Kent · London and the South East
Dargate Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Dargate, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Dargate
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all inc. VAT. Standard adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. Premium adds thermal imaging, a drone inspection where it applies and an in-person consultation. Pick the one that fits the property. All three include a written report with photos and recommendations. We’re frequently asked to look into flashings that have lifted or split and slates or tiles that have slipped or gone, across clay and concrete tiles, the roof space and lead flashings and valleys.
In a village or hamlet like Dargate, homes are frequently older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Village roofs can be clay tile, slate, stone or even thatch on some older buildings. Whether you’re buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Dargate (ME13)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Questions from Dargate
How do I find out if my home in Dargate is listed?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Is Dargate within the area you cover?
Yes. Dargate is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. It’s a dedicated roof survey, with a written report and photographs. It isn’t a RICS survey and does not cover the rest of the house.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Do you need to go inside the property?
Where we can, yes. Inside, the loft shows leaks, damp timbers and the underlay. If we can’t get in, the report says so.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
The sooner after your offer is accepted, the better. The report is most useful before exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
What insurance do you have?
We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Dargate
The coast is about 3 miles or less from Dargate, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof, which is worth knowing before you buy or pay for new work. An older home may be listed, or stand in a conservation area. To find out, check Historic England’s list and ask the council about conservation areas. In either case, a change of roofing material may need consent.
Take an older house close to Church of St Michael: the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light. Landlords with a home close to Selling station may find that it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Dargate is about 4 miles south-west of Whitstable, in Kent. From houses to flats and shops in Dargate, the roof can be surveyed. Our area takes in places right across Kent.
We cover every part of ME13 for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. Local streets include Butler's Hill and Plumpudding Lane, and we cover them all. If you’re just outside Dargate, we cover Hernhill (1 mile south-west), Waterham (1 mile north), Highstreet (1 mile north-east), Slutshole (1 mile south-west) and Staplestreet (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Ashford (13 miles south), Canterbury (5 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (11 miles west), Whitstable (4 miles north-east), Faversham (4 miles west) and Herne Bay (8 miles north-east).
Near you in Dargate
Around Dargate, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Red Lion pub and Mount Ephraim Gardens and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Selling station, roughly 3 miles south-west. Well-known places in the area include Whitstable and Tankerton Hospital (4.5 miles north-east) and Tankerton Castle (4.2 miles north-east). For a walk, there’s Blean Woods RSPB Reserve.
Roof by roof
Chimney stacks
Leaning stacks, loose pots and eroded mortar are common findings. We photograph them so you can raise them before exchange.
Clay and concrete tiles
Concrete interlocking tiles are common on post-war and newer homes. They wear slowly, but surfaces erode and edges crack.
Checking the roof from the ground
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Water spilling over the edge can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
Also near Dargate
What else we do in Dargate
Why act early in Dargate
When a chain is moving fast, a roof survey can feel like one more delay. We visit on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and a Premium report comes the same day, which helps it fit around your exchange date. In a place like Dargate, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. A quick look before winter can save a lot.
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Prices start from £150, including VAT.
Why book with us
- Surveys seven days a week
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed ahead of time. We survey seven days a week, which can make access easier.
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work with less disruption.
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll point you to the right survey. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Dargate
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
How it works
There is not much for you to do on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, like stains, drips or loose pieces, and we’ll take it from there. A typical survey takes about one to two hours for most houses; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. Somewhere like Dargate needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- Once your offer is accepted, you let us know the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed ahead of time.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from the ground and from vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
How to prepare
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
Book a survey
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.