Greater London · London and the South East
Hackney Marshes Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Hackney Marshes and the rest of Greater London. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends.
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
Pre-purchase roof survey in Hackney Marshes
A full home survey looks at the whole property, so the roof is one item among many. Our survey isn’t a RICS survey, and it does not replace one. What it adds is a closer look at the roof alone, with photos of what we find and written recommendations. The two sit side by side if you want the fullest picture. If you’ve noticed a ridge or slope that dips and quick fixes on flashings and valleys, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
In a London terrace or conversion, the roof often joins the neighbours’ roofs and shares their stacks and gutters. For a purchase or a new roof in Hackney Marshes, that shapes what can be checked: only the parts we are given access to and can see safely are inspected. For a flat, the lease normally says who looks after the roof.
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 it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Hackney Marshes (E5, E10, E9)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlords, agents and block managers in Hackney Marshes
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Hackney Marshes. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Can I check my roof myself?
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.
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Share it with us when you book.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Hackney Marshes
With Sutton House about 1.1 miles south-west, Hackney Marshes sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Inner London’s Victorian and Edwardian terraces frequently have Welsh slate roofs. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that cannot be seen from the pavement. Shared chimney stacks, party-wall upstands and lead work come with this kind of house. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new.
Parking in Hackney Marshes, as in most of London, takes a little planning: let us know about parking bays, permits or a driveway when you book, as a space near the door can’t be promised. If you let a flat or house near Lea Bridge station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Hackney Marshes is about 1 mile north-east of Homerton, in Greater London. We cover Hackney Marshes and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and the South East. Hackney Marshes is one of the towns and villages in Greater London we cover.
We survey roofs across the E5, E10 and E9 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Whether your property is on Glyn Road, Gilpin Road and Redwald Road or anywhere close by, we can help. Hackney Marshes is on the A106, so it is easy for us to get to. Close by, we survey roofs in Leyton Grange (1 mile north-east), Lea Bridge (1 mile north-west), Homerton (1 mile south-west), Lower Clapton (1 mile south-west) and Temple Mills (1 mile south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as London (5 miles south-west), City of Westminster (6 miles south-west), Marylebone (6 miles south-west), Kensington (8 miles south-west), St Pancras (4 miles south-west) and Shoreditch (3 miles south-west).
Near you in Hackney Marshes
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Leyton Jubilee Park, Lammas School and Sixth Form and The Adam & Eve pub, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Lea Bridge station, roughly 0.7 miles north-west. A little further out are Tower of London (3.9 miles south-west) and V&A East (1.3 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Old Ford Island and Tower Hill.
What we’re asked to look at in Hackney Marshes
Buildings put up or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. It is often found in cement sheets, soffits and flue pipes. We don’t test for it or carry out asbestos surveys, but our report flags materials that could contain it so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before anything is disturbed.
A survey can pick up problems such as:
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- A ridge or slope that dips
The streets around a church such as The Risen Christ and All Souls 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.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Is VAT included in the price?
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Are they insured for the work?
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
All our prices include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- The roof’s overall size
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can safely be seen and the package you choose.
Booking your survey
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- What made you get in touch
- Access details, like a loft hatch or a shared roof
- What kind of property and roof it is
For a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Hackney Marshes, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. Some details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.
Common questions in Hackney Marshes
Is my home in Hackney Marshes listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Are there drone restrictions around Hackney Marshes?
Typically it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. London’s airspace includes flight restriction zones around Heathrow, London City Airport and London Heliport, and 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. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey seven days a week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you as you book.
Do you need to go inside the property?
Where we can, yes. From the roof space we can see staining, timbers and underlay. If we can’t get in, the report says so.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. You might ask for work to be done, ask questions or ask for a change to the price. The outcome is between you and the seller, so we can’t promise any saving.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it’s not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It complements one rather than replacing it.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We will talk about access as you book.
How it works
When we arrive, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that’s worrying you. After that, we look at everything we can see safely, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where applicable. Most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. In Hackney Marshes, visits are available on weekdays and at weekends. It helps if you can point us to a visitor permit or a nearby bay, 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 is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed beforehand.
- 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.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Book a survey
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Nearby places to Hackney Marshes
Also in Hackney Marshes
Useful tips for Hackney Marshes property owners
Getting the most from a pre-purchase roof survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Ask the agent to check the loft hatch can be opened
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
You may want to pass the report to your solicitor or conveyancer so questions can go to the seller’s solicitor. It can prompt questions about past roof work and any paperwork for it, particularly where we’ve found patch repairs.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.