Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in East Ham, Greater London
Need a pre-purchase roof survey in East Ham? We can help, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in East Ham
Slates and tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay that hold them. Natural slate can last 100 years or more, yet the nails holding it rust and let slates slide. It is a frequent finding on older houses and easy to miss from ground level.
Common reasons to book include:
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Old water stains in the roof space
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
East Ham is in London, so parking needs planning: let us know about parking bays, permits or a driveway as you book, as a space near the door can’t be promised.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- What happens after the report arrives
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
Pre-purchase roof survey in East Ham: what you get
Buying a flat brings its own roof questions. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that is frequently not the individual flat owner. We check as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. Where the building has a flat roof, it is checked as far as access allows. If you’ve noticed damp timbers or stains in the loft and gutters that overflow or drip at the joints, we can find out what’s behind it.
Many London homes have been converted into flats, extended at the back or given a loft conversion with a dormer. Every alteration brings new junctions, flashings and flat-roof areas to look at. If you’re buying a flat or house in East Ham, or have just had new roofing work done, those junctions are often where problems start. Lead work around dormers and new flat roofs is easy to get wrong and easy to miss.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets, with a note and a photo for each point. It records what’s sound as well as what isn’t.
- Location
- East Ham (E6, IG11, E13, E12)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Questions from East Ham
How do I find out if my home in East Ham 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, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in East Ham?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. East Ham is inside, or right on the edge of, the flight restriction zone around London City Airport. We ask the airport for permission before flying there, and only fly if it is given. 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. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather, and the rest of the survey doesn’t depend on the drone.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
What’s the best way to book?
The quickest way is to call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. Let us know the address and a little about the roof, and we’ll take it from there. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
When will the report arrive?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email with photos included.
Does someone need to be in?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. Access is agreed with you when booking.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have completed over 5,000 surveys.
East Ham homes and their roofs
East Ham is inside, or right on the edge of, the flight restriction zone around London City Airport. If the drone is used for your survey, we ask the airport for permission first, and only fly if it’s given. With Eastbury Manor House about 1.9 miles east, East Ham sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
The streets around a church such as St Bartholomew's Church are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light. For landlords with property near Barking station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
East Ham is about 5 miles south-east of Walthamstow, in Greater London. We cover East Ham and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and the South East. Our Greater London coverage includes East Ham and the places around it. There is also a page for London.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in E6, IG11, E13 and E12 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include High Street South, Market Street and High Street North. Main roads around East Ham include the A13 and A117, which makes travel easy. We also cover the places around East Ham: Wallend (1 mile north-east), Upton Park (1 mile west), Plashet (1 mile north), Beckton (1 mile south-east) and Greengate (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (7 miles west), City of Westminster (9 miles west), Marylebone (9 miles west), Kensington (11 miles west), St Pancras (7 miles west) and Shoreditch (6 miles west).
Landmarks near East Ham
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Miller's Well pub, Beckton District Park and The Service for Deaf and Partially Hearing Children, among other places. The nearest railway station is Barking station, roughly 1.3 miles north-east. A little further out are Greenwich Castle (4.3 miles south-west) and Gallions Reach Shopping Park (1.6 miles south-east). The countryside around East Ham includes Ripple Nature Reserve and Hollow Pond.
Practical tips
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
- Share the report with your solicitor
If you want quotes for the work, roofers can work from the report. The photos show the defects and where they are, so each quote covers the same ground.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.
What this survey can’t tell you
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- A structural engineer’s report
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
The survey, step by step
When we arrive, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that is worrying you. After that, we check everything we can see safely, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where applicable. Most surveys take about one to two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Surveys in East Ham can be booked for any day of the week. London parking is often by permit or pay-and-display, so it is useful to know what’s near you, and to clear a path to the loft hatch. Upstairs rooms at the back are useful too, as they often give the best view of a rear addition.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you’re buying.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Before we arrive
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Getting a price
We survey roofs on weekdays and at weekends. To find a date that works for you, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Read more
What a survey costs
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- How big the roof is
- Building height and the viewpoints available
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, how it can safely be seen and which survey you book.
What we need to know
These details help when you get in touch:
- What made you get in touch
- When you need the report by
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- The kind of building and roof involved
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
What you can safely check yourself
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: 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.
It’s useful to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry.