City of London · London and the South East
City of London Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in City of London. We have completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in City of London
A full home survey looks at the whole property, and the roof is only one part of it. We don’t offer a RICS home survey, and ours isn’t a substitute for one. What it adds is a closer look at the roof alone, with photos and written recommendations you can act on. You can have both if you want the fullest picture. Typical surveys look at blocked or leaking gutters and roof slopes that look uneven or sagging, on gutters and downpipes, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and clay and concrete tiles.
London’s housing runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war estates and new blocks of flats, so a property in City of London might be any of these. Whether the roof is old or newly laid, the problem areas depend on how and when the building went up. Slates, hidden valley gutters, parapets and flat roofs over back additions all need checking in their own way.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Where
- City of London (EC4V, EC1A, EC2M, EC2Y)
- Region
- City of London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we are asked to look at in City of London
Blocked or leaking gutters do damage that isn’t obvious at first. Overflowing water soaks walls and can rot the timber behind. Valley and parapet gutters can overflow inside the house. They’re part of what we look at.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Old water stains in the roof space
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
For landlords with property near London Cannon Street station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Before booking anyone
- What insurance they carry
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Their track record with similar roofs
Nearby places to City of London
Also in City of London
What we look for on each type of roof
Flat roofs
Standing water, blisters, splits and tired upstands all point to wear. Blocked outlets are checked as well.
Chimney stacks
Our chimney check is a visual one, and it is not a flue or gas safety check. If a flue needs testing, we will suggest who to ask.
Common questions in City of London
Can you fly a drone over a roof in City of London?
Normally it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. The restricted area over the City of London, where drone flights need permission from NATS, is about 1 mile from City of London. If a roof falls inside it, we apply for permission before flying, and the flight only goes ahead if it is granted. Across London there are restriction zones around Heathrow, London City and London Heliport, plus restricted areas over Hyde Park, the City of London and the Isle of Dogs. Every London address is checked against them before a flight. High wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in City of London?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning. Mention it when you get in touch and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Are you insured?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and details are available on request.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day. Just say which days work for you.
How soon is the report ready?
It depends on the package: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Let us know your timetable as you book.
Can I use the report to negotiate on price?
Yes. You might ask for work to be done, ask questions or ask for a change to the price. The outcome is between you and the seller, so we can’t promise any saving.
What a survey costs
To price your survey, we look at:
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Which survey package you book
Price depends partly on the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, with VAT included. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
What we need to know
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. Just tell us:
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
To book a survey, ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We will confirm the price before you book.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the addresses.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work.
What happens on the day
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect everything that’s safely in view, and anything we can’t see is noted in the report. Most visits take about 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. For a visit in City of London, parking and access are the things to plan: tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space, which floor the property is on and how to get into the loft. We then look at what can be seen safely from ground level, windows, the loft and, where it’s safe, the roof itself.
- You book once your offer is accepted and tell us the address and your timetable.
- We agree a time and how we’ll get in, including the loft.
- We inspect the roof from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Before the survey
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Book a survey
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know where you stand. Our price is from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Pre-purchase roof surveys around City of London
Close to the centre of London, a great many houses are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, many of them roofed in Welsh slate. Many have butterfly roofs draining to a central valley gutter, with parapet walls and gutters hidden behind them. Lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are typical of these houses, if yours is one of them. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most. The restricted area over the City of London, where drone flights need permission from NATS, is about 1 mile from City of London. If the drone is used for your survey, we check whether the address falls inside it before flying.
For a London address like City of London, it is useful to know about controlled parking before the day. Mansion House, about 0.2 miles south-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around City of London. When you buy an older home, the roof’s age, past repairs and any listing all affect what you might spend later.
City of London is about 1 mile north of London. From houses to flats and shops in City of London, we can survey the roof.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in EC4V, EC1A, EC2M and EC2Y are booked the same way as anywhere else. Streets in the area include Aldermanbury Square, Monkwell Square and Paternoster Square. You’ll find City of London on the A1 and A3, so it is easy for us to get to. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Barbican Estate (1 mile north), Bishopsgate (1 mile east), Finsbury (1 mile north), Aldgate (1 mile east) and St Luke's (1 mile north).
Near you in City of London
Typical jobs here are in homes near St Mary-at-Hill, Prior Weston Primary School and Children's Centre and Golden Fleece pub, among other places. Nearby too are Central Foundation Boys' School (0.8 miles north), Barts Health Archives (less than half a mile north-west) and St Alphage Garden (within half a mile north). There’s a railway station in City of London itself: London Cannon Street station. A little further out are Gabriel's Wharf (0.8 miles south-west) and London Mithraeum (less than half a mile south). Green spaces nearby include St. James's Park Lake and Barnsbury Wood.
Checking the roof from the ground
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.