Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Gravesend, Hertfordshire
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you decide what to do next. Pre-purchase roof surveys in Gravesend.
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Gravesend
If you’re buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. Depending on the lease, roof repairs may fall to the building owner or a management company. We check as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report gives you clear points to raise with your solicitor or the managing agent. Where the building has a flat roof, it is checked as far as access allows. Common reasons to book are patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem and signs of past leaks inside the loft, on the roof space, natural slate and lead flashings and valleys.
Older buildings in small places like Gravesend may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials a new roof may use, so check with the council and Historic England’s list. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it is worth knowing which applies, as well as what condition the roof is in. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings.
We write the report in plain English, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Each point is backed by a photograph where possible, with the urgent items made clear.
- Where
- Gravesend (SG11)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Why it’s worth a survey now in Gravesend
A seller may honestly not know the state of the roof. Their answers on the property forms only cover what they know about. An independent look tells you how the roof is now, whatever anyone remembers. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Gravesend, driving rain gets into any weakness, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all inc. VAT. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why us?
- Clear package prices, including VAT
- A photo-illustrated written report
- Surveys seven days a week
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
Read our cost guide or our case studies.
When to book a survey in Gravesend
Asbestos was banned in UK construction in 1999. Cement roof sheets, soffits and flue pipes are typical places to find it. We do not carry out asbestos surveys, but we flag materials that might so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before anything is disturbed.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
If you let a flat or house near Bishops Stortford station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Questions to ask before you book
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- How long the report takes to arrive
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Their track record with similar roofs
Gravesend questions
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Gravesend?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Will you come out to Gravesend?
Yes, Gravesend is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Do you use drones?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It is a roof survey by an experienced roof surveyor, with a written report and photos. It is not a RICS survey and does not cover the rest of the house.
Do you go up on the roof?
Where it is safe, yes. We inspect from the ground, from windows and vantage points, from the loft and from the roof itself where safe. The Premium Survey adds a drone inspection where applicable.
Does someone need to be in?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. Access is agreed with you when you book.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning, with the building owner or managing agent. Let us know about it as you book and we will explain what’s needed.
What affects the price in Gravesend
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. The main factors are:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- How many separate roofs there are, like extensions, dormers and garages
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
A Basic Survey starts from £150, inc. VAT. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. You will know the exact price before booking.
Getting in touch
The more you tell us, the easier it is to price the survey. When you get in touch, it is useful to mention:
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
When you’re ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Gravesend homes and their roofs
If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. About 3.6 miles south lies Much Hadham Palace, a reminder of how long the area around Gravesend has been built on. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead.
The streets around a church such as Church of St Mary are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Gravesend is about 4 miles north-west of Bishop's Stortford, in Hertfordshire. Gravesend gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a proper look at everything that’s safely in view, photographs and a clear written report. Our area takes in places right across Hertfordshire. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
We survey roofs across SG11 for pre-purchase roof surveys. If you’re just outside Gravesend, we cover Albury (1 mile west), Clapgate (1 mile south-east), Furneux Pelham (2 miles north), Braughing (3 miles west) and Hay Street (3 miles west). Within a short drive, we also cover Stevenage (12 miles west), Bishop's Stortford (4 miles south-east), Welwyn Garden City (14 miles south-west), Hoddesdon (12 miles south-west), Cheshunt (15 miles south-west) and Hertford (11 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Gravesend
In Gravesend, that means homes and buildings near The Catherine Wheel pub, among other places. The nearest railway station is Bishops Stortford station, roughly 4.2 miles south-east. Other landmarks nearby include Herts and Essex Hospital (4.6 miles south-east) and Bishops Stortford Local History Museum (3.1 miles south-east).
Different roofs, different checks
Clay and concrete tiles
Clay and concrete tiles commonly last 50 years or more. Cracked, slipped or missing tiles are noted, along with odd replacement tiles that hint at earlier leaks.
Chimney stacks
We inspect the outside of the stack, not a flue, gas or sweep inspection. If a flue needs testing, we’ll suggest who to ask.
Places near Gravesend
More services for Gravesend
Checking the roof from ground level
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level.
What we do, step by step
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect whatever is safely visible, and if part of the roof cannot be seen, the report says so. The survey usually takes an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. For a village or hamlet like Gravesend, the journey is planned in advance: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- 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.
- We inspect the roof from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it’s safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- We email a written report with photos and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Let us know about parking before the day
Booking a survey
We survey roofs on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and the days you’d prefer.