Greater London · London and the South East
Hanwell Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A careful look at the roof at your property in Hanwell, and put it all in a photo-illustrated written report.
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Old water stains in the loft space
- Flashings that have lifted or split
Pre-purchase roof survey in Hanwell: what you get
The roof is one of the most expensive parts of a home to repair, and one of the hardest for a buyer to see. A pre-purchase roof survey looks at it closely before you are tied in. We check the coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, and the roof space where it is safe to get in. You get a photo-illustrated written report. We survey natural slate, gutters and downpipes and chimney stacks, and people most frequently book us about slipped or missing slates and tiles and roof slopes that look uneven or sagging.
In London, lots of houses have been split into flats, extended or fitted with a dormer loft conversion. Each change adds roof details, such as flat roofs, new flashings and junctions with the original slopes. For a purchase in Hanwell, or for new roofing work there, those junctions deserve a careful look. Dormer cheeks, lead work and new flat roofs are worth checking closely, as faults there are easy to miss.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Hanwell (W7, W13, UB2)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips from our surveys
Getting the most from a pre-purchase roof survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Ask the agent to check the loft hatch can be opened
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
We email the report to you, with photos of each finding. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Findings are set out in plain English, and recommendations are ranked by urgency where that helps.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Hanwell
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Tell us about it when you book and we’ll plan the visit with that in mind.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work around your tenants.
The survey, step by step
It helps to start with what’s prompted the survey: buying, a leak, storm damage, new work or just wanting to know where things stand. That way we can focus on what matters to you. The visit usually takes between one and two hours for most houses, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. In Hanwell, as in much of London, a good many properties are flats or terraces without side access, so rear slopes are viewed from windows, the loft or, where a flight is allowed, by drone. If the building has a managing agent or access rules, let us know when booking.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Before the survey
- Leave side gates unlocked
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
Arrange a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine. To get started, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Hanwell questions
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Hanwell?
Typically it is manageable with a little notice. Tell us what parking is available nearby, and the visit is planned around it.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Hanwell?
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.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the loft space.
How long does the survey visit take?
The visit normally takes about one to two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. We will confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. You’ll have photos and a written description of each defect, which you can share with the seller or agent. How the seller responds is up to them.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it helps and it is safe, yes. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Honest limits
We only report whatever is safely visible on the day, so there are some things a survey can’t cover:
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- The condition of the rest of the house (that is a RICS home survey)
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in Hanwell
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
Towns and villages near Hanwell
Also in Hanwell
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
A lot can be seen from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
What happens if roof problems are left?
A seller may honestly not know the state of the roof. The forms they complete only show what they’re aware of. An independent look tells you how the roof is now. In Hanwell, as across London, an overflowing gutter soaks the wall below. A blocked outlet ignored for a winter or two can mean damp walls inside.
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package matters as well. We will give you the figure before anything is booked.
Why book with us
- Plain-English reports with photos
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Clear package prices, with VAT included
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Hanwell: local notes
Further from the centre, London’s housing takes in interwar semis with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles as well as slate-roofed terraces. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most. Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
As a London address, Hanwell can be tricky for parking: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day easier, as a space near the door cannot be promised. If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Church of St Mellitus, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light. With Pitzhanger Manor about 1.3 miles east, the area around Hanwell has a long history. If you’re buying an older home nearby, it’s worth knowing whether it’s listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing.
Hanwell is about 1 mile west of Ealing, in Greater London. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for householders, landlords and businesses in Hanwell. Hanwell is one of the towns and villages in Greater London where we work. London is in our area too.
All of W7, W13 and UB2 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Whether your property is on Park Road, Green Lane and Felix Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. Being close to the A4001, Hanwell is simple for us to get to for pre-purchase roof surveys. We also cover the places around Hanwell: West Ealing (1 mile west), Ealing (1 mile east), Dormers Wells (1 mile north-west), South Ealing (1 mile south-east) and Pitshanger (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover London (10 miles east), City of Westminster (8 miles east), Marylebone (8 miles east), Kensington (6 miles east), St Pancras (10 miles east) and Shoreditch (11 miles east).
Around Hanwell
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Drayton Manor High School, Cuckoo Schools and Drayton Green. Hanwell has its own railway station: Hanwell station. Other landmarks nearby include Ealing Hospital (within half a mile west) and Gunnersbury Park House - Large Mansion (2.3 miles east). The countryside around Hanwell includes Middle Lake and Castlebar Hill.