Kent · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Cold Harbour, Kent
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Cold Harbour, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Cold Harbour
If you are buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. Depending on the lease, roof repairs may fall to the building owner or a management company, with costs often passed on through the service charge. We inspect what access allows us to see safely, and the report gives you clear points to raise with your solicitor or the managing agent. Where the building has a flat roof, it is checked as far as access allows. Common reasons to book are slipped or missing slates and tiles and worn or lifted lead flashings, across chimney stacks, clay and concrete tiles and flat-roofed extensions and dormers.
For a small place like Cold Harbour, the visit is planned like any other: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed ahead of time. 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. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
If any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. That way, it is clear what was covered and what wasn’t.
- Where
- Cold Harbour (ME17)
- Region
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
Before we start, let us know why you’ve booked: buying, a leak, storm damage, new work or just wanting to know where things stand. That way we can focus on what matters to you. The visit typically takes between one and two hours at a typical home, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Around Cold Harbour, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so it helps to know whether there’s a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- We agree a time and how we will get in, including the loft.
- We inspect the roof from the ground, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Before we arrive
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Getting a price
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
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Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Cold Harbour
Slates and tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay that hold them. Natural slate can last 100 years or more, but corroded nails let slates slip. It is a frequent finding on older houses and easy to miss from the ground.
People usually book a survey when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
If you live in an older home near Church of St Lawrence, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Questions to ask before booking
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Is VAT included in the price?
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Cold Harbour
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- The roof’s overall size
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
A Basic Survey starts from £150, including VAT. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400. You’ll know the price for your survey before booking.
Booking your survey
Before you get in touch, it helps to have:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Anything about access we should know
- When you need the report by
- What kind of property and roof it is
Getting a price is simple: just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email, let us know about the property and we’ll recommend the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Cold Harbour
Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Whether you’re buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds. With Belmont House and Gardens about 3.8 miles north-east, Cold Harbour sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If you let a flat or house near Charing station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Cold Harbour is about 7 miles south-west of Faversham, in Kent. Anywhere in Cold Harbour, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Cold Harbour is one of the towns and villages in Kent we cover. There is also a page for Maidstone.
Every address in ME17 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Close by, we survey roofs in Warren Street (1 mile north-west), Payden Street (1 mile north-west), Lenham Heath (2 miles south-west), Charing Heath (2 miles south) and Lenham Forstal (2 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Maidstone (11 miles west), Ashford (8 miles south-east), Canterbury (14 miles east), Sittingbourne (7 miles north), Whitstable (14 miles north-east) and Faversham (7 miles north-east).
Around Cold Harbour
We work in homes and buildings around The Harrow pub and Spuckles and Kennelling Woods. Cold Harbour’s nearest station is Charing station, roughly 2.3 miles south of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Newnham Castle (3.4 miles north).
Different roofs, different checks
Natural slate
Good slate is one of the longest-lasting roof coverings, but the nails holding it corrode long before that. When slates start to slip, corroded nails are often the reason, and we note how widespread it looks.
Chimney stacks
Leaning stacks, loose pots and eroded mortar are common findings. We note them with photos so you can ask about them.
Before and after the survey
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Some tips:
- Share the report with your solicitor
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
Once the home is yours, the report becomes a maintenance list. Deal with the urgent items first, and use the photos as a record of how the roof looked when you bought. Premium comes with a follow-up after 12 months.
Check the roof from the garden and the street after a storm. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Small repairs done quickly stop bigger problems later.
FAQs for Cold Harbour
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Cold Harbour?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Cold Harbour?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Is your roof survey a RICS survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it isn’t a RICS home survey. It works alongside a home survey.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it helps and it’s safe, yes. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator.
How long will you be at the property?
On site, it typically takes about one to two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Report times depend on the package, from the same day for Premium to within 48 hours for Basic.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. Buyers use the findings to ask questions, ask for repairs before completion or ask for a price change. What the seller agrees to is their decision.
Towns and villages near Cold Harbour
More services for Cold Harbour
What this survey can’t tell you
A survey is a close look at the roof, but it can’t do everything. The main limits are:
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will point you to the right survey. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles