Medway · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Burham, Medway
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Burham, and put it all in a report with photos.
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
Burham homes and their roofs
Rochester Airport is about 2 miles from Burham. If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. Kent’s older buildings take in oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses as well. Whether you’re buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
Take an older house close to St Mary's Church: a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming. If you let a flat or house near Snodland station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. Starkey Castle, about 2.4 miles north, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Burham. Older homes in the area can come with listed status or conservation area rules, which affect re-roofing, so check with the council before you buy.
Burham is about 3 miles south-west of Chatham, in Medway. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Burham can all book pre-purchase roof surveys. Across Medway, we cover Burham.
All of ME1 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys. We cover properties on New Road, St Mary's Walk and Brisley's Row. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Scarborough (1 mile north-west), Eccles (1 mile south), Peters Village (1 mile north-west), Holborough (2 miles west) and Wouldham (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover Gillingham (5 miles north-east), Chatham (3 miles north-east), Rochester (4 miles north), Rainham (6 miles east), Strood (4 miles north) and Luton (4 miles north-east).
What’s near Burham
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Windmill pub, The Holmesdale School and Burham Marsh, among other places. Burham’s nearest station is Snodland station, roughly 1.3 miles west of the centre. A little further out are St. Catherine's Hospital (3.8 miles north) and Medway megaliths (1.3 miles south-east). Not far away are Burham Down and Blue Bell Hill.
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Burham
A roof report gives you something solid to take back to the seller or the agent. You can ask about the roof’s history, ask for repairs before completion or rethink the price. What the seller agrees to is up to them, but you will be asking from facts rather than guesses. It also helps you decide whether to go ahead at all. Common reasons to book are roof slopes that look uneven or sagging and cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing, on chimney stacks, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and natural slate.
Older buildings in small places like Burham may be listed or in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it is worth knowing which applies, as well as what condition the roof is in. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Location
- Burham (ME1)
- Wider area
- Medway
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens on the day
Every visit follows the same pattern: we listen to what’s been worrying you, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photographs as we go and record our findings for the written report. It usually takes between one and two hours at a typical home, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Older rural homes like those around Burham can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- We inspect the roof from the ground, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it’s 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.
Before we arrive
- Keep pets in another room
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Booking a survey
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Advice
When you need someone else
Every survey has limits, and it is better to know them up front. Keep these in mind:
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- A structural engineer’s report
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will suggest the right survey before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we check
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
Tips from our surveys
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Let us know your exchange date when booking
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
With the findings in hand, you can talk to the seller or their 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, and we can’t promise any result.
Look in the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. Watch for stains, damp timbers and chinks of daylight. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Burham
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan.
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed beforehand. Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, which can make access easier.
Why get it checked now?
Leaving it means judging the roof from the street. That rarely shows the back slope, the valleys or the top of the chimney. We fill that gap before you’re tied in, with photos of anything that needs attention. Outbuildings and barns around Burham are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. A quick look before winter can save a lot.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can safely be seen and the package you choose.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Burham
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Package prices that include VAT
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and our case studies.
FAQs for Burham
Are there drone restrictions around Burham?
Normally it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. Burham is about 2 miles from Rochester Airport, so the Drone Safety Map is checked for restrictions around it before we fly. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Burham?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it isn’t a RICS home survey. It complements one rather than replacing it.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes, you can. You’ll have photos and a written description of each defect, so you can raise them with the seller or their agent. How the seller responds is up to them.
How long will you be at the property?
Allow between one and two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. We’ll give you an idea of timing when you book.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. 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 is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That way you can still act on what we find, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
Checking the roof from the ground
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey.
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us when booking and it will help the survey.