Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Earl's Court
Get a clear view of the roof at a property in Earl's Court. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
Pre-purchase roof survey in Earl's Court
The best time to book is once your offer has been accepted and before you exchange contracts. That is when the findings are most useful, because nothing is binding yet. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when the chain is moving fast. The report comes within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. If you are worried about roof slopes that look uneven or sagging and blocked or leaking gutters, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
In London, a good many houses have been split into flats, extended or fitted with a dormer loft conversion. Each change adds roof details, such as flat roofs, new flashings and junctions with the original slopes. For a purchase in Earl's Court, or for new roofing work there, those junctions deserve a proper look. Dormer cheeks, lead work and new flat roofs are worth checking closely, as faults there are easy to miss.
Most points in the report come with a picture, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Where
- Earl's Court (W14, W8, SW5)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. The inspection then takes an hour or two for most houses, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. In a London area like Earl's Court, the main things to sort out are parking and access: tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space, which floor the property is on and how to get into the loft. 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 has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- The roof is inspected from every safe vantage point, inside and out.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
How to prepare
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
How to book
We survey roofs seven days a week. To arrange a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
Earl's Court: your questions answered
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Earl's Court?
Parking in Earl's Court, as in most of London, takes a little planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day run more smoothly, so mention what’s available when you book.
How do I find out if my home in Earl's Court is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case.
Do you need access inside the house?
Ideally, yes. The loft tells us a lot about the roof, and views from upper windows help too. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys, across 20+ years of surveying roofs, and 98% of clients are satisfied.
Are you insured?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That gives you time to use the findings, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. Buyers use the findings to ask questions, ask for repairs before completion or ask for a price change. The outcome is between you and the seller, so we can’t promise any saving.
What affects the price in Earl's Court
When we price a survey, we consider:
- The roof’s overall size
- Height and safe access
- Which survey package you book
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
What to let us know when you get in touch
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- The property’s address and postcode
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
Getting a price is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or email us and give us a few details about the property and we’ll recommend the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Local roofs and buyers in Earl's Court
Historic houses like Garden Lodge, about 0.3 miles north-west, show how far back building in the area around Earl's Court goes. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Earl's Court is inside, or right on the edge of, the flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea. If the drone is used for your survey, permission from the heliport is needed first, and the flight only goes ahead if it is given.
If your house is among the older ones in the streets near St Cuthbert's, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges. If you own a rental within reach of West Brompton station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Earl's Court is about 1 mile south-east of Kensington, in Greater London. Wherever you are in Earl's Court, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Earl's Court is one of the places in Greater London we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys.
We survey roofs across the W14, W8 and SW5 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. That includes homes and businesses on Sun Road, Star Road and Rich Lane and the roads around them. Earl's Court is on the A3218 and A3220, so it’s easy for us to get to. Other places close to Earl's Court include West Brompton (1 mile south), South Kensington (1 mile east), Little Chelsea (1 mile south-east), World's End (1 mile south-east) and Walham Green (1 mile south). Within a short drive, we also cover London (4 miles east), Marylebone (3 miles north-east), St Pancras (4 miles north-east), Shoreditch (6 miles north-east), Walthamstow (10 miles north-east) and Hoxton (6 miles north-east).
Landmarks near Earl's Court
Around Earl's Court, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Abdus Salam Library, Gwendwr Garden and Courtfield pub. You’ll also find The Fulham Boys School (less than half a mile west) and Collingham College (within half a mile east). There’s a railway station in Earl's Court itself: West Brompton station. A little further out are Montfichet's Tower (4.4 miles east) and Kensington Arcade (0.7 miles north). The countryside around Earl's Court includes Campden Hill and The Long Water.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Earl's Court
The fixings and underlay frequently fail before good slates or tiles do. Good slate can last well over a century, yet the nails holding it rust and let slates slide. It is a frequent finding on older houses and easy to miss from the ground.
Common reasons to book include:
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Blocked or leaking gutters
For a London address like Earl's Court, it helps to know about controlled parking before the day, along with any off-street space.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- What exactly goes into their report
- What the survey won’t cover
What you can safely check yourself
You can learn a lot from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That’s where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
Tips that help
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
We email the report to you, with photos of each finding. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Each defect is explained in plain words, with recommendations prioritised by urgency where relevant.
Check the roof from the garden and the street after a storm. Slipped slates, lifted ridge tiles and debris on the ground are signs to act on. Dealing with them early keeps water out.
Places near Earl's Court
Also in Earl's Court
Different roofs, different checks
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, but the nails holding it corrode long before that. Slipped or missing slates are a sign of ‘nail fatigue’, and we note how widespread it looks.
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.