Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Kensington
Know where you stand with the roof before you decide what to do next. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Kensington.
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
Pre-purchase roof survey in Kensington
If you are buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that is frequently not the individual flat owner. We look at as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. Where the building has a flat roof, it is checked as far as access allows. We survey flat-roofed extensions and dormers, the roof space and chimney stacks, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are slates or tiles that have slipped or gone and lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney.
In a London terrace or conversion, the roof frequently joins the neighbours’ roofs and shares their stacks and gutters. For a purchase or a new roof in Kensington, that shapes what can be checked: only the parts we’re given access to and can see safely are inspected. If it’s a flat, the lease typically sets out who is responsible for the roof.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Kensington (W11, W8, W14, SW7)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Kensington: local notes
With Leighton House about 0.1 miles south, Kensington sits in an area with a long building history. If your house is among the older ones, 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. Welsh slate on Victorian and Edwardian terraces is a familiar sight across inner London. Many have butterfly roofs draining to a central valley gutter, with parapet walls and gutters hidden behind them. 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.
If you live in an older home near Church of St Barnabas, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them. Kensington is in London, so parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day easier. For landlords with property near Kensington Olympia station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Kensington is about 5 miles west of London, in Greater London. Kensington is one of many places we visit across Greater London, for homes and businesses alike. Our area takes in places right across Greater London.
All of W11, W8, W14 and SW7 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys. We cover properties on Kensington High Street, Edwardes Square and Somerset Square and the roads around them. Being close to the A402 and B316, Kensington is easy for us to reach. Other places close to Kensington include Holland Park (1 mile north), Notting Hill (1 mile north), Shepherd's Bush (1 mile west), Notting Dale (1 mile north) and White City (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (5 miles east), Marylebone (3 miles north-east), St Pancras (4 miles north-east), Shoreditch (6 miles east), Walthamstow (10 miles north-east) and Hoxton (6 miles north-east). As one of the bigger places in Greater London, Kensington has homes, rented property and businesses of every kind.
Local landmarks in Kensington
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Holland Park, Scarsdale Tavern and Holland Park School and the streets around them. Also close by are Kensington School (0.5 miles east) and Abdus Salam Library (1 mile east). Kensington has its own railway station: Kensington Olympia station. Other landmarks nearby include Kensington Arcade (within half a mile east) and London Museum (0.7 miles north-east). For a walk, there is WWT London Wetland Centre and The Long Water.
Why get it checked now?
After exchange, any roof defect is yours to deal with. Before then, you can still ask questions, ask for work to be done or reconsider. A survey after you’ve moved in tells you the same things, but with far less room to act on them. London’s older roofs often have bitumen felt underlay or none at all, so once the slates or flashings let water past, little stops it reaching ceilings. Left unchecked, water soaks into timber and plaster and the damage spreads.
Price depends partly on the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, including VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Why book us in Kensington
- Plain-English reports with photos
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and two real surveys.
How the survey works
We photograph the roof as we go, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available, including by drone where it is applicable and the weather allows. A typical visit takes about 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so a visit in Kensington moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. Shared stairs or a basement flat? Tell us who holds the keys.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- 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 is safe.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- We email a written report with photographs and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Before the survey
- Let us know about parking near the property
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
How to book
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Advice
Towns and villages near Kensington
Also in Kensington
Landlord and commercial surveys in Kensington
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Kensington and across Greater London can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Kensington
Our packages start from £150, including VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Roof area
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, with VAT included. We can help you choose the package that fits what you need to know.
What we need to know
Here’s what helps us most when you get in touch:
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- The property’s address and postcode
- Anything about access we should know
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email, let us know about the property and we’ll suggest the right survey. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Can I check my roof myself?
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
Honest limits
It helps to know what a survey will not do before you book:
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in Kensington
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
Kensington: your questions answered
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Kensington?
In much of London, parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a bay close to the door helps a lot.
Is drone flying allowed in Kensington?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. The flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea covers Kensington, or comes right up to its edge. We ask the heliport for permission before flying there, and only fly if it’s given. 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. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, and the rest of the survey doesn’t depend on the drone.
How quickly will I get the report?
That depends on which survey you choose: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Let us know your exchange date and we will help you choose.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first. Mention it when you get in touch and we’ll plan the survey around it.
How long does the survey visit take?
The visit typically takes about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. We’ll give you an idea of timing when booking.
What insurance do you have?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability.