Kent · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Chipstead, Kent
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Chipstead from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys.
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Chipstead
How do I find out if my home in Chipstead is listed?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do you cover Chipstead?
Yes. We survey roofs across London and the South East, and Chipstead is part of that. Just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know about the property.
Do you need to go inside the property?
Ideally, yes. We look in the loft space where there’s safe access, and views from upper windows help too. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
Is your roof survey a RICS 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.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Where it is safe, yes. Much of the inspection is done from the ground, from windows and from the loft space. On Premium, a drone is used where applicable.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and every flight depends on the airspace and the weather.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
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.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Chipstead: what you get
Many older houses carry decades of roof repairs. Slates slip when their nails corrode, lead valleys and flashings wear, and chimney pointing crumbles. Most of it cannot be seen from the street. We look closely and record what we see, with photographs that show you exactly where. Each finding is explained in plain words, so you know what it means for the house you are buying. Common reasons to book are blocked or leaking gutters and gaps where slates or tiles have come loose, across lead flashings and valleys, clay and concrete tiles and gutters and downpipes.
In a village or hamlet like Chipstead, 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, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, along with how urgent it is.
- Place
- Chipstead (TN13, TN14)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- A structural engineer’s report
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or email us and we will suggest the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Chipstead?
Gutter problems often 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. We check them as part of the survey.
It is worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
Knole House lies about 2.8 miles south-east, so building around Chipstead goes back a long way. 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.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Whether the price includes VAT
- Will the report include photos?
Towns and villages near Chipstead
Other services in Chipstead
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photos included.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Chipstead: local notes
If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. Many older homes in Kent have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles held by pegs through two holes, and tile-hanging on their upper walls. You will also find oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses among the county’s older buildings. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most.
If you own a rental within reach of Dunton Green station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer. If you live in an older home near Chapel of the Good Shepherd, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Chipstead is about 2 miles west of Sevenoaks, in Kent. Bookings from Chipstead are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Chipstead is one of the places in Kent where we work. Maidstone is in our area too.
We cover every part of the TN13 and TN14 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. Streets in the area include High Street, Homedean Road and Chevening Road, and we cover them all. Other places close to Chipstead include Bessels Green (1 mile south-east), Riverhead (1 mile east), Dunton Green (1 mile north-east), Sundridge (1 mile south-west) and Chevening (1 mile north-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Dartford (11 miles north), Royal Tunbridge Wells (12 miles south-east), Gravesend (14 miles north-east), Tonbridge (8 miles south-east), Northfleet (13 miles north-east) and Swanley (8 miles north).
What’s near Chipstead
Typical jobs here are in homes near Montreal Park, The Bricklayers Arms and Trinity School and the streets around them. Chipstead’s nearest station is Dunton Green station, roughly 1.2 miles north-east. Nearby you’ll also find Sevenoaks Museum (2.2 miles south-east) and Kemsing Castle Bank (3.8 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Betsom's Hill and Dryhill Nature Reserve.
How the survey works
Safety comes first on every visit. Everything that can safely be seen is inspected, and anything we cannot see is noted in the report. Most visits take an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Cottages and farmhouses around Chipstead often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- 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.
- The roof is inspected from every safe vantage point, inside and out.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
How to prepare
- Keep pets in another room
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Arrange a survey
Not sure which survey you need? It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll explain the options and the price.
Related advice
How the survey changes by roof type
Flat roofs
Repeated coatings on a flat roof can mask what’s underneath. We record what we can see and say where a closer look is needed.
Chimney stacks
A leaning stack, cracked flaunching or crumbling pointing can all need work. We note them with photos so you can ask about them.
Why act early in Chipstead
Once you exchange, the roof’s problems become yours. Before it, you still have choices. A survey after you’ve moved in tells you the same things, but with far less room to act on them. In a place like Chipstead, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. A quick look before winter can save a lot.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where it applies, which starts from £400, inc. VAT. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Why book with us
- Prices that include VAT
- 98% customer satisfaction
- Plain-English reports with photos
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available