Kent · London and the South East
Dunkirk Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Dunkirk, with photographs and a written report.
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Dunkirk
Buying a flat brings its own roof questions. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that’s often not the individual flat owner, with costs often passed on through the service charge. We inspect what access allows us to see safely, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. If the building has a flat roof, we look at that too where access allows. If you’ve noticed bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs and lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Some older homes in villages like Dunkirk are listed or sit in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. Whether you are buying or signing off new roofing, it is worth knowing where you stand, as well as what condition the roof is in. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Dunkirk (ME13)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, while Premium includes a consultation in person. If anything in the report isn’t clear, ask us.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Dunkirk: local notes
Dunkirk lies within about 4 miles of the sea, so there’s more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, and loose ridges, slates and tiles are the first to lift in a gale, which is worth knowing before you buy or pay for new work. If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Christ Church, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Dunkirk is about 4 miles south-east of Faversham, in Kent. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Dunkirk can all book pre-purchase roof surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Our area takes in places right across Kent, large and small.
All of ME13 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover properties on London Road and Courtenay Road and the roads around them. We also cover Boughton under Blean (1 mile west), Winterbourne (1 mile south-west), Hickmans Green (1 mile west), Oversland (1 mile south-west) and South Street (2 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Ashford (12 miles south-west), Canterbury (5 miles east), Sittingbourne (11 miles west), Whitstable (5 miles north-east), Faversham (4 miles north-west) and Herne Bay (9 miles north-east).
Around Dunkirk
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Red Lion pub and Mount Ephraim Gardens, among other places. The closest station to Dunkirk is Selling station, roughly 1.9 miles south-west. Well-known places in the area include Chilham Castle (3.5 miles south) and Eastbridge Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr (4.4 miles east). For a walk, there’s Blean Woods RSPB Reserve.
Checking the roof from the ground
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Do not go up yourself.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Places near Dunkirk
Other services in Dunkirk
Common questions in Dunkirk
Do you cover smaller places like Dunkirk?
Yes, Dunkirk is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Is my home in Dunkirk listed or in a conservation area?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it is applicable. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and every flight depends on the airspace and the weather.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It is a roof survey by an experienced roof surveyor, with a written report and photos. It doesn’t cover the rest of the property, which a RICS survey does.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That way you can still act on what we find, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey seven days a week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
How the survey works
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect what can safely be seen, and anything we cannot see is noted in the report. Most visits take about one to two hours at most homes, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Rural addresses near Dunkirk 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 get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- We agree a time and how we will get in, including the loft.
- We inspect the roof from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Getting ready for the survey
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Book a survey
We confirm the exact price before you book, so you know where you stand. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Related advice
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
Prices always include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Roof area
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Booking your survey
If you can, have these to hand when you contact us:
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, so call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the details.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Dunkirk
Viewings rarely include a proper look at the roof. You see the rooms, not the slates. Fresh decoration can also cover the marks an old leak left behind, so a closer look is worth having before you commit.
Problems we come across frequently include:
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
If you own a rental within reach of Selling station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What insurance they carry
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Will the report include photos?
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- Whether timbers meet design loads
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll recommend the right survey. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers