Greater London · London and the South East
Grange Mills Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Grange Mills, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photographs.
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
Pre-purchase roof survey in Grange Mills: what you get
Many older houses carry decades of roof repairs. Slates slip when their nails corrode, lead valleys and flashings wear, and chimney pointing crumbles. Most of it can’t be seen from the street. We look closely and record what we see, with photos that show you exactly where. We explain each finding in plain English, so you know what it means for the house you’re buying. We survey flat-roofed extensions and dormers, clay and concrete tiles and chimney stacks, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are roof slopes that look uneven or sagging and worn or lifted lead flashings.
Many London homes have been converted into flats, extended at the back or given a loft conversion with a dormer. Each change adds roof details, such as flat roofs, new flashings and junctions with the original slopes. If you are buying a flat or house in Grange Mills, or have just had new roofing work done, those junctions are frequently where problems start. Dormer cheeks, lead work and new flat roofs are worth checking closely, as faults there are easy to miss.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Grange Mills (SW12, SW4, SW2)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
The visit has one job: to look at the roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It typically takes an hour or two at a typical home, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. In Grange Mills, visits are available on weekdays and at weekends. London parking is often by permit or pay-and-display, so it is useful to know what’s near you, and to clear a path to the loft hatch. A back bedroom window can be the best vantage point for a rear addition, so we may ask to use one.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- We agree a time and how we will get in, including the loft.
- The roof is inspected from every safe viewpoint, inside and out.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Booking a survey
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details.
Advice
Should I look at the roof myself first?
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Useful tips for Grange Mills property owners
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Ask the agent to check the loft hatch can be opened
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
- Let us know your timetable
Once the home is yours, the report becomes a maintenance list. Deal with the urgent items first, and keep the photographs to compare against later. Premium comes with a follow-up after 12 months.
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.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Grange Mills
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Grange Mills?
That depends on where the roof is and on the weather. The flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea covers Grange Mills, or comes right up to its edge. Before any flight there, we ask the heliport for permission, and the flight only goes ahead if it’s given. 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. Strong wind or a downpour also stops a small drone flying, and the rest of the survey doesn’t depend on the drone.
Is my home in Grange Mills listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case.
What insurance do you have?
We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime. Let us know your preferred days when you book.
Do you need access inside the house?
Where we can, yes. From the roof space we can see staining, timbers and underlay. If we cannot get in, the report says so.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
The sooner after your offer is accepted, the better. You need the report before you exchange, while you can still ask questions and negotiate.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
It depends on the roof and how confident you want to be. A home survey may recommend further investigation of the roof, and our survey gives you that closer look. It does not stand in for a RICS survey.
Local roofs and buyers in Grange Mills
Kingswood House, about 2.9 miles east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Grange Mills. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Grange Mills is inside, or right on the edge of, the flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea. If the drone is used for your survey, permission from the heliport is needed first, and the flight only goes ahead if it’s given.
If you own a rental within reach of Balham station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Grange Mills is about 2 miles south-west of Stockwell, in Greater London. If you are in Grange Mills, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our Greater London coverage includes Grange Mills.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: SW12, SW4 and SW2. That includes homes and businesses on Lynn Road, Weir Road and Byrne Road. We also cover Hyde farm estate (1 mile south-east), Balham (1 mile south-west), Clapham Park (1 mile north-east), Streatham Hill (1 mile east) and Streatham Park (1 mile south). Further out, we also cover London (4 miles north-east), City of Westminster (5 miles north), Marylebone (5 miles north), Kensington (5 miles north-west), St Pancras (6 miles north) and Shoreditch (6 miles north-east).
Near you in Grange Mills
We work in homes and buildings around The Bedford pub, Waldorf School of South West London and La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls' School, among other places. There’s a railway station in Grange Mills itself: Balham station. Nearby you’ll also find London Sewing Machine Museum (0.9 miles south-west) and St James' Hospital (0.9 miles west). For a walk, there’s Knight's Hill and Battersea Park Lake.
When you need someone else
It helps to know what a survey will not do before you book:
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
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 our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
Also near Grange Mills
Other services in Grange Mills
Common roof problems in Grange Mills
Flat roofs turn up on extensions, dormers, porches and garages. Felt flat roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, and ponding, blisters and splits are common signs of age. They’re easy to overlook on a viewing, especially when they’re only visible from an upper floor.
Common reasons to book include:
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
Parking in Grange Mills, as in most of London, takes a little planning: let us know about permits, visitor bays or off-street space when you book, as a space near the door cannot be promised.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- What they will not be able to tell you
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
What we look for on each type of roof
Flat roofs
Standing water, blisters, splits and tired upstands all point to wear. Blocked outlets are checked as well.
Chimney stacks
We inspect the outside of the stack, not a flue, gas or sweep inspection. We’ll say if the flue needs a specialist.