Medway · London and the South East
Chattenden Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Chattenden, from an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photos.
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- A ridge or slope that dips
Pre-purchase roof survey in Chattenden
Buying a home is a big commitment, and the roof is one of the costliest parts to put right. Our pre-purchase roof survey gives you a careful look at it before you are committed. We check the coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, and the roof space where it is safe to get in. The findings come in a written report with photos. Common reasons to book are gaps where slates or tiles have come loose and chimney mortar that has eroded, on natural slate, the roof space and gutters and downpipes.
In a village or hamlet like Chattenden, 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. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
It isn’t only a list of defects. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, so you can plan your next steps.
- Location
- Chattenden (ME3)
- Region
- Medway
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photos, useful for planning maintenance.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
What you can safely check yourself
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground.
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
We only report everything that’s safely in view on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll recommend the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
What we check
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Chattenden: local notes
Chattenden is within about 2 miles of the coast, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, and loose ridges, slates and tiles are the first to lift in a gale, which is worth knowing before you buy or pay for new work. The wider area around Chattenden has a long history of building, with Restoration House about 2.6 miles south-west. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
For landlords with property near Strood station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer. Take an older house close to Bishop Gundulph Church: the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Chattenden is about 2 miles north-east of Rochester, in Medway. Wherever you are in Chattenden, we can carry out pre-purchase roof surveys at your property. Our Medway coverage includes Chattenden and the places around it. There is also a page for Maidstone.
Every address in ME3 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Whether your property is on Songbird Crescent, Sparrow Drive and Main Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Lower Upnor (1 mile south), Upper Upnor (1 mile south), Wainscott (1 mile south-west), Hoo St Werburgh (1 mile east) and Cooling Street (2 miles north-west). We also work in nearby towns like Gillingham (4 miles south-east), Chatham (4 miles south), Rainham (5 miles south-east), Strood (3 miles south-west), Luton (3 miles south) and Park Wood (6 miles south-east).
Around Chattenden
Around Chattenden, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Pier pub, The Hundred of Hoo Academy and Lower Lines Park. The closest station to Chattenden is Strood station, about 2.1 miles south-west. A little further out are Pentagon Shopping Centre (2.5 miles south) and Upnor Castle (0.9 miles south). Not far away are Gad's Hill and Rede Common.
What happens if roof problems are left?
Once you exchange, the roof’s problems become yours. Before then, you can still ask questions, ask for work to be done or reconsider. Finding out later gives you the same facts, but with far less room to act on them. For older village homes like those around Chattenden, the right replacement materials are not always easy to find quickly. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
All our prices include VAT. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. We confirm the exact price before booking.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Chattenden
- Photographs and a written report every time
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Surveys on weekdays and at weekends
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
Read how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
Common questions in Chattenden
Will you come out to Chattenden?
Yes, Chattenden is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Chattenden, take more of a battering?
Often, yes. Within about 2 miles of the sea, as Chattenden is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
What’s the best way to book?
It is easiest to phone 07833 053749 or email us. Give us the address and some details about the roof. Surveys run on any day of the week.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We do not carry out asbestos surveys or testing. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
It depends on the roof and how confident you want to be. A home survey may recommend further investigation of the roof, and our survey gives you that closer look. It does not stand in for a RICS survey.
How quickly will I get the report?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email with photos included.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Where we can, yes. Inside, the loft shows leaks, damp timbers and the underlay. If access isn’t possible, we note it in the report.
The survey, step by step
You do not need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we’ll take it from there. The survey itself takes about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Older rural homes like those around Chattenden 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 can’t see is noted.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Before we arrive
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Let us know about parking before the day
How to book
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Read more
Nearby places to Chattenden
What else we do in Chattenden
Tips that help
Getting the most from a pre-purchase roof survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Tips:
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Ask the agent to check the loft hatch can be opened
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. They’ll see exactly what we found, and where, which makes quotes easier to compare.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, particularly after autumn. Blocked gutters cause much of the damp we see. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.