Buckinghamshire · London and the South East
Latimer Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Know where you stand with the roof before you spend money on it. Pre-purchase roof surveys in Latimer.
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
Latimer: your questions answered
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Latimer?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Will you come out to Latimer?
Yes. Latimer is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We survey roofs across London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route as you book.
How many surveys have you done?
We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys, across 20+ years of surveying roofs, with 98% customer satisfaction.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it is not a RICS home survey. It works alongside a home survey.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so we need permission from the freeholder or managing agent. We can only inspect what we are given access to.
How long will you be at the property?
The visit typically takes about 1–2 hours at a typical home, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. We’ll confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
Does someone need to be in?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We will talk about access when you book.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Latimer
If you are buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that is often not the individual flat owner. We inspect what access allows us to see safely, 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. Common reasons to book are loose pots and cracked flaunching and blistered or split felt on a flat roof, on natural slate, lead flashings and valleys and gutters and downpipes.
Somewhere as small as Latimer, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings often sit beside a few newer homes. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. Each covering has its own weak points, whether the roof is old or newly laid. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
After the visit, you get a written report with photos, sent by email. It explains the condition of the roof, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Place
- Latimer (HP5)
- Wider area
- Buckinghamshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What you can safely check yourself
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Different roofs, different checks
Flat roofs
Many homes have a flat roof somewhere, often over an extension. Felt roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, rubber longer and GRP up to about 30. We look for signs of age and failure.
Chimney stacks
Leaning stacks, loose pots and eroded mortar are common findings. We photograph them so you can raise them before exchange.
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
We only report whatever is safely visible on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Natural slate
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
Practical tips
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Let us know your timetable
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
We email the report to you, with photos of each finding. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Each defect is explained in plain words, and recommendations are ranked by urgency where that helps.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.
For landlords and managing agents
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed beforehand. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, from shops and offices to industrial units. Bigger roofs take more time, so they’re priced to suit.
Local roofs and buyers in Latimer
Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Historic houses such as Chenies Manor House, about 1.1 miles south-east, show how far back building in the area around Latimer goes. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you let a flat or house near Chalfont & Latimer station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. Take an older house close to Church of St Mary Magdalene: ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs frequently have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Latimer is about 2 miles east of Amersham, in Buckinghamshire. Roofs in Latimer get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Buckinghamshire. Our Buckinghamshire coverage includes Latimer. There is also a page for London.
We work across the HP5 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Streets in the area include Spring Close, The Grove and The Ridings, and we cover them all. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Little Chalfont (1 mile south-west), Chenies (1 mile east), Flaunden (2 miles north-east), Belsize (2 miles north-east) and Chorleywood (3 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Aylesbury (15 miles north-west), High Wycombe (9 miles south-west), Chesham (3 miles north-west), Marlow (12 miles south-west), Beaconsfield (6 miles south-west) and Chalfont St Peter (5 miles south).
Near you in Latimer
We work in homes and buildings around Dr Challoner's High School. Latimer’s nearest station is Chalfont & Latimer station, about 1 mile south. Well-known places in the area include Amersham Hospital (3.1 miles south-west) and Amersham Fair Organ Museum (1.7 miles west). The countryside around Latimer includes Sarratt Bottom nature reserve.
How it works
Every visit follows the same pattern: we listen to what’s been worrying you, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photos as we go and record our findings for the written report. It typically takes about one to two hours at a typical home, and more on a big or complicated roof. In a small place like Latimer, access is typically the main thing to plan. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from ground level and from vantage points.
- Inside, we check the roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Book a survey
Booking is simple: just call 07833 053749 or email us, tell us about the property and we’ll recommend the right survey. The price is agreed up front.