and Gardens, a reminder of how long the area around Bowmans has been built on. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Take an older house close to St Barnabas: older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them. If you let a flat or house near Crayford station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Bowmans is about 2 miles west of Dartford, in Kent. Bookings from Bowmans are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our Kent coverage includes Bowmans and the places around it. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
Here we cover the DA1, DA2 and DA5 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We cover properties on Swan Lane, Dale Road and Ross Road and the roads around them. Bowmans is on the A2018, so it’s easy for us to get to. If you’re just outside Bowmans, we cover Wilmington (1 mile south), Crayford (1 mile north), Coldblow (1 mile west), Joyden's Wood (1 mile south-west) and Barnes Cray (1 mile north-east). Larger places within reach include Sevenoaks (11 miles south), Gravesend (9 miles east), Northfleet (7 miles east), Swanley (3 miles south), Kings Hill (15 miles south-east) and Swanscombe (5 miles east).
Near you in Bowmans
Typical jobs here are in homes near Wilmington Grammar School for Girls, Bird in Hand pub and St Columba's Catholic Boys' School and the streets around them. Bowmans’s nearest station is Crayford station, roughly 0.6 miles north of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Stone Castle (4.1 miles east) and West Hill Hospital (1.3 miles east). Open spaces near Bowmans include Wansunt Pit.
Roof by roof
Chimney stacks
A leaning stack, cracked flaunching or crumbling pointing can all need work. We photograph them so you can raise them before exchange.
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings close the gaps at chimneys, walls and abutments. We look for lead that has lifted, split or been patched over.
Honest limits
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Natural slate
Also near Bowmans
Also in Bowmans
How the survey works
When we arrive, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that is worrying you. After that, we check everything we can see safely, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where it applies. Most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. In a smaller place like Bowmans, as anywhere, the forecast plays a part: drone flights and thermal imaging need the right conditions, while a look from the ground and the loft can go ahead in most weather.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you are buying.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
How to prepare
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
How to book
Unsure which package suits your roof? It is easiest to call 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Related advice
Useful tips for Bowmans property owners
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Let us know your timetable
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Book once your offer is accepted
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, and the Premium Survey includes an in-person consultation. If anything in the report is not clear, ask us.
Keep the loft ventilated. Poor ventilation lets condensation build up, wetting timbers and insulation. Avoid packing insulation into the eaves so tightly that air cannot flow.
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Bowmans
Survey packages start from £150, with VAT included. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Building height and the viewpoints available
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package matters as well. We will give you the figure before anything is booked.
Booking your survey
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
We confirm the price for your roof before you book, so you know where you stand. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Bowmans
Will you come out to Bowmans?
Yes, we do. We work right across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Bowmans?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
How experienced are you?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years.
Can you survey in bad weather?
A survey can normally go ahead in light rain, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Strong wind or a downpour can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so we will agree a new date if the weather isn’t suitable.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS 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.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it is applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
Does someone need to be in?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. Access is agreed with you when booking.