Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in East Barnet, Greater London
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat around East Barnet, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
Pre-purchase roof survey in East Barnet: what you get
Buyers in East Barnet and right across London and South East England use our pre-purchase roof survey. 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, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We’re often asked to look into a ridge or slope that dips and loose pots and cracked flaunching, on the roof space, natural slate and lead flashings and valleys.
London terraces and converted houses often share a roof line, chimney stacks and gutters with the house next door, with parapet walls and party-wall upstands marking where one roof ends and the next begins. For a purchase or a new roof in East Barnet, 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’s a flat, the lease normally sets out who is responsible for the roof.
Where we cannot see part of the roof, the report says so. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Location
- East Barnet (N20, EN4, N14)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Why get it checked now?
A mortgage valuation isn’t a roof survey. Its job is to check the property’s value for the mortgage, not at the condition of each slate and flashing. Our survey is done for you, and the report is written for you to use. Work on a London roof is rarely simple to arrange, with parking, neighbours and access all to think about. That’s a good reason to find problems early, while there’s time to plan, rather than in a rush after a leak.
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on the size and height of the roof, access and which survey you book.
Why book with us
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Packages from £150, inc. VAT
- An independent view of the roof
- Weekday and weekend surveys
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
When you need someone else
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so there are some things a survey cannot cover:
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll suggest the right survey before you book. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in East Barnet
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in East Barnet?
Asbestos was banned in UK construction in 1999. Cement roof sheets, soffits and flue pipes are typical places to find it. We do not carry out asbestos surveys, but we flag materials that might and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before work starts.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
For a London address like East Barnet, it’s useful to know about controlled parking before the day, along with any off-street space.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- When you will get the report
- Whether VAT is added on top
Towns and villages near East Barnet
More services for East Barnet
Buying a home or a new roof in East Barnet
If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. About 4.2 miles south lies Heath Hall, a reminder of how long the area around East Barnet has been built on. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Landlords with a home close to Oakleigh Park station may find that it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it. If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near St Mary the Virgin, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs frequently have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
East Barnet is about 1 mile north-east of Whetstone, in Greater London. East Barnet is part of the area we cover across London and South East England. Our area takes in places right across Greater London. Our London page covers surveys nearby.
Here we cover the N20, EN4 and N14 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. You will find streets like Dene Road, Pine Road and Capel Road, and we cover them all. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Osidge (1 mile east), Brunswick Park (1 mile south-east), New Barnet (1 mile north-west), Whetstone (1 mile south-west) and Oakleigh Park (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (10 miles south), City of Westminster (8 miles south), Marylebone (8 miles south), Kensington (10 miles south), St Pancras (8 miles south) and Shoreditch (8 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in East Barnet
In East Barnet, that means homes and buildings near Oak Hill Park, Salcombe School and East Barnet School, among other places. You’ll also find The Cavalier pub (under half a mile south) and Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum (1.8 miles south-west). East Barnet’s nearest station is Oakleigh Park station, about 0.5 miles north-west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Grand Arcade (1.7 miles south-west) and Finchley Memorial Hospital (2.2 miles south-west). Not far away are Oakleigh Park Rail Cutting and Darland's Lake.
The survey, step by step
The visit typically starts outside and finishes in the loft: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the roof space where it can be reached. In total, it takes an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so a visit in East Barnet moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. Shared stairs or a basement flat? Let us know who holds the keys.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- We check the roof from ground level, from windows, from the loft space and from the roof where safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
Arrange a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Advice
How the survey changes by roof type
Natural slate
Good slate is one of the longest-lasting roof coverings, 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.
Gutters and parapets
Some older terraces have a butterfly roof with a central valley gutter. If the home you are buying has one, that gutter and its outlet get a careful look.
FAQs for East Barnet
Can you fly a drone over a roof in East Barnet?
That depends on where the roof is and on the weather. 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. Each address is checked against all of them before the drone goes up. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions, including zones around airports and prisons. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather, and the rest of the survey does not depend on the drone.
Is my home in East Barnet listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. We check the parts we’re given access to.
What’s the best way to book?
Just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day, weekday or weekend.
Is your roof survey a RICS survey?
No. It’s a dedicated roof survey, and you get a written report with photos. It is not a RICS survey and does not cover the rest of the house.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
That depends on the survey. For inside areas and the loft space, someone has to give us access, while outside access can be discussed when you book.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.