Greater London · London and the South East
Fortis Green Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you decide what to do next. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Fortis Green.
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
Pre-purchase roof survey in Fortis Green: what you get
With a written roof report, you can go back to the seller or agent with specifics. You can ask about the roof’s history, ask for repairs before completion or rethink the price. What the seller agrees to is up to them, but you’ll be negotiating from a clear picture rather than a hunch. It also helps you decide whether to go ahead at all. We survey natural slate, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and clay and concrete tiles, and people most often book us about a ridge or slope that dips and chimney mortar that has eroded.
London terraces and converted houses often share a roof line, chimney stacks and gutters with the house next door, with parapet walls and party-wall upstands marking where one roof ends and the next begins. That matters for anyone buying in Fortis Green or checking a new roof there: only the parts we are given access to and can see safely are inspected. If it is a flat, the lease typically sets out who is responsible for the roof.
Findings are set out part by part, from the coverings down to the gutters, each with a short note and a photo. It records what’s sound as well as what is not.
- Location
- Fortis Green (N10, N2, N6)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Different roofs, different checks
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, 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.
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.
What happens on the day
The aim of the visit is simple: to see as much of the roof as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Notes and photographs go into the written report. It normally takes an hour or two on an ordinary house, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so a visit in Fortis Green moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. If other people live in the building, tell us who can let us into the shared parts.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you’re buying.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- 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.
How to prepare
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Arrange a survey
You can call us seven days a week. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
What this survey cannot tell you
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
Roofs we survey in Fortis Green
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
Common roof problems in Fortis Green
Buildings put up or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. Cement roof sheets, soffits and flue pipes are typical places to find it. We do not test for it or carry out asbestos surveys, but we flag materials that might so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before anything is disturbed.
Look out for signs like these:
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Old water stains in the roof space
Landlords with a home close to Alexandra Palace station may find that a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Are they insured for the work?
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
Not every roof costs the same to survey, for these reasons:
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
All our prices include VAT. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. We confirm the exact price before booking.
Booking your survey
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- The property’s address and postcode
- Anything about access we should know
- What made you get in touch
Getting a price is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and give us a few details about the property and we’ll recommend the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Tips from our surveys
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Some tips:
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Check we’ll be able to get into the loft space
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
With Standard, you get a follow-up consultation, while Premium includes a consultation in person. If anything in the report is not clear, ask us.
Keep the loft ventilated. Condensation in a roof space can look like a leak and can damage timbers over time. Keep insulation clear of eaves vents so air can move.
Places near Fortis Green
Also in Fortis Green
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Fortis Green: local notes
If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. Outer London has lots of Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
Historic houses such as Heath Hall, about 1.4 miles south-west, show how far back building around Fortis Green goes. Older homes in the area can come with listed status or conservation area rules, which affect re-roofing, so check with the council before you buy. For an older house near a landmark such as United Reformed Church, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Fortis Green is about 1 mile south-east of Finchley, in Greater London. Roofs in Fortis Green get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Greater London. Our area takes in places right across Greater London. We also survey roofs in London.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in N10, N2 and N6 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Whether your property is on Hill Road, Durham Road and Steeds Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Fortis Green is on the A504, which makes it simple to reach. If you’re just outside Fortis Green, we cover Muswell Hill (1 mile east), East Finchley (1 mile west), Highgate (1 mile south), Crouch End (1 mile south-east) and Hampstead Garden Suburb (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (7 miles south), City of Westminster (5 miles south), Marylebone (5 miles south), Kensington (7 miles south), St Pancras (5 miles south) and Shoreditch (6 miles south-east).
Around Fortis Green
Around Fortis Green, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Tollington School, Cherry Tree Wood and The Clissold Arms. The closest station to Fortis Green is Alexandra Palace station, about 1.4 miles east. Well-known places in the area include Kenwood House (1.6 miles south-west) and Grand Arcade (1.8 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Highgate Hill and Glebelands Local Nature Reserve.
Fortis Green: your questions answered
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Fortis Green?
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.
Are there drone restrictions around Fortis Green?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. 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. Every London address is checked against them before a flight. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first, including zones around airports and prisons. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather, and the rest of the survey doesn’t depend on the drone.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. The report is most useful before exchange, while you can still ask questions and negotiate.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It works alongside a home survey.
What if it rains on the day?
It depends on the weather and the survey. Strong wind or a downpour can make access unsafe and ground a drone, and we’d agree another day.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. We look at the parts we are given access to, and the report makes that clear.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.