Surrey · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Fernhill
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Fernhill, with photographs and a written report.
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Fernhill
A Basic Survey starts from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, including VAT. Standard adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. Premium goes further, with thermal imaging, a drone where it applies and a same-day report. Choose the level that suits the home you are buying. All three include a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations. If you’re worried about gutters that overflow or drip at the joints and slates or tiles that have slipped or gone, we can find out what’s behind it.
Older buildings in small places like Fernhill may be listed or in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. Whether you are buying or signing off new roofing, it’s worth knowing where you stand. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
We write the report in plain English, so you don’t need to be a roofer to follow it. Each point is backed by a photo where possible, and recommendations are put in order of urgency where relevant.
- Where
- Fernhill (RH6)
- Region
- Surrey
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Why it’s worth a survey now in Fernhill
Leaving it means judging the roof from the street. That will not show slipped slates on the rear slope, a worn valley or cracked flaunching. A survey fills that gap before you commit. For an older or listed building in a place like Fernhill, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
Every price we give includes 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.
Why book with us
- Prices that include VAT
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
Take a look at what a roof survey costs and our case studies.
Nearby places to Fernhill
What else we do in Fernhill
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead-lined valleys and gutters are common on older homes in London and South East England. Splits in a lead valley send water inside, and lead is also a target for theft.
Gutters and parapets
Parapet and box gutters are hidden behind walls and can overflow inside. Where we can see them safely, we check the linings and outlets.
Tips from our surveys
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Share the report with your solicitor
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
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. Findings are set out in plain English, with recommendations prioritised by urgency where relevant.
Once you’ve moved in, keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, particularly after autumn. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.
How it works
There is not much for you to do on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, like stains, drips or loose pieces, and we will get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes about 1–2 hours for a house, and more on a big or complicated roof. For a village or hamlet like Fernhill, the journey is planned ahead of time: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect what can safely be seen, inside and out.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- 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 is safe.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Before the survey
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Arrange a survey
Once you know what you need, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
Advice
What we can’t see
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- The condition of the rest of the house (that is a RICS home survey)
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Whether timbers meet design loads
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll tell you before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Fernhill
Older houses across Surrey often have handmade clay tiles, and many have tile-hanging. Some old buildings in Surrey and Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most. What can be done to an older roof may depend on listing or a conservation area. Your council and Historic England’s list will tell you where you stand, ideally before any re-roofing is planned.
Landlords with a home close to Gatwick Airport station may find that a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer. Take an older house close to Church of St Bartholomew: older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Fernhill is about 2 miles south-east of Horley, in Surrey. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Fernhill. Across Surrey, we cover Fernhill.
All of RH6 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Peeks Brook Lane and Donkey Lane or anywhere close by, we can help. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Burstow (1 mile east), Shipley Bridge (1 mile south), Tinsley Green (1 mile south-west), Keeper's Corner (1 mile east) and Copthorne (1 mile south). Larger places within reach include Epsom (14 miles north-west), Redhill (6 miles north), Ewell (15 miles north), Reigate (6 miles north-west), Caterham (9 miles north) and Dorking (10 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Fernhill
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Shipley Bridge pub and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Gatwick Airport station, about 1 mile west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include County Mall (3.6 miles south-west) and Langley Green Hospital (2.9 miles south-west). Open spaces near Fernhill include Hedgecourt Lake.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
Landlords and agents in Fernhill book surveys as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photographs.
Fernhill: your questions answered
Is drone flying allowed in Fernhill?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. The flight restriction zone around Gatwick Airport covers Fernhill, or comes right up to its edge. Before any flight there, we ask the airport for permission, and the flight only goes ahead if it’s given. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, and the rest of the survey does not depend on the drone.
Is Fernhill within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Only where it is safe to do so. We inspect from the ground, from windows and vantage points, from the loft and from the roof itself where safe. On Premium, a drone is used where applicable.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
The sooner after your offer is accepted, the better. The report is most useful before exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
When will the report arrive?
It depends on the package: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Tell us your exchange date and we’ll help you choose.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we are allowed to reach.