Kent · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in How Green
Find out the condition of the roof at your property in How Green from an independent roof surveyor. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Blocked or leaking gutters
What we’re asked to look at in How Green
Gutter problems frequently look minor from the street. Water spilling over a gutter soaks brickwork and can rot fascias and rafter ends. Hidden gutters behind parapets or in roof valleys can send water indoors. They’re part of what we check.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
If you own a rental within reach of Hever station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Are they insured for the work?
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- What experience they bring
Pre-purchase roof survey in How Green: what you get
Tall, steep or hidden roofs are hard to judge from the street. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, plus a drone inspection where applicable, and the report arrives the same day. Where a flight isn’t possible, because of airspace rules or the weather, we tell you and look from ground level, windows and the loft instead. We survey lead flashings and valleys, chimney stacks and flat-roofed extensions and dormers, and common reasons people get in touch are blocked or leaking gutters and lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney.
Some older homes in villages like How Green are listed or sit in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. Whether you’re buying or signing off new roofing, it’s worth knowing where you stand. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings.
If any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. That way, it’s clear what was covered and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Place
- How Green (TN8)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Also in How Green
Useful tips for How Green property owners
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
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. The Premium Survey includes a 12-month follow-up.
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.
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
Survey packages start from £150, including VAT. The price for your roof depends on:
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 including VAT. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Getting in touch
Before you get in touch, it’s useful to have:
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
What we can’t see
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
- Asbestos testing of any kind
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
Can I check my roof myself?
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us as you book.
A lot can be seen from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around How Green
Hever Castle, about 0.7 miles south, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around How Green. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, 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, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
If you live in an older home near Church of St Peter, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
How Green is about 7 miles south-west of Sevenoaks, in Kent. How Green is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Our Kent coverage includes How Green and the places around it. We also survey roofs in Crawley.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: TN8. Streets in the area include Hever Road and How Green Lane. We also cover the places around How Green: Hever (1 mile south), Newtown (2 miles south), Markbeech (2 miles south), Chiddingstone Causeway (3 miles east) and Chiddingstone Hoath (3 miles south-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Sevenoaks (7 miles north-east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (8 miles south-east), Tonbridge (7 miles east), Swanley (14 miles north), Kings Hill (14 miles east) and Paddock Wood (12 miles east).
What’s near How Green
Around How Green, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Wheatsheaf Public House and Chiddingstone Castle Park and Gardens and the streets around them. How Green’s nearest station is Hever station, roughly 1.3 miles south-west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Tandridge Priory (5.4 miles north-west) and Hever Castle (0.7 miles south).
How Green: your questions answered
Does a conservation area affect roof work in How Green?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Will you come out to How Green?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys.
Are you insured?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
Does the weather affect the survey?
It can, depending on the survey. Drones cannot fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. We will rearrange with you if the weather isn’t right.
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. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
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.
How the survey works
You do not need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, like stains, drips or loose pieces, and we’ll get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes about one to two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Rural addresses near How Green can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- The roof is inspected from every safe vantage point, inside and out.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- We email a written report with photos and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
Booking a survey
Getting a price is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or email us, let us know about the property and we will point you to the right survey. We confirm the price before anything is booked.