Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Farnborough, Greater London
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Farnborough. We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Old water stains in the roof space
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Farnborough
Buying a home is a big commitment, and the roof is one of the costliest parts to put right. Our pre-purchase roof survey gives you a careful look at it before you’re committed. We check the slates or tiles, the ridges and valleys, the flashings, the chimneys and the gutters, and the roof space where it is safe to get in. You get a written report with photos. Common reasons to book are chimney mortar that has eroded and old water stains in the roof space, across the roof space, gutters and downpipes and clay and concrete tiles.
In London, lots of houses have been split into flats, extended or fitted with a dormer loft conversion. Every alteration brings new junctions, flashings and flat-roof areas to look at. For a purchase in Farnborough, or for new roofing work there, those junctions deserve a close look. Lead work around dormers and new flat roofs is easy to get wrong and easy to miss.
You receive the findings by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Where
- Farnborough (BR6)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
It helps to start with what’s prompted the survey: buying, a leak, storm damage, new work or just wanting to know where things stand. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. The visit typically takes roughly 1–2 hours at a typical home, and more on a big or complicated roof. Many London properties are flats or terraces with no side access, so the back of the roof is often seen from upstairs windows, from inside or, where a flight is allowed, from the air. Mention any building rules, key holders or managing agents as you book.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- You get a report with photographs and recommendations before you exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Booking a survey
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email to find out.
Advice
Different roofs, different checks
Gutters and parapets
A butterfly roof drains to a central valley gutter, normally to the back of the house. If yours does, we check that gutter and where it drains.
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.
Tips that help
A little preparation and a few simple habits help, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Our tips:
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Ask for loft access on the day
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
After you move in, keep the report somewhere safe. Deal with the urgent items first, and keep the photographs to compare against later. Premium comes with a follow-up after 12 months.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Blocked gutters cause much of the damp we see. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Farnborough
Is drone flying allowed in Farnborough?
That depends on where the roof is and on the weather. Farnborough is about 3 miles from Biggin Hill Airport, so the Drone Safety Map is checked for restrictions around it before we fly. Across London there are restriction zones around Heathrow, London City and London Heliport, plus 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. A small drone can’t fly safely in high wind or heavy rain.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Farnborough?
Sometimes, yes. Where there are permit zones, a visitor permit or nearby pay-and-display bay works well.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Where it is safe, yes. We inspect from the ground, from windows and vantage points, from the loft and from the roof itself where safe. The Premium Survey adds a drone inspection where it applies.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
Do you need access inside the house?
Where we can, yes. From the loft space we can see staining, timbers and underlay. If we can’t get in, the report says so.
Do you work in Farnborough?
Yes. We survey roofs across London and South East England, and that includes Farnborough.
Do I need to be at home?
Not always. If we only need the outside, we can agree that in advance, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
What we’re asked to look at in Farnborough
The fixings and underlay often fail before good slates or tiles do. 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.
Look out for signs like these:
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
Down House, about 2.1 miles south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Farnborough. When you buy an older home, the roof’s age, past repairs and any listing all affect what you might spend later.
What to check before booking
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- What they will not be able to tell you
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
Also near Farnborough
More services for Farnborough
Landlord and commercial surveys in Farnborough
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, with the most urgent items set out first.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with the freeholder or managing agent. Let us know about it as you book and we will plan the survey around it.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Farnborough: local notes
Further from the centre, London’s housing takes in interwar semis with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles as well as slate-roofed terraces. Hips, bay roofs and later loft conversions are typical of those semis, if your home is one of them. Whether you’re buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds. Farnborough is about 3 miles from Biggin Hill Airport. Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
Controlled parking zones are common in London, so mention any permit rules for Farnborough. If you let a flat or house near Orpington station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Farnborough is about 2 miles south-west of Orpington, in Greater London. We visit Farnborough as part of our work across Greater London. Farnborough is one of the places in Greater London we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. London is in our area too.
We survey roofs across the BR6 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. You will find streets such as Tye Lane, Peel Road and Pitt Road. Close by, we survey roofs in Green Street Green (1 mile south-east), Locksbottom (1 mile north-west), Crofton (1 mile north), Farthing Street (1 mile south-west) and Downe (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (12 miles north-west), City of Westminster (15 miles north-west), Marylebone (15 miles north-west), Kensington (15 miles north-west), St Pancras (14 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (13 miles north-west).
Around Farnborough
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Newstead Wood School, South Park and The Buff pub. The nearest railway station is Orpington station, about 1.2 miles north-east. Other landmarks nearby include Orpington Hospital (0.9 miles east) and Crofton Roman Villa (1.1 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Downe Bank Nature Reserve and Summer Hill.
Why act early in Farnborough
A mortgage valuation is not a roof survey. It looks at whether the property is suitable security for the loan, and it will not look closely at the roof. A roof survey is carried out for the buyer. Blocked gutters and hoppers on London houses overflow and soak brickwork. A blocked outlet ignored for a winter or two can mean damp walls inside.
All our prices include VAT. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the exact price before you book.
What you get with us
- 98% of customers satisfied
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Package prices that include VAT