Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Herne Hill, Greater London
Need a pre-purchase roof survey in Herne Hill? We can help, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
It’s a careful look at the roof, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll suggest the right survey. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Natural slate
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Herne Hill
A RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey covers the whole building, so the roof is one item among many. We don’t offer a RICS home survey, and ours is not a substitute for one. It adds a focused look at the roof on its own, with photos and written recommendations you can act on. You can have both. If you’ve noticed sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes and loose pots and cracked flaunching, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
London’s housing runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war estates and new blocks of flats, and a home in Herne Hill could be any of them. Whether the roof is old or newly laid, the problem areas depend on how and when the building went up. Slates, hidden valley gutters, parapets and flat roofs over back additions all need checking in their own way.
We write the report in plain English, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Each point is backed by a photograph where possible.
- Place
- Herne Hill (SE22, SW2, SE24)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Towns and villages near Herne Hill
Also in Herne Hill
What we do, step by step
We do not take risks to get a closer look. We inspect what can safely be seen, and if part of the roof cannot be seen, the report says so. The survey normally takes an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. In Herne Hill, as in much of London, plenty of properties are flats or terraces without side access, so the back of the roof is frequently seen from upstairs windows, from inside or, where a flight is allowed, from the air. If the building has a managing agent or access rules, tell us as you book.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Before we arrive
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
Booking a survey
Getting a price is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or email us, let us know about the property and we will explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
Read more
Landlords, agents and block managers in Herne Hill
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you contact us and we will plan the visit with that in mind.
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photographs.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
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.
You can learn a lot from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Common questions in Herne Hill
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Herne Hill?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Are there drone restrictions around Herne Hill?
That depends on where the roof is and on the weather. The flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea comes within about 2 miles of Herne Hill. We check the exact boundary for the address before flying, and if the roof falls inside it, we ask for permission first. 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. Strong wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Where it’s safe, yes. Much of the inspection is done from ground level, from windows and from the roof space. The Premium Survey adds a drone inspection where it applies.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. The report sets out what we found, with photos, so you can raise them with the seller or their agent. How the seller responds is up to them.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. A home survey may recommend further investigation of the roof, and that is where a roof survey helps. It is not a replacement for a RICS survey.
Do you cover Herne Hill for pre-purchase roof surveys?
Yes. We survey roofs across London and South East England, Herne Hill included.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in Herne Hill?
It’s easiest to phone 07833 053749 or email us. Give us the address and a few details about the roof, and we will take it from there. Surveys run seven days a week.
Different roofs, different checks
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead flashings seal the joints where a roof meets a wall or chimney. We look for lead that has lifted, split or been patched over.
Chimney stacks
We inspect the outside of the stack, and it isn’t a flue or gas safety check. If a flue needs testing, we will suggest who to ask.
What happens if roof problems are left?
A good many buyers go ahead anyway, but with their eyes open. You’ll know which jobs are urgent and which can wait, so you can plan work before small faults get bigger. In Herne Hill, as across London, an overflowing gutter soaks the wall below, which can lead to damp inside. A small blockage left for a few winters becomes a damp problem.
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how safely it can be seen. Our price is from £150, including VAT.
Why book with us
- Surveys on any day of the week
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- An independent look at the roof
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
Read how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Herne Hill: local notes
Welsh slate on Victorian and Edwardian terraces is a familiar sight across inner London. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that cannot be seen from the pavement. If your home in Herne Hill is one of them, lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are part of the picture too. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about. The flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea comes within about 2 miles of Herne Hill. If your survey includes the drone, the exact boundary is checked for the address first.
For a London address like Herne Hill, it helps to know about controlled parking before the day. Landlords with a home close to North Dulwich station may find that a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. With Kingswood House about 1.7 miles south, the area around Herne Hill has a long history. Buying a period property here means asking about the roof’s age and repairs, and about any listing or conservation area.
Herne Hill is about 3 miles south of London, in Greater London. We cover Herne Hill and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and South East England. Our Greater London coverage includes Herne Hill.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in SE22, SW2 and SE24 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Streets in the area include Jelf Road, Dewey Lane and Talma Road, all of which we cover. Main roads around Herne Hill include the A204 and A2214, which makes travel easy. We also cover Dulwich Village (1 mile south-east), East Dulwich (1 mile north-east), Dulwich (1 mile south-east), Denmark Hill (1 mile north) and Camberwell (1 mile north). Larger places within reach include London (3 miles north), City of Westminster (5 miles north-west), Marylebone (5 miles north-west), Kensington (6 miles north-west), St Pancras (5 miles north) and Shoreditch (5 miles north).
Near you in Herne Hill
We work in homes and buildings around The Charter School, Half Moon pub and Belair Park. There is a railway station in Herne Hill itself: North Dulwich station. Nearby you will also find Surrey Quays Shopping Centre (3.5 miles north-east) and House of Dreams Museum (0.7 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Battersea Park Lake and Knight's Hill.