Kent · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Coldred
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Coldred, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Call or email for a price.
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
Questions from Coldred
Is Coldred within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and the South East, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Coldred?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
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, while you can still ask questions and negotiate.
Does your survey replace a RICS home 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.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it helps and it’s safe, yes. Whether we can fly on the day depends on the weather and the airspace rules. We are a CAA-registered drone operator.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
It depends on the roof and how confident you want to be. A home survey may recommend further investigation of the roof, and that is where a roof survey helps. It does not stand in for a RICS survey.
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. What the seller agrees to is their decision.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Coldred
A roof report gives you something solid to take back to the seller or the agent. You might ask about past repairs, ask for work to be done before completion or think again about your offer. What the seller agrees to is up to them, but you’ll be asking from facts rather than guesses. It can also help you decide whether the purchase is still right for you. We’re frequently asked to look into damp timbers or stains in the loft and blistered or split felt on a flat roof, on flat-roofed extensions and dormers, gutters and downpipes and natural slate.
Being in a small place like Coldred makes no difference to the inspection itself: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Whether you are buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Visits can be booked on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
After the visit, you get a photo-illustrated written report, sent by email. It explains the condition of the roof, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Location
- Coldred (CT15)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Check we’ll be able to get into the roof space
- Share the report with your solicitor
- Mention any deadline when you get in touch
You may want to pass the report to your solicitor or conveyancer so they can raise enquiries with the seller’s side. Past repairs, re-roofing and any records of that work are all fair questions, especially where we have found patch repairs.
Do not block the vents at the eaves. Poor ventilation lets condensation build up, wetting timbers and insulation. Keep insulation clear of eaves vents so air can move.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Coldred
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with the freeholder or managing agent. Let us know about it when you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, which can make access easier.
How it works
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof, but as a rough guide the survey takes an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. If you have questions on the day, just ask. Rural addresses near Coldred can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- You book once your offer is accepted and tell us the address and your timetable.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- The roof is inspected from every safe viewpoint, inside and out.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- We email a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
Getting a price
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details.
Related advice
What you can safely check yourself
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we check the roof.
Coldred homes and their roofs
Coldred lies within about 5 miles of the sea, where wind off the sea can be strong. A small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, so the weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead. Goodnestone Park, about 4.6 miles north, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Coldred. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
Landlords with a home close to Shepherds Well station may find that a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Coldred is about 4 miles north-west of Dover, in Kent. If you’re in Coldred, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. Coldred is one of the places in Kent where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys. For surveys nearby, see our Canterbury page.
We work across CT15 for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. We also cover Sibertswold (1 mile north-west), Lydden (1 mile south), Waldershare (1 mile north-east), Halfway Street (1 mile west) and Eythorne (2 miles north-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Canterbury (10 miles north-west), Margate (15 miles north-east), Dover (4 miles south-east), Folkestone (7 miles south-west), Ramsgate (13 miles north-east) and Broadstairs (15 miles north-east).
What’s near Coldred
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Bell Inn. The closest station to Coldred is Shepherds Well station, roughly 1.1 miles north-west. Other landmarks nearby include Dover Castle (4.8 miles south-east) and Dover Transport Museum (2.6 miles south-east). Not far away are Dover Western Heights.
Towns and villages near Coldred
Other services in Coldred
Roof by roof
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, but the nails holding it corrode long before that. When slates start to slip, corroded nails are often the reason.
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings close the gaps at chimneys, walls and abutments. We look for lead that has lifted, split or been patched over.
What we are asked to look at in Coldred
Many roofs have had quick fixes over the years. Bitumen over flashings, mortar fillets in place of lead and odd replacement tiles can point to a problem that keeps coming back. We note what we see so you can ask about it.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
If you live in an older home near Church of St Pancras, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Will the report include photos?
- How soon the report will arrive
- What experience they bring
- What they will not be able to tell you