Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Coldharbour, Greater London
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Coldharbour, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Call or email for a price.
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- A ridge or slope that dips
Before and after the survey
Most of what helps is simple and safe from the ground. A few suggestions:
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Let us know your timetable
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Check we’ll be able to get into the roof space
We email the report to you, with photos of each finding. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Findings are set out in plain English, with recommendations prioritised by urgency where relevant.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Coldharbour
Older homes frequently have roofs that have been patched over the years. Slates slip when their nails corrode, lead valleys and flashings wear, and chimney pointing crumbles. Little of that is easy to judge from the pavement on a viewing. Our survey picks it out, with photos so you can see it for yourself. We explain each finding in plain English, so you know what it means for the house you are buying. If you’ve noticed gutters choked with leaves and moss and damp timbers or stains in the loft, we can find out what’s behind it.
In a London terrace or conversion, the roof frequently joins the neighbours’ roofs and shares their stacks and gutters, with parapet walls and party-wall upstands marking where one roof ends and the next begins. That matters for anyone buying in Coldharbour or checking a new roof there: only the parts we are given access to and can see safely are inspected. If it’s a flat, the lease normally sets out who is responsible for the roof.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Location
- Coldharbour (SE9, BR7)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- The size of the roof
- 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.
Getting in touch
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- What made you get in touch
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will ask a few questions about the roof. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
DIY checks: what’s safe
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we check the roof.
Places near Coldharbour
More services for Coldharbour
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Coldharbour
About 1.1 miles north lies Eltham Palace, a reminder of how long the area around Coldharbour has been built on. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years. If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
If you let a flat or house near Mottingham station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. For an older house near a landmark like St Alban, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are. Controlled parking zones are common in London, so mention any permit rules for Coldharbour, along with any off-street space.
Coldharbour is about 4 miles north-west of Orpington, in Greater London. Wherever you are in Coldharbour, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our Greater London coverage includes Coldharbour and the places around it. London is in our area too.
Every address in SE9 and BR7 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover properties on Green Lane, Horley Road and Dorset Road. Close by, we survey roofs in Mottingham (1 mile west), Chinbrook (1 mile west), New Eltham (1 mile north-east), Eltham (1 mile north) and Middle Park (1 mile north-west). Further out, we also cover London (8 miles north-west), City of Westminster (11 miles north-west), Marylebone (10 miles north-west), Kensington (12 miles north-west), St Pancras (10 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (9 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Coldharbour
In Coldharbour, that means homes and buildings near Elmstead Wood and St Thomas More Catholic Comprehensive School, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Mottingham station, about 0.6 miles north. A little further out are The Glades (2.4 miles south-west) and Metropolitan Police Museum (2.2 miles east). For a walk, there’s The Tarn and Summer Hill.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Coldharbour
Landlords and letting agents in Coldharbour book surveys as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photos, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord. Access is agreed with the tenant beforehand.
How it works
A survey visit follows a simple order: we listen to what’s been worrying you, inspect the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photos as we go and make notes for the report. It usually takes an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Many London properties are flats or terraces with no side access, so rear slopes are viewed from windows, the loft or, where a flight is allowed, by drone. Mention any building rules, key holders or managing agents when booking.
- Once your offer is accepted, you let us know the address and when you hope to exchange.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from the ground and from vantage points.
- Inside, we check the roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
Getting a price
To book a survey, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We will confirm the price before you book.
Advice
What happens if roof problems are left?
Leaving it means judging the roof from the street. That won’t show slipped slates on the rear slope, a worn valley or cracked flaunching. A survey fills that gap before you commit, with photos of anything that needs attention. Blocked gutters and hoppers on London houses overflow and soak brickwork. A blocked outlet ignored for a winter or two can mean damp walls inside.
To find out what your survey will cost, phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a few details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Why us?
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- Package prices that include VAT
- PI and public liability insurance
- 98% customer satisfaction
Take a look at what a roof survey costs and what we found on two real jobs.
Questions from Coldharbour
Is drone flying allowed in Coldharbour?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. 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. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions, including zones around airports and prisons. A small drone cannot fly safely in high wind or heavy rain, and the rest of the survey doesn’t depend on the drone.
Is my home in Coldharbour listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Where possible, yes. We look in the roof space where there is safe access, and upstairs windows give useful views. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
The sooner after your offer is accepted, the better. You need the report before you exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
How long does the survey visit take?
It typically takes between one and two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
That depends on the survey. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access.