Kent · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Burlings
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Burlings. We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Old water stains in the roof space
Leave it or get it looked at?
A mortgage valuation isn’t a roof survey. It looks at whether the property is suitable security for the loan, and it won’t look closely at the roof. Our survey is done for you, and the report is written for you to use. Older and listed buildings around Burlings may need consent and matching materials for repairs, so leaving a defect until it is urgent leaves less time to plan.
Price depends partly on the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all inc. VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Why book with us
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- An independent view of the roof
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- Visits on any day of the week
See how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Burlings
Tall, steep or hidden roofs are hard to judge from the street. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, plus a drone inspection where applicable, along with a same-day report. Where a flight is not possible, because of airspace rules or the weather, we tell you and look from the ground, windows and the loft instead. If you’re worried about patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem and worn or lifted lead flashings, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on lead flashings and valleys, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and clay and concrete tiles alike.
For a small place like Burlings, the visit is planned like any other: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed beforehand. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them as you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Visits can be booked on weekdays and at weekends.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Burlings (TN14)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey works
Every roof is different; as a rough guide, the survey takes between one and two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. If you have questions on the day, just ask. Somewhere like Burlings needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect what can be seen safely, inside and out.
- You book once your offer is accepted and tell us the address and your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- We inspect the roof from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- We email a written report with photographs and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
Book a survey
We survey roofs on weekdays and at weekends. To arrange a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Related advice
Before and after the survey
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Check we will be able to get into the loft space
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
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. The outcome is between you and the seller, and we cannot promise any result.
Do not block the vents at the eaves. Poor ventilation lets condensation build up, wetting timbers and insulation. Avoid packing insulation into the eaves so tightly that air cannot flow.
What a survey costs
When we price a survey, we consider:
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- How big the roof is
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Getting in touch
When you call or email, these details help:
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- When you need the report by
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can ring 07833 053749 or email us to find out.
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney stacks
Our chimney check is a visual one, and it isn’t a flue or gas safety check. If a flue needs testing, we’ll suggest who to ask.
Flat roofs
Standing water, blisters, splits and tired upstands all point to wear. Blocked outlets are checked as well.
Also near Burlings
What else we do in Burlings
Burlings: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in Burlings is listed?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do you cover smaller places like Burlings?
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.
When will the report arrive?
Premium reports arrive the same day, Standard reports within 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email with photos included.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where applicable.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
It’s your choice, but the two do different jobs. A home survey looks at the whole property, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
Will you need to get into the loft?
If it can be arranged, yes. From the loft space we can see staining, timbers and underlay. If we can’t get in, the report says so.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you as you book.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Burlings?
Flat roofs turn up on extensions, dormers, porches and garages. 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, especially when they’re only visible from an upper floor.
A survey can pick up problems like:
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
For landlords with property near Knockholt station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
What to check before booking
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- What follow-up you get after the report
- What the survey won’t cover
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Burlings
Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. You will also find oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses among the county’s older buildings. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about. The wider area around Burlings has a long history of building, with Down House about 2.2 miles north-west. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead.
For an older house near a landmark such as St Katharine's Church, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Burlings is about 5 miles north-west of Sevenoaks, in Kent. Burlings gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. Our area takes in places right across Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. London is in our area too.
We work across the TN14 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Horns Green (1 mile south-west), Cudham (1 mile north-west), Berry's Green (1 mile west), Single Street (1 mile north-west) and Luxted (2 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Dartford (11 miles north-east), Sevenoaks (5 miles south-east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (14 miles south-east), Gravesend (15 miles north-east), Tonbridge (11 miles south-east) and Northfleet (14 miles north-east).
Near you in Burlings
Around Burlings, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Blacksmith's Arms, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Knockholt station, roughly 3 miles north-east. Well-known places in the area include Orpington Hospital (3.6 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Downe Bank and Betsom's Hill.