Kent · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Breach, Kent
A careful look at the roof at your property in Breach, and put it all in a written report with photos.
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Breach
How do I find out if my home in Breach is listed?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Is Breach within the area you cover?
Yes, Breach is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Do you need access inside the house?
Where we can, yes. Inside, the loft shows leaks, damp timbers and the underlay. If we can’t get in, the report says so.
Are you insured?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
When will the report arrive?
It depends on the package: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Let us know your exchange date and we’ll help you choose.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys run seven days a week. To find a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Breach
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. That is when the findings are most useful, because nothing is binding yet. 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. We survey the roof space, natural slate and chimney stacks, and common reasons people get in touch are gutters choked with leaves and moss and roof slopes that look uneven or sagging.
In a village or hamlet like Breach, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Village roofs can be clay tile, slate, stone or even thatch on some older buildings. Each covering has its own weak points, whether the roof is old or newly laid. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
The report doesn’t just list problems. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend, so you can plan your next steps.
- Location
- Breach (ME9)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Nearby places to Breach
Other services in Breach
Different roofs, different checks
Clay and concrete tiles
Older homes in the South East often have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles on some. Where pegs have rotted, tiles can slip.
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings close the gaps at chimneys, walls and abutments. We check whether they’ve lifted, split or been replaced with mortar or bitumen.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Breach
Breach lies within about 3 miles of the sea, and wind near the sea can be strong. The weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead, as a small drone can’t fly safely in high wind or heavy rain. Listing and conservation areas can both shape what roof work is allowed on an older home. Your council and Historic England’s list will tell you where you stand.
Landlords with a home close to Newington station may find that a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Breach is about 3 miles east of Gillingham, in Kent. From houses to flats and shops in Breach, we can survey the roof. We cover towns and villages across Kent, large and small. There is also a page for Maidstone.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in ME9 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Close by, we survey roofs in Newington (1 mile south-east), Lower Hartlip (1 mile south-west), Lower Halstow (1 mile north-east), Upchurch (1 mile north) and Moor Street (1 mile west). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (9 miles south-west), Sittingbourne (4 miles east), Gravesend (13 miles west), Faversham (11 miles east), Northfleet (14 miles west) and Minster (8 miles north-east).
What’s near Breach
We work in homes and buildings around Berengrave Chalk Pit, The Wheatsheaf pub and Leigh Academy Rainham, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Newington station, roughly 0.8 miles south-east of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Court Hall Museum (3.5 miles east) and Medway Maritime Hospital (5 miles west). For a walk, there’s Bishop Saltings.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Breach
The fixings and underlay often fail before good slates or tiles do. Natural slate can last 100 years or more, but corroded nails let slates slip. That kind of wear is common on older roofs and easy to miss from the ground.
Here are some of the things we see frequently:
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
Take an older house close to Church of St Mary: the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Their report turnaround times
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
The survey, step by step
The aim of the visit is simple: to see as much of the roof as can be seen safely and record it clearly. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. The visit typically takes roughly 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Somewhere like Breach needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect everything that’s safely in view, inside and out.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations before you exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Leave a clear route to the loft
How to book
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you’re ready.
Advice
What happens if roof problems are left?
Lots of buyers go ahead anyway, but with their eyes open. You’ll know which jobs are urgent and which can wait, so you can plan work before small faults get bigger. Around Breach, older homes often have old roof timbers, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it’s left.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before booking.
Why us?
- An independent view of the roof
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Prices that include VAT
Take a look at our cost guide or what we found on two real jobs.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Breach
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, including offices, shops and units. Larger roofs take longer, so they’re priced to suit.
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or email us with the addresses.
DIY checks: what’s safe
You can learn a lot from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.