Kent · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Hartley, Kent
Pre-purchase roof surveys across Hartley, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
Not every roof costs the same to survey, and it comes down to:
- House, block, shop or office
- Roof area
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- The shape of the roof and its details
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before booking.
Booking your survey
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- What’s prompted the survey
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- The address and postcode of the property
Photos help, if you have them. Take them safely from the ground or a window; never climb up to get a better view. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Hartley
Buyers in Hartley and right across London and South East England use our pre-purchase roof survey. From terraced and semi-detached homes to detached houses and flats, we follow the same careful process. We tell you what’s sound, what needs attention and how urgent it is. We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and have 20+ years’ experience. To book, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. If you’re worried about standing water on a flat extension roof and loose pots and cracked flaunching, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Being in a small place like Hartley makes no difference to the inspection itself: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed ahead of time. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them when you book. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Visits can be booked on weekdays and at weekends.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Place
- Hartley (TN17)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Local roofs and buyers in Hartley
Historic houses like Scotney Castle, about 4.4 miles west, show how far back building in the area around Hartley goes. 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. If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
Hartley is about 8 miles south-east of Paddock Wood, in Kent. Hartley is one of many places we visit across Kent, for homes and businesses alike. Hartley is one of the places in Kent we cover. Our Maidstone page covers surveys nearby.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in TN17 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Hartley Road, Campion Crescent and Hartley Court Gardens or a nearby road, we can help. If you are just outside Hartley, we cover Swattenden (1 mile east), Cranbrook (1 mile north-east), Baker's Cross (2 miles north-east), Gill's Green (2 miles south) and Beal's Green (2 miles south). We also work in nearby towns like Maidstone (13 miles north), Royal Tunbridge Wells (11 miles west), Tonbridge (13 miles north-west), Kings Hill (14 miles north), Foley Park (14 miles north) and Paddock Wood (8 miles north-west).
What’s near Hartley
Around Hartley, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Crane Valley and the streets around them. A little further out are Benenden Hospital (4.7 miles east) and Sissinghurst Castle (3.8 miles north-east).
Hartley: your questions answered
Is my home in Hartley listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Is Hartley in the area you cover?
Yes. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and Hartley is part of that. You can phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a few details.
When will the report arrive?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email with photos included.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in Hartley?
The quickest way is to phone 07833 053749 or email us. Give us the address and a few details about the roof. Surveys run on any day of the week.
What insurance do you have?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
Do you need to go inside the property?
Ideally, yes. The loft tells us a lot about the roof, and upstairs windows give useful views. Access is usually arranged through the agent or seller.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes, you can. 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.
What we look for on each type of roof
Clay and concrete tiles
Tiled roofs frequently last half a century or longer. We check for slipped, cracked and missing tiles, along with odd replacement tiles that hint at earlier leaks.
Natural slate
Older slate roofs frequently have bitumen felt under them, and very old ones may have none. Where we can see it from the loft, we say what condition it’s in.
Common roof problems in Hartley
Viewings rarely include a proper look at the roof. You walk round the rooms, but the roof stays out of sight. New paint on a ceiling can hide old water stains, so a closer look is worth having before you commit.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
For any home in Hartley, it is the small, early fault that is cheapest to put right.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What exactly goes into their report
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- How soon the report will arrive
- What follow-up you get after the report
Practical tips
Small things make a difference. Our tips:
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
Once the home is yours, the report becomes a maintenance list. Work through the urgent items before anything else, and use the photos as a record of how the roof looked when you bought. Premium comes with a follow-up after 12 months to see how things have changed.
Once you’ve moved in, keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, particularly after autumn. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.
More services for Hartley
How it works
There is not much for you to do on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we will get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes between one and two hours for most houses, and more on a big or complicated roof. Around Hartley, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so tell us about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed in advance.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- Inside, we check the roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Getting a price
We survey roofs seven days a week. To find a date that works for you, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Related advice
What we cannot see
No survey can tell you everything, and we’d rather be clear about that before booking. Keep these in mind:
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll suggest the right survey. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles