Medway · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Grain, Medway
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Grain. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Grain
The roof is one of the most expensive parts of a home to repair, and one of the hardest for a buyer to see. Our pre-purchase roof survey gives you a close look at it before you’re committed. We check the coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, plus the loft where there is safe access. You get a photo-illustrated written report. We survey clay and concrete tiles, the roof space and natural slate, and people most often book us about gaps where slates or tiles have come loose and bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs.
Being in a small place like Grain makes no difference to the inspection itself: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when booking. Whether you are buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
Most points in the report come with a picture, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Location
- Grain (ME3)
- Wider area
- Medway
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
When to book a survey in Grain
Chimneys take the worst of the weather. Pointing crumbles, flaunching cracks and flashings lift. A stack may be shared with the neighbours, which matters if work is needed.
Problems we come across often include:
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
Take an older house close to Church of St James: the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Before booking anyone
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Their report turnaround times
Nearby places to Grain
What else we do in Grain
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
We confirm the price for your survey before booking. These are the things that affect it:
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- The size of the roof
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, both including VAT. You will know the price for your roof before booking.
Getting in touch
These details help when you contact us:
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Dates you are working to, such as exchange
- Where the property is, with the postcode
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or email us, and we will ask about the building and what you need. The price is agreed before a date is set.
How the survey changes by roof type
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, yet the nails that fix it often give out first. When slates start to slip, corroded nails are often the reason, and we note how widespread it looks.
Clay and concrete tiles
Many post-war houses have concrete interlocking tiles. They wear slowly, but surfaces erode and edges crack.
How it works
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you want to find out. After that, we look at everything we can see safely. The survey typically takes an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. For a village or hamlet like Grain, the journey is planned in advance: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect what can be seen safely, inside and out.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- Access to the house and the roof space is agreed in advance.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from ground level and from vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it is safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Before the survey
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
Arrange a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you are ready.
Related advice
FAQs for Grain
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Grain, take more of a battering?
It can do. Within about 1 mile of the sea, as Grain is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
Is Grain within the area you cover?
Yes. Grain is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Are you insured?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
The sooner after your offer is accepted, the better. You need the report before you exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Not always. If we only need the outside, we can agree that in advance, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning, with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you contact us and we will explain what’s needed.
Do you use drones?
Yes, where it applies and safe. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where it applies.
Buying a home or a new roof in Grain
Grain lies within about 1 mile of the sea, where wind off the sea can be strong. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, so the weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead. An older home may be listed, or stand in a conservation area. To find out, check Historic England’s list and ask the council about conservation areas. Re-roofing in different materials may need permission there.
If you own a rental within reach of Sheerness-On-Sea station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Grain is about 5 miles north-west of Minster, in Medway. We cover Grain and the rest of Medway. Across Medway, we cover Grain and the places around it. Our Maidstone page covers surveys nearby.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: ME3. You’ll find streets such as High Street, Power Station Road and Chapel Road, and we cover them all. Other places close to Grain include Wallend (1 mile west), Blue Town (2 miles south-east), Sheerness (2 miles south-east), Queenborough (3 miles south-east) and Rushenden (3 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Gillingham (8 miles south-west), Chatham (10 miles south-west), Rochester (10 miles south-west), Rainham (8 miles south-west), Strood (11 miles south-west) and Luton (10 miles south-west).
Near you in Grain
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Hogarth Inn. Grain’s nearest station is Sheerness-On-Sea station, about 2.1 miles south-east. Well-known places in the area include Bluetown Heritage Centre (1.8 miles south-east).
Honest limits
It is a careful look at the roof, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
- 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 send us an email and we will recommend the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
Landlord and commercial surveys in Grain
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf, and the report can go to both. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan.