Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Bromley Common
Wondering about the roof at a property in Bromley Common? You can book a pre-purchase roof survey in Bromley Common and across Greater London.
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
Bromley Common: your questions answered
Is parking a problem for a survey in Bromley Common?
Parking in Bromley Common, as in most of London, takes a little planning: a visitor permit or a bay close to the door helps a lot, so mention what’s available when booking.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Bromley Common?
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.
Are you insured?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it is applicable. Whether we can fly on the day depends on the weather and the airspace rules, including flight restriction zones near airports. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
When will the report arrive?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. Reports are emailed, with photographs.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It works alongside a home survey.
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Bromley Common
A RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey covers the whole building, and the roof is only one part of it. Our survey is not a RICS survey, and it does not replace one. It adds a focused look at the roof on its own, with photos and written recommendations you can act on. The two sit side by side if you want the fullest picture. We survey clay and concrete tiles, the roof space and natural slate, and common reasons people get in touch are chimney mortar that has eroded and slates or tiles that have slipped or gone.
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. For a purchase in Bromley Common, or for new roofing work there, those junctions deserve a careful look. Lead work around dormers and new flat roofs is easy to get wrong and easy to miss.
If any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t.
- Location
- Bromley Common (BR2, BR1)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. Here’s what helps most:
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
If the report shows work is needed, you can raise it with the seller or agent. Some buyers ask for repairs before completion, others ask for a change to the price. What happens next is your decision and the seller’s.
Keep the loft ventilated. Poor ventilation lets condensation build up, wetting timbers and insulation. Avoid packing insulation into the eaves so tightly that air can’t flow.
DIY checks: what’s safe
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Also near Bromley Common
What else we do in Bromley Common
Surveys for landlords and agents in Bromley Common
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, with the report sent to whoever needs it. Access is agreed with the tenant ahead of time.
Landlords and letting agents in Bromley Common book surveys as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photographs, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
What we are asked to look at in Bromley Common
Asbestos was banned in UK construction in 1999. Cement roof sheets, soffits and flue pipes are typical places to find it. We do not test for it or carry out asbestos surveys, but our report flags materials that could contain it and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before work starts.
Look out for signs like these:
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
Bromley Palace, about 1.5 miles north-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Bromley Common. Buying a period property here means asking about the roof’s age and repairs, and about any listing or conservation area.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Their insurance cover
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- What follow-up you get after the report
What we do, step by step
There is not much for you to do on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we’ll take it from there. The survey itself takes about 1–2 hours for a house, and more on a big or complicated roof. From the street, a London terrace normally shows only its front slope or parapet, so a visit in Bromley Common 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 book once your offer is accepted and tell us the address and your timetable.
- We agree a time and how we’ll get in, including the loft.
- We check the roof from ground level, from windows, from the roof space and from the roof where safe.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
How to prepare
- Keep pets in another room
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
How to book
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Related advice
Roof by roof
Clay and concrete tiles
Tiled roofs frequently last half a century or longer. Cracked, slipped or missing tiles are noted, and for mismatched replacements that point to past repairs.
Chimney stacks
A leaning stack, cracked flaunching or crumbling pointing can all need work. We photograph them so you can raise them before exchange.
Local roofs and buyers in Bromley Common
Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Alongside Victorian and Edwardian terraces, outer London has a great many interwar semis, frequently with hipped roofs of clay or concrete tiles. Hips, bay roofs and later loft conversions are typical of those semis, if your home is one of them. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest.
Landlords with a home close to Bickley station may find that it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it. Parking in Bromley Common, as in most of London, takes a little planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day easier, as a space near the door cannot be promised.
Bromley Common is about 2 miles south-east of Bromley, in Greater London. From houses to flats and shops in Bromley Common, the roof can be surveyed. Across Greater London, we cover Bromley Common and the places around it. London is in our area too.
Every address in BR2 and BR1 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Streets in the area include Pope Road, Crown Lane and Church Lane, all of which we cover. If you’re just outside Bromley Common, we cover Southborough (1 mile north-east), Hayes (1 mile south-west), Locksbottom (1 mile south-east), Shortlands (2 miles north-west) and Keston (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include London (10 miles north-west), City of Westminster (12 miles north-west), Marylebone (12 miles north-west), Kensington (13 miles north-west), St Pancras (12 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (11 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Bromley Common
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Norman Park, The Chequers Public House and Bishop Justus CofE School, among other places. The nearest railway station is Bickley station, roughly 1.2 miles north of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Bridgeways Day Hospital (under half a mile east) and Bethlem Museum of the Mind (under half a mile south-west). Green spaces nearby include Summer Hill and Downham Woodland Walk.