Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Downe, Greater London
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Downe, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- The shape of the roof and its details
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- The size of the roof
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 including VAT. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Booking your survey
The more you let us know, the easier it is to price the survey. When you contact us, let us know:
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Anything about access we should know
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
When you are ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Downe
A full home survey looks at the whole property, so the roof is one item among many. Our survey is not a RICS survey, and it does not replace one. What it adds is a closer look at the roof alone, with photos of what we find and written recommendations. The two sit side by side if you want the fullest picture. We survey flat-roofed extensions and dormers, natural slate and lead flashings and valleys, and common reasons people get in touch are ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof and slipped or missing slates and tiles.
Many London homes have been converted into flats, extended at the back or given a loft conversion with a dormer. Each change adds roof details, such as flat roofs, new flashings and junctions with the original slopes. If you are buying a flat or house in Downe, or have just had new roofing work done, those junctions are often where problems start. Lead work around dormers and new flat roofs is easy to get wrong and easy to miss.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, and where it can wait, that’s said too.
- Place
- Downe (BR6)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Downe
Historic houses such as Down House, about 0.6 miles south, show how far back building in the area around Downe goes. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
Parking in Downe, as in most of London, takes a little planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day easier, as a space near the door can’t be promised. If you live in an older home near St Mary's Church, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Downe is about 4 miles south-west of Orpington, in Greater London. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Downe for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings, with a written report and photographs every time. Across Greater London, we cover Downe. We also survey roofs in London.
We survey roofs across the BR6 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on High Street, North End Lane and Belle Vue Road. Other places close to Downe include Farthing Street (1 mile north-west), Hazelwood (1 mile east), Luxted (1 mile south), Leaves Green (1 mile west) and Single Street (2 miles south). We also work in nearby towns such as London (13 miles north-west), City of Westminster (15 miles north-west), Marylebone (15 miles north-west), St Pancras (15 miles north-west), Shoreditch (14 miles north-west) and Hoxton (15 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Downe
Around Downe, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Queens Head pub, Charles Darwin School and South Park and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Chelsfield station, about 2.6 miles north-east. A little further out are Crofton Roman Villa (2.7 miles north-east) and Princess Royal University Hospital (1.8 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Downe Bank Nature Reserve and Betsom's Hill.
Common questions in Downe
Is parking a problem for a survey in Downe?
It rarely stops a survey, but it’s worth planning. Let us know what parking is available nearby, and the visit is planned around it.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Downe?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. Downe is about 2 miles from Biggin Hill Airport, so the Drone Safety Map is checked for restrictions around it before we fly. 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. Each address is checked against all of them before the drone goes up. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather, and the rest of the survey does not depend on the drone.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling aren’t something we do. Where a material might contain it, such as old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it is disturbed.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. It is a dedicated roof survey, with a written report and photographs. It is not a RICS survey and does not cover the rest of the house.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That way you can still act on what we find.
Do you work in Downe?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, and that includes Downe.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Not necessarily. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Why get it checked now?
When a chain is moving fast, a roof survey can feel like one more delay. We visit seven days a week, and a Premium report comes the same day, which helps it fit around your exchange date. Many older London roofs have only old felt under the slates, or no underlay at all, so once the slates or flashings let water past, little stops it reaching ceilings. Left alone, that means wet timbers and plaster, which is a far bigger job than the roof fault itself.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. You’ll know the figure before booking.
Why book with us
- Plain-English reports with photos
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- 20+ years’ experience
Read our cost guide and two real surveys.
What we are asked to look at in Downe
Most viewings never get near the roof. You walk round the rooms, but the roof stays out of sight, and a quick glance from the street misses a lot. Fresh decoration can also cover the marks an old leak left behind, so a closer look is worth having before you commit.
Things that frequently lead to a survey include:
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
Landlords with a home close to Chelsfield station may find that a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
What to check before booking
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Will the report include photos?
- What they will not be able to tell you
What happens on the day
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available, including by drone where it is applicable and the weather allows. A typical visit takes roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. In Downe, visits are available on weekdays and at weekends. London parking is often by permit or pay-and-display, so it helps to know what’s near you. A back bedroom window can be the best vantage point for a rear addition, so we may ask to use one.
- 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 ground level and from vantage points.
- Inside, we check the roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations before you exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
How to book
Most bookings start with a short call: phone 07833 053749 or email us, and we will ask about the building and what you need. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Advice
Honest limits
It helps to know what a survey won’t do before you book:
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
What we look for on each type of roof
Flat roofs
Ponding, blistering, splits and worn upstands are the usual warning signs. Blocked outlets are checked as well, and we say what we see from wherever is safe.
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings close the gaps at chimneys, walls and abutments. We check whether they’ve lifted, split or been replaced with mortar or bitumen.