Kent · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Buttsole
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Buttsole and the rest of Kent. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Flashings that have lifted or split
How the survey works
We don’t take risks to get a closer look. Everything that can safely be seen is inspected, and if part of the roof cannot be seen, the report says so. The survey usually takes about 1–2 hours at most homes, and more on a big or complicated roof. Somewhere as small as Buttsole, access is frequently the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you’re buying.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Before the survey
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Jot down any questions you want answered
Booking a survey
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know the cost up front. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Related advice
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Buttsole
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all inc. VAT. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check. Premium goes further, with thermal imaging, a drone where it applies and a same-day report. Choose the level that suits the home you are buying. All three include a written report with photographs and recommendations. We’re frequently asked to look into chimney mortar that has eroded and a ridge or slope that dips, across clay and concrete tiles, gutters and downpipes and the roof space.
For a small place like Buttsole, 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. Whether you’re buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Visits can be booked seven days a week.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Buttsole (CT13, CT14)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from the ground
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
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 don’t climb up for a closer look.
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead-lined valleys and gutters are common on older homes in London and South East England. Worn or cracked lead lets water straight into the roof, and lead is also a target for theft.
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, but the nails holding it corrode long before that. Slipped or missing slates are a sign of ‘nail fatigue’, and we note how widespread it looks.
Places near Buttsole
Also in Buttsole
For landlords and managing agents
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you contact us and we will plan the visit with that in mind.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
FAQs for Buttsole
Will you come out to Buttsole?
Yes, Buttsole is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Buttsole, take more of a battering?
It can do. Buttsole is within about 5 miles of the sea, and coastal roofs tend to see faster wear on metal parts and more wind lifting loose pieces.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
They do different things. 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.
How soon is the report ready?
That depends on which survey you choose: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Tell us your exchange date and we’ll help you choose.
How do I book a survey in Buttsole?
The quickest way is to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. Let us know the address and a little about the roof. Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Are you insured?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Buttsole?
Gutter problems frequently look minor from the street. Overflowing water soaks walls and can rot the timber behind. Hidden gutters behind parapets or in roof valleys can send water indoors. They’re part of what we look at.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
Historic houses such as Goodnestone Park, about 3.5 miles west, show how far back building around Buttsole goes. If you are buying an older home nearby, it is worth knowing whether it’s listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Will the report include photos?
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Whether the price includes VAT
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
Local roofs and buyers in Buttsole
The coast is about 5 miles or less from Buttsole, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces, so exposed details get a close look whether you’re buying or signing off new work. 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. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most.
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Church of St Mary the Virgin, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light. If you let a flat or house near Sandwich station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Buttsole is about 4 miles north-west of Deal, in Kent. In Buttsole, as across Kent, every roof gets the same careful survey. Buttsole is one of the places in Kent we cover. You can also see our page for Canterbury.
All of CT13 and CT14 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover properties on Mill Lane, Liss Road and High Street and the roads around them. Other places close to Buttsole include Eastry (1 mile north), Ham (1 mile east), Statenborough (1 mile north-east), Marley (2 miles east) and Felderland (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover Canterbury (10 miles west), Margate (10 miles north), Dover (7 miles south), Folkestone (12 miles south-west), Ramsgate (8 miles north-east) and Broadstairs (10 miles north-east).
Near you in Buttsole
Around Buttsole, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Sandwich Technology School, Ham Fen and The Five Bells pub. The closest station to Buttsole is Sandwich station, roughly 2.5 miles north-east. Other landmarks nearby include The Precinct Toy Collection (2.8 miles north-east) and Sandown Castle (4.1 miles east). The countryside around Buttsole includes Monk's Wall nature reserve.
What a survey costs
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Roof area
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. Our price is from £150, including VAT.
Helping us price your survey
These details help when you contact us:
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- What made you get in touch
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
- Where the property is, with the postcode
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine. To send them or to book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.