Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Kennington, Greater London
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Kennington, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Kennington
Buyers in Kennington and right across London and South East England use our pre-purchase roof survey. Whether it’s a terrace, a semi, a detached house or a flat, we follow the same careful process. The report says what’s in good order, what isn’t and what to deal with first. We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and have 20+ years’ experience. To book, ring 07833 053749 or email us. If you are worried about standing water on a flat extension roof and slipped or missing slates and tiles, we can find out what’s behind it, on flat-roofed extensions and dormers, chimney stacks and natural slate alike.
In London, lots of houses have been split into flats, extended or fitted with a dormer loft conversion. Each change adds roof details, such as flat roofs, new flashings and junctions with the original slopes. For a purchase in Kennington, or for new roofing work there, those junctions deserve a careful look. Dormer cheeks, lead work and new flat roofs are worth checking closely, as faults there are easy to miss.
The report does not just list problems. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, so you can plan your next steps.
- Where
- Kennington (SW8, SW1P, SE11)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up as a written report with photos. On timing, most surveys take about one to two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. For a visit in Kennington, parking and access are the things to plan: tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space, which floor the property is on and how to get into the loft. We then look at whatever is safely visible from ground level, windows, the loft and, where it is safe, the roof itself.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- We inspect the roof from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it’s safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Preparing for the visit
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
Getting a price
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can phone 07833 053749 or email us to find out.
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Questions from Kennington
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Kennington?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway when you book. That way the visit can be planned around it.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Kennington?
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 need to get into the loft?
Ideally, yes. We look in the loft space where there’s safe access, and views from upper windows help too. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
What if it rains on the day?
It can, depending on the survey. Drones can’t fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. If the conditions are not right, we will talk to you about another date.
Is your roof survey a RICS survey?
No. It’s a roof survey by an experienced roof surveyor, with a written report and photos. It isn’t a RICS survey and doesn’t cover the rest of the house.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling are not something we do. Where a material might contain it, such as old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it’s disturbed.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so the building owner or managing agent needs to agree access. We inspect only the parts we’re allowed to reach.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Kennington
The fixings and underlay often fail before good slates or tiles do. Good slate can last well over a century, yet the nails holding it rust and let slates slide. That kind of wear is common on older roofs.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
If you own a rental within reach of Vauxhall station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Before booking anyone
- What exactly goes into their report
- What experience they bring
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
We only report what can safely be seen on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll tell you before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Kennington
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
Kennington homes and their roofs
The wider area around Kennington has a long history of building, with Buckingham Palace about 1.7 miles north-west. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead. Many homes in inner London are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, often with Welsh slate roofs. Many have butterfly roofs draining to a central valley gutter, with parapet walls and gutters hidden behind them. If your home in Kennington is one of them, lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are part of the picture too. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new.
For a London address like Kennington, it helps to know about controlled parking before the day, along with any off-street space. For an older house near a landmark such as Calvary Church of God in Christ, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Kennington is about 2 miles south-west of London, in Greater London. Roofs in Kennington get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Greater London. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages.
We survey roofs across SW8, SW1P and SE11 for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Kay Road, Lett Road and Rita Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. With the A203 and A3204 close by, Kennington is easy for us to reach for pre-purchase roof surveys. We also cover Oval (1 mile north), South Lambeth (1 mile south-west), Little Portugal (1 mile south), North Brixton (1 mile south-east) and Vauxhall (1 mile north). We also work in nearby towns such as City of Westminster (3 miles north-west), Marylebone (3 miles north-west), Kensington (4 miles west), St Pancras (3 miles north), Shoreditch (4 miles north-east) and Walthamstow (8 miles north-east).
Around Kennington
We work in homes and buildings around St Peter's School, Archbishop Tenison's Church of England School and Lambeth Palace Library and the streets around them. Nearby too are Crown and Thistle pub (less than half a mile south-west) and Vauxhall Park (less than half a mile north-west). Kennington has its own railway station: Vauxhall station. A little further out are Baynard's Castle (2.2 miles north) and Type Museum (0.5 miles south). Not far away are Bellenden Road Nature Garden and Ludgate Hill.
Leave it or get it looked at?
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. We fill that gap before you are tied in. In Kennington, as across London, an overflowing gutter soaks the wall below, which can lead to damp inside. A blocked outlet ignored for a winter or two can mean damp walls inside.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Kennington
- Packages from £150, inc. VAT
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
Nearby places to Kennington
Also in Kennington
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
Survey packages start from £150, including VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Height and safe access
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
To find out what your survey will cost, call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a few details. We’ll confirm the figure before booking.
What to let us know when you contact us
Before you get in touch, it is useful to have:
- The kind of building and roof involved
- The address and postcode of the property
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Kennington, phone 07833 053749 or email us. A few details about the property and the roof help us price the survey accurately.
Checking the roof from ground level
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That part is for a survey.
A lot can be seen from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.