Surrey · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Forest Green
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you decide what to do next. Pre-purchase roof surveys in Forest Green, with photos and a clear written report.
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
DIY checks: what’s safe
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Forest Green
If you’re buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that is often 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. If the building has a flat roof, we look at that too where access allows. We’re often asked to look into worn or lifted lead flashings and ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof, on chimney stacks, clay and concrete tiles and gutters and downpipes.
In a village or hamlet like Forest Green, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Village roofs can be clay tile, slate, stone or even thatch on some older buildings. Whether you are buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
It isn’t only a list of defects. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend.
- Location
- Forest Green (RH5)
- Region
- Surrey
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Useful tips for Forest Green property owners
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Check we’ll be able to get into the loft space
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
It’s worth sharing the report with your solicitor so questions can go to the seller’s solicitor. Past repairs, re-roofing and any records of that work are all fair questions.
Every so often, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Damp patches, daylight through the roof or water stains on timbers are worth noting. Take photos so you can show whoever looks at it.
What happens on the day
Before we start, tell us why you’ve booked: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. That way we can focus on what matters to you. The visit typically takes between one and two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Somewhere like Forest Green needs a little journey planning: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect whatever is safely visible, inside and out.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- We agree a time and how we’ll get in, including the loft.
- The roof is inspected from every safe viewpoint, inside and out.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Before the survey
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Getting a price
Photos help, if you have them. Take them safely from the ground or a window; never climb up to get a better view. To get started, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
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Forest Green: your questions answered
Do you cover smaller places like Forest Green?
Yes, Forest Green is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Is my home in Forest Green 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.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it applies and safe. We fly a sub-250g drone and we’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where it applies.
How soon is the report ready?
It depends on the package: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Let us know your timetable when booking.
Do you go up on the roof?
Only where it’s safe. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where it applies.
How do I book a survey in Forest Green?
Simply ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
What insurance do you have?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Local roofs and buyers in Forest Green
In Surrey, older roofs are often handmade clay tile, with tile-hanging on many upper walls. Horsham stone slab roofs survive on some old buildings in Surrey. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about. If your home is older, it is worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before planning roof work. Listed building consent covers changes to a listed building’s special interest, and an Article 4 direction can bring extra controls in a conservation area.
For landlords with property near Ockley station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Forest Green is about 6 miles south-west of Dorking, in Surrey. In Forest Green, as across Surrey, every roof gets the same careful survey. Our area takes in places right across Surrey. For surveys nearby, see our Crawley page.
We cover every part of RH5 for pre-purchase roof surveys. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Horsham Road and Ockley Road or a nearby road, we can help. If you’re just outside Forest Green, we cover Ockley (2 miles south-east), Abinger Bottom (2 miles north), Coldharbour (2 miles north-east), Friday Street (3 miles north) and Abinger Common (3 miles north). Larger places within reach include Guildford (10 miles north-west), Woking (13 miles north-west), Epsom (13 miles north-east), Horley (10 miles east), Redhill (11 miles north-east) and Ewell (15 miles north-east).
Near you in Forest Green
In Forest Green, that means homes and buildings near The Parrot pub and Wallis Wood, among other places. The nearest railway station is Ockley station, about 2.6 miles east of the centre. Nearby you will also find Abinger Castle (2.9 miles north) and Mesolithic Museum (2.9 miles north). The countryside around Forest Green includes Leith Hill and Vann Lake.
Common roof problems in Forest Green
Patch repairs are common on roofs of every age. Bitumen over flashings, mortar fillets in place of lead and odd replacement tiles can point to a problem that keeps coming back. Our report records them so you can ask the seller what was done and when.
Problems we come across often include:
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
The streets around a church such as Holy Trinity are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
What to check before booking
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- What exactly goes into their report
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
Places near Forest Green
Other services in Forest Green
What a survey costs
To price your survey, we check:
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- How big the roof is
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Which survey package you book
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we can help you choose.
Booking your survey
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
We confirm the price for your survey before you book, so you know where you stand. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
What this survey cannot tell you
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- A structural engineer’s report
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll point you to the right survey. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes