Greater London · London and the South East
High Barnet Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Find out the condition of the roof at your property in High Barnet. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
Pre-purchase roof survey in High Barnet: what you get
A full home survey looks at the whole property, and the roof is only one part of it. Our survey is not a RICS survey, and it does not replace 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 want the fullest picture. We survey gutters and downpipes, lead flashings and valleys and clay and concrete tiles, and people most frequently book us about slipped or missing slates and tiles and chimney mortar that has eroded.
In London, a good many houses have been split into flats, extended or fitted with a dormer loft conversion. Every alteration brings new junctions, flashings and flat-roof areas to look at. If you’re buying a flat or house in High Barnet, or have just had new roofing work done, those junctions are often where problems start. Dormer cheeks, lead work and new flat roofs are worth checking closely, as faults there are easy to miss.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photographs, sent by email. It explains the condition of the roof, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Place
- High Barnet (EN5)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we do, step by step
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. Then the inspection itself takes about one to two hours at most homes, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Surveys in High Barnet can be booked for any day of the week. It helps if you can point us to a visitor permit or a nearby bay. Upstairs rooms at the back are useful too, as they frequently give the best view of a rear addition.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- Access to the house and the roof space is agreed in advance.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- Inside, we check the loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Arrange a survey
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can call 07833 053749 or send us an email to find out.
Read more
What affects the price in High Barnet
We confirm the price for the job before you book. This is what makes a difference:
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- The size of the roof
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, inc. VAT.
Helping us price your survey
There’s no need for technical words. It’s enough to tell us:
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
- What made you get in touch
Booking is simple: just call 07833 053749 or send us an email and give us some details about the property and we will explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Leave it or get it looked at?
After exchange, any roof defect is yours to deal with. Before it, you still have choices. Finding out later gives you the same facts, but with far less room to act on them. London’s older roofs often have bitumen felt underlay or none at all, so a slipped slate can soon mean water inside. Left unchecked, water soaks into timber and plaster and the damage spreads.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, access and the package you choose.
Why book with us
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- PI and public liability insurance
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Read what a roof survey costs and our case studies.
Local roofs and buyers in High Barnet
Alongside Victorian and Edwardian terraces, outer London has a great many interwar semis, frequently with hipped roofs of clay or concrete tiles. 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. If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
Wyllyotts Manor, about 2.9 miles north, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around High Barnet. Older homes in the area can come with listed status or conservation area rules, which affect re-roofing, so check with the council before you buy. Parking in High Barnet, as in most of London, takes a little planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day easier. If you live in an older home near Christ Church, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
High Barnet is about 1 mile north-west of Barnet, in Greater London. Wherever you are in High Barnet, we can come and survey your property. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, large and small. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in EN5 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Local streets include Byng Road, Park Road and Kings Road, all of which we cover. High Barnet is on the A1081, so it’s easy for us to get to. Close by, we survey roofs in Hadley (1 mile east), Arkley (1 mile south-west), Kitts End (1 mile north), Totteridge (1 mile south) and Rowley Green (2 miles west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (12 miles south-east), City of Westminster (10 miles south), Marylebone (10 miles south), Kensington (11 miles south), St Pancras (10 miles south-east) and Shoreditch (11 miles south-east).
Around High Barnet
We work in homes and buildings around Susi Earnshaw Theatre School, The White Lion pub and Queen Elizabeth's School. The closest station to High Barnet is Hadley Wood station, about 1.6 miles north-east. Other landmarks nearby include Spires Shopping Centre (under half a mile east) and Barnet General Hospital (0.5 miles south-west). For a walk, there is Barnet Countryside Centre and Darland's Lake.
Nearby places to High Barnet
More services for High Barnet
Roof by roof
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, but the nails holding it corrode long before that. When slates start to slip, corroded nails are often the reason.
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings close the gaps at chimneys, walls and abutments. We look for lead that has lifted, split or been patched over.
Practical tips
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. Our suggestions:
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Let us know your timetable
If you want quotes for the work, roofers can work from the report. They’ll see exactly what we found, and where, so each quote covers the same ground.
Every so frequently, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Damp patches, daylight through the roof or water stains on timbers are worth noting. Take photos so you can show whoever looks at it.
High Barnet: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in High Barnet is listed?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Is drone flying allowed in High Barnet?
Typically it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. Across London there are restriction zones around Heathrow, London City and London Heliport, plus 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, including zones around airports and prisons. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, and the rest of the survey does not depend on the drone.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. You will have photos and a written description of each defect, so you can raise them with the seller or their agent. How the seller responds is up to them.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
The visit typically takes an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. We will give you an idea of timing when you book.
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. Access is agreed with you when you book.
How experienced are you?
We have completed more than 5,000 surveys, over more than 20 years, with 98% customer satisfaction.
Honest limits
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
What we check
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes