Kent · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Hever
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Hever, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- A ridge or slope that dips
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Hever
The roof is one of the most expensive parts of a home to repair, and one of the hardest for a buyer to see. Our pre-purchase roof survey gives you a proper look at it before you’re committed. We check the coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, and the loft space where it’s safe to get in. You get a report with photographs. Typical surveys look at slipped or missing slates and tiles and signs of past leaks inside the loft, across lead flashings and valleys, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and natural slate.
For a small place like Hever, the visit is planned like any other: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed beforehand. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them when booking, so the visit can be planned around them. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Visits can be booked seven days a week.
We write the report in plain English, so you don’t need to be a roofer to follow it. Photographs show what each point refers to, with the urgent items made clear.
- Where
- Hever (TN8)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey works
Photos are taken throughout the visit, so you can see in the report what we found and where. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. A typical visit takes about 1–2 hours at most homes, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Older rural homes like those around Hever can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- 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 the survey
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Arrange a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To send them or to book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
Useful tips for Hever property owners
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
Once the home is yours, the report becomes a maintenance list. Deal with the urgent items first, 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.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. Binoculars from ground level are enough for a first look.
What we cannot see
A survey is a proper look at the roof, but it can’t do everything. Its limits include:
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Hever
Where the drone is part of the survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. With Hever Castle about 0.4 miles north-east, Hever 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.
For landlords with property near Hever station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Hever is about 6 miles north-east of East Grinstead, in Kent. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Hever and nearby. Our area takes in places right across Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. We also survey roofs in Crawley.
Every address in TN8 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys. Whether your property is on Hever Road and Uckfield Lane or a nearby road, we can survey it. If you are just outside Hever, we cover Newtown (1 mile south), How Green (1 mile north), Markbeech (1 mile south), Chiddingstone Hoath (2 miles south-east) and Chiddingstone Causeway (3 miles east). We also work in nearby towns such as Sevenoaks (8 miles north-east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (8 miles south-east), Tonbridge (7 miles east), Swanley (15 miles north), Kings Hill (14 miles north-east) and Paddock Wood (12 miles east).
What’s near Hever
In Hever, that means homes and buildings near King Henry VIII pub and Chiddingstone Castle Park and Gardens, among other places. Hever’s nearest station is Hever station, about 0.5 miles west of the centre. A little further out are Haxted Watermill Museum (3.4 miles west) and Hever Castle (within half a mile north-east).
Nearby places to Hever
What else we do in Hever
For landlords and managing agents
We survey roofs for landlords and agents as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photographs.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Hever. To discuss a property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Common roof problems in Hever
Rear extensions, dormers and garages frequently have flat roofs. A felt roof often lasts around 15 to 20 years, and standing water, blisters and splits are typical signs of ageing. A buyer can easily miss them, because many can only be seen from an upstairs window.
Common reasons to book include:
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
If you live in an older home near Church of St Peter, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Their insurance cover
Roof by roof
Flat roofs
Standing water, blisters, splits and tired upstands all point to wear. Blocked outlets are checked as well, and we say what we see from wherever is safe.
Clay and concrete tiles
Clay plain tiles are common on older South East homes, and some still have peg tiles. Rotten pegs let tiles slide, so we look for gaps along the courses.
Hever questions
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Hever?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Do you cover smaller places like Hever?
Yes, Hever is covered. We work right across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. You might ask for work to be done, ask questions or ask for a change to the price. What the seller agrees to is their decision, so we cannot promise any saving.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Where possible, yes. The loft tells us a lot about the roof, and upstairs windows give useful views. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
It is your choice, but the two do different jobs. A home survey looks at the whole property, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Our survey complements a RICS survey and doesn’t replace one.
How long does the survey visit take?
The visit normally takes roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. We’ll confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.