Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in East Dulwich, Greater London
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you decide what to do next. Pre-purchase roof surveys in East Dulwich.
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
Roof by roof
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead-lined valleys and gutters are common on older homes in London and South East England. Worn or cracked lead lets water straight into the roof, and missing lead is not unknown, as it’s a target for thieves.
Chimney stacks
A leaning stack, cracked flaunching or crumbling pointing can all need work. We photograph them so you can raise them before exchange.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in East Dulwich
A Basic Survey starts from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, including VAT. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check. Premium goes further, with thermal imaging, a drone where applicable and a same-day report. Choose the level that suits the home you are buying. Every package comes with a written report, photos and recommendations. We survey chimney stacks, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and clay and concrete tiles, and people most frequently book us about blocked or leaking gutters and roof slopes that look uneven or sagging.
In a London terrace or conversion, the roof frequently joins the neighbours’ roofs and shares their stacks and gutters, with parapet walls and party-wall upstands marking where one roof ends and the next begins. That matters for anyone buying in East Dulwich or checking a new roof there: only the parts we’re given access to and can see safely are inspected. For a flat, the lease usually says who looks after the roof.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Place
- East Dulwich (SE5, SE22, SE15)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. The main factors are:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
All our prices include VAT. Our price is from £150, including VAT. We confirm the exact price before booking.
What we need to know
These details help when you contact us:
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- When you need the report by
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Tips that help
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Tips:
- Ask for loft access on the day
- Tell us your exchange date as you book
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Share the report with your solicitor
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. The photos show the defects and where they are, so each quote covers the same ground.
Look in the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. Damp patches, daylight through the roof or water stains on timbers are worth noting. Take photos so you can show whoever looks at it.
Also near East Dulwich
More services for East Dulwich
The survey, step by step
Where it is relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. All in, the survey usually takes an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. In East Dulwich, 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, and to clear a path to the loft hatch. 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 tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed in advance.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from ground level and from vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it is safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Let us know about parking near the property
Arrange a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Take them safely from the ground or a window, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To get started, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
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Common questions in East Dulwich
Is drone flying allowed in East Dulwich?
That depends on where the roof is and on the weather. The flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea comes within about 2 miles of East Dulwich. We check the exact boundary for the address before flying, and if the roof falls inside it, we ask for permission first. 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. High wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in East Dulwich?
It can be, so it helps to tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space as you book. The visit is then planned around what’s available.
What’s the best way to book?
The quickest way is to ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. Give us the address and some details about the roof. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
Does someone need to be in?
Not necessarily. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Are you insured?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around East Dulwich
East Dulwich is about 2 miles from the edge of the flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea. If your survey includes the drone, we check the exact boundary for the address before flying. Many homes in inner London are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, often with Welsh slate roofs. A butterfly roof with a central valley gutter, tucked behind a parapet wall, is common on these houses. If your home in East Dulwich is one of them, lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are part of the picture too. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
Take an older house close to The Latter Rain Outpouring Revival Church: older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them. Kingswood House lies about 2.2 miles south, so building around East Dulwich goes back a long way. Buying a period property here means asking about the roof’s age and repairs, and about any listing or conservation area. If you let a flat or house near East Dulwich station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
East Dulwich is about 3 miles south of London, in Greater London. We visit East Dulwich as part of our work across Greater London. Across Greater London, we cover East Dulwich.
All of SE5, SE22 and SE15 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Rye Lane, Wren Road and Adys Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. East Dulwich is on the A2214 and A2215, so it’s easy for us to get to. If you are just outside East Dulwich, we cover Denmark Hill (1 mile north-west), Herne Hill (1 mile south-west), Dulwich Village (1 mile south), Camberwell (1 mile north) and Peckham (1 mile north-east). Further out, we also cover London (3 miles north), City of Westminster (5 miles north-west), Marylebone (5 miles north-west), Kensington (6 miles north-west), St Pancras (5 miles north) and Shoreditch (4 miles north).
Near you in East Dulwich
In East Dulwich, that means homes and buildings near The Fox on the Hill pub, The Charter School East Dulwich and The Charter School, among other places. There is a railway station in East Dulwich itself: East Dulwich station. Nearby you will also find House of Dreams Museum (under half a mile south-east) and Surrey Quays Shopping Centre (2.8 miles north-east). For a walk, there’s Knight's Hill and Centre for Wildlife Gardening.
Why it’s worth a survey now in East Dulwich
A good many buyers go ahead anyway, but with their eyes open. The report shows what needs doing first, and you can line up a roofer before small faults grow. In East Dulwich, as in much of London, water from a roof defect can reach a neighbour’s home as easily as yours: a blocked parapet gutter or slipped slate can let water into the flat below or the house next door. Dealing with it early is far less disruptive.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, inc. VAT.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in East Dulwich
- 98% of clients satisfied
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Packages from £150, with VAT included
What this survey cannot tell you
We only report everything that’s safely in view on the day, so there are some things a survey can’t cover:
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- A structural engineer’s report
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles