Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Downham, Greater London
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Downham, with photos and a written report.
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
Leave it or get it looked at?
After exchange, any roof defect is yours to deal with. Before then, you can still ask questions, ask for work to be done or reconsider. A survey after you’ve moved in tells you the same things, but with far less room to act on them. London’s older roofs often have bitumen felt underlay or none 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.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before booking.
Why us?
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Clear package prices, including VAT
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
Take a look at what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Downham
The roof is one of the most expensive parts of a home to repair, and one of the hardest for a buyer to see. A pre-purchase roof survey looks at it closely before you are tied in. We look at the slates or tiles, the ridges and valleys, the flashings, the chimneys and the gutters, and the loft space where it’s safe to get in. You get a photo-illustrated written report. We survey natural slate, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and the roof space, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are flashings that have lifted or split and gutters that overflow or drip at the joints.
In a London terrace or conversion, the roof often joins the neighbours’ roofs and shares their stacks and gutters. For a purchase or a new roof in Downham, that shapes what can be checked: we inspect what we’re given access to and can see safely, which may not include a neighbour’s side. If it is a flat, the lease typically sets out who is responsible for the roof.
Findings are set out part by part, from the coverings down to the gutters, with a note and a photo for each point. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Where
- Downham (BR1, SE6, SE12)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Towns and villages near Downham
What else we do in Downham
What we look for on each type of roof
Flat roofs
Ponding, blistering, splits and worn upstands are the usual warning signs. We check outlets too, since a blocked one leaves water sitting on the roof.
Clay and concrete tiles
Older homes in the South East often have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles on some. Rotten pegs let tiles slide, so we look for gaps along the courses.
Downham homes and their roofs
If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. With Bromley Palace about 1.7 miles south-east, Downham sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead.
If you let a flat or house near Grove Park station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. Downham is in London, so parking needs planning: let us know about parking bays, permits or a driveway as you book. The streets around a church such as St Barnabas are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs frequently have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Downham is about 2 miles north of Bromley, in Greater London. From houses to flats and shops in Downham, we can survey the roof. Downham is one of the towns and villages in Greater London where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys. You can also see our page for London.
Surveys in BR1, SE6 and SE12 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Streets in the area include Shaw Road, Arcus Road and Brook Lane. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Plaistow (1 mile south), Grove Park (1 mile north-east), Sundridge (1 mile south-east), Chinbrook (1 mile east) and Bellingham (1 mile west). Larger places within reach include London (7 miles north-west), City of Westminster (9 miles north-west), Marylebone (9 miles north-west), Kensington (10 miles north-west), St Pancras (9 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (8 miles north-west).
Around Downham
Typical jobs here are in homes near Holy Trinity College Bromley, Downham Fields and Bonus Pastor Catholic College and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Grove Park station, roughly 0.8 miles north-east of the centre. A little further out are The Glades (1.6 miles south) and Greenwich Castle (3.6 miles north). Not far away are Summer Hill and Downham Woodland Walk.
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. The main factors are:
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
For a price for your roof in Downham, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Helping us price your survey
Getting the details right at the start saves time. It’s useful to include:
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- What kind of property and roof it is
- What’s prompted the survey
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know where you stand. Our price is from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
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’s applicable and the weather allows. A typical visit takes between one and two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. In a London area like Downham, the main things to sort out are parking and access: let us know about parking, the floor the property is on, any shared entrance and loft access. On the day, the roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from inside the loft space and from the roof where it’s safe.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us 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 loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Before the survey
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Let us know about parking before the day
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
Arrange a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply ring 07833 053749 or email us whenever suits you.
Read more
Surveys for landlords and agents in Downham
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps with budgets and planning.
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords. Bigger roofs take more time.
Practical tips
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. A few suggestions:
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
With the findings in hand, you can talk to the seller or their agent. You might ask for the work to be done before completion, or ask to adjust the price. The outcome is between you and the seller.
Every so frequently, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Watch for stains, damp timbers and chinks of daylight. Take photos so you can show whoever looks at it.
FAQs for Downham
Is my home in Downham listed or in a conservation area?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Downham?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. London’s airspace includes flight restriction zones around Heathrow, London City Airport and London Heliport, and 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. A small drone can’t fly safely in high wind or heavy rain.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
Allow about one to two hours at a typical home, and more on a big or complicated roof. We will give you an idea of timing when you book.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day. Just say which days work for you.
What’s the best way to book?
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Are you insured?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are frequently shared, so the building owner or managing agent needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.