Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Highbury
We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Highbury and the rest of Greater London. Surveys run on any day of the week.
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
What we’re asked to look at in Highbury
Buildings put up or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. It is frequently found in cement sheets, soffits and flue pipes. We do not test for it or carry out asbestos surveys, but our report flags materials that could contain it so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before anything is disturbed.
Common reasons to book include:
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
Sutton House lies about 2 miles east, so building around Highbury goes back a long way. If you are buying an older home nearby, it is worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing.
What to check before booking
- Whether the price includes VAT
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- What insurance they carry
Pre-purchase roof survey in Highbury
With a written roof report, you can go back to the seller or agent with specifics. You might ask about past repairs, ask for work to be done before completion or think again about your offer. We cannot say how a seller will respond, but you’ll be negotiating from a clear picture rather than a hunch. It can also help you decide whether the purchase is still right for you. Common reasons to book are bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs and signs of past leaks inside the loft, across flat-roofed extensions and dormers, lead flashings and valleys and clay and concrete tiles.
In London, plenty of 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 are buying a flat or house in Highbury, or have just had new roofing work done, those junctions are frequently where problems start. Lead work around dormers and new flat roofs is easy to get wrong and easy to miss.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Highbury (N1, N16, N5)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
For landlords and managing agents
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, which helps when tenants work during the week.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, putting the urgent items at the top.
What happens if roof problems are left?
Without a survey, you’re relying on a glance from the pavement. That will not show slipped slates on the rear slope, a worn valley or cracked flaunching. A survey fills that gap before you commit, with photos of anything that needs attention. In Highbury, as across London, an overflowing gutter soaks the wall below. A small blockage left for a few winters becomes a damp problem.
One thing that affects the price is the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, inc. VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Why us?
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or our case studies.
Useful tips for Highbury property owners
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
- Let us know your timetable
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, and the Premium Survey includes an in-person consultation. Whichever package you choose, you can ask us what a finding means.
After strong winds, look at the roof from the ground. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Dealing with them early keeps water out.
Highbury: your questions answered
Is drone flying allowed in Highbury?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. 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. Each address is checked against all of them before the drone goes up. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. A small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, and the rest of the survey doesn’t depend on the drone.
Is my home in Highbury listed or in a conservation area?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Does someone need to be in?
That depends on the survey. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in; we will agree the details when you book.
What insurance do you have?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and details are available on request.
Do you need access inside the house?
Where possible, yes. We look in the roof space where there’s safe access, and upstairs windows give useful views. Access is usually arranged through the agent or seller.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. The report is most useful before exchange, while you can still ask questions and negotiate.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Where it is safe, yes. Much of the inspection is done from the ground, from windows and from the roof space. On Premium, a drone is used where applicable.
Towns and villages near Highbury
What else we do in Highbury
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Highbury: local notes
Where the drone is part of the survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. Many homes in inner London are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, often with Welsh slate roofs. A butterfly roof with a central valley gutter, tucked behind a parapet wall, is common on these houses. Shared chimney stacks, party-wall upstands and lead work come with this kind of house. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
For landlords with property near Canonbury station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. Take an older house close to Christ Church: the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Highbury is about 4 miles north-east of City of Westminster, in Greater London. Anywhere in Highbury, we can carry out pre-purchase roof surveys at your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, large and small.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in N1, N16 and N5 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We cover properties on Prah Road, Dove Road and Lough Road. Highbury sits on or near the A1199. Other places close to Highbury include Newington Green (1 mile east), Mildmay (1 mile east), Canonbury (1 mile south-east), De Beauvoir Town (1 mile south-east) and Stoke Newington (1 mile north-east). We also work in nearby towns such as London (4 miles south), City of Westminster (4 miles south-west), Marylebone (3 miles south-west), Kensington (6 miles south-west), Walthamstow (4 miles north-east) and Whitechapel (3 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Highbury
We work in homes and buildings around Highbury Fields, Musical Theatre Academy and The Snooty Fox pub. Highbury has its own railway station: Canonbury station. A little further out are Arsenal Football Club Museum (0.6 miles north-west) and Montfichet's Tower (2.7 miles south). The countryside around Highbury includes Gillespie Park and Dartmouth Park Hill.
Roof by roof
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead flashings seal the joints where a roof meets a wall or chimney. We check whether they’ve lifted, split or been replaced with mortar or bitumen.
Clay and concrete tiles
Older homes in the South East often have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles on some. Rotten pegs let tiles slide, so we look for gaps along the courses.
How it works
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof, but as a rough guide the survey takes an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. You are welcome to ask questions while we are there. In Highbury, visits are available on weekdays and at weekends. 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 often give the best view of a rear addition.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- 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.
- You get a written report with photographs and recommendations before you exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Book a survey
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price before you book.