Kent · London and the South East
Dartford Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Dartford. We have completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Dartford
We survey roofs for buyers in Dartford and across London and the South East. From terraced and semi-detached homes to detached houses and flats, the roof gets the same careful look. The report says what’s in good order, what isn’t and what to deal with first. We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and have 20+ years’ experience. To book, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. If you are worried about roof slopes that look uneven or sagging and gutters that overflow or drip at the joints, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on clay and concrete tiles, chimney stacks and flat-roofed extensions and dormers alike.
Most homes in a town like Dartford are houses, so the roof typically belongs to the property you are buying or paying for, apart from details shared with the house next door on semis and terraces. That makes a roof defect a cost that falls on you: it’s better to know about it before exchange or before the final payment than afterwards. A report with photos gives you specific points to raise with the seller or the roofer.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets, each with a short note and a photograph. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Location
- Dartford (DA1, DA2, DA5, DA13)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we look for on each type of roof
Clay and concrete tiles
Concrete interlocking tiles are common on post-war and newer homes. They’re heavy and hard-wearing, but they weather and can crack.
Natural slate
On a slate roof, the underlay may be old bitumen felt, or there may be none at all on very old roofs. Where we can see it from the loft, we say what condition it’s in.
What this survey cannot tell you
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will recommend the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
Why it’s worth a survey now in Dartford
Even if you go ahead regardless, knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan. The report shows what needs doing first, so you can plan work before small faults get bigger. Roof faults found early can be planned for, while one found after water comes through normally has to be dealt with in a hurry.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why us?
- Every finding written up with photos
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
Read our cost guide and what we found on two real jobs.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
It helps to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Share it with us when you book, as it helps us focus the survey.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That’s where a survey comes in.
Also near Dartford
Other services in Dartford
Dartford homes and their roofs
Across Kent, older roofs are often handmade clay or peg tiles, and tile-hanging on upper walls is a familiar sight. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. The covering on a house you are buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest. The wider area around Dartford has a long history of building, with Hall Place and Gardens about 2.8 miles west. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you own a rental within reach of Dartford station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Dartford is about 14 miles east of London, in Kent. Anywhere in Dartford, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. We cover towns and villages across Kent, large and small. We also survey roofs in London.
Here we cover the DA1, DA2, DA5 and DA13 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Local streets include High Street, Market Street and Temple Hill Square, and we cover them all. Being close to the A2 and A206, Dartford is simple for us to get to for pre-purchase roof surveys. Other places close to Dartford include Temple Hill (1 mile north), Hawley (1 mile south), Stone (2 miles east), Clement Street (2 miles south) and Darenth (2 miles south-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Sevenoaks (11 miles south), Gravesend (7 miles east), Northfleet (5 miles east), Swanley (4 miles south-west), Kings Hill (14 miles south-east) and Swanscombe (3 miles east). Dartford is among the bigger towns we cover in Kent.
What’s near Dartford
We work in homes and buildings around The Rose pub, Stone Lodge School and Leigh Academy and the streets around them. There’s a railway station in Dartford itself: Dartford station. Well-known places in the area include Dartford Library (less than half a mile west) and Bluewater (2.1 miles east). The countryside around Dartford includes Wansunt Pit and Sawyers Lake.
FAQs for Dartford
Is there anything to prepare before you come to Dartford?
Mostly, it is about access: the loft hatch, any locked gates and where to park in Dartford. Let us know about known leaks or past repairs as well.
Do you cover Dartford?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, and Dartford is part of that. Just ring 07833 053749 or email us and tell us about the property.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
They do different things. A home survey looks at the whole property, and ours concentrates on the roof alone. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Let us know your preferred days when booking.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the loft space.
The survey, step by step
The visit usually starts outside and finishes in the loft: outside views come first, then the loft space if there is safe access. In total, it takes roughly 1–2 hours for most houses, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. For a home in Dartford, the main things we need are a way into the loft, a route to the back garden and somewhere to park. Someone needs to let us in, so tell us who that will be.
- You book once your offer is accepted and tell us the address and your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- We look at the roof from ground level, from windows, from the roof space and from the roof where safe.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
How to prepare
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
How to book
Getting a price is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and give us some details about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Read more
Common roof problems in Dartford
Viewings rarely include a proper look at the roof. You see the rooms, not the slates, and a quick glance from the street misses a lot. New paint on a ceiling can hide old water stains, so a closer look is worth having before you commit.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
The streets around a church such as Church of the Holy Trinity are often among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
What to check before booking
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- How soon the report will arrive
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- What happens after the report arrives