Kent · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Little Chart Forstal
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Little Chart Forstal, with photos and a written report.
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Little Chart Forstal
The best time to book is once your offer has been accepted and before you exchange contracts. That’s when the findings are most useful, because nothing is binding yet. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when a sale is moving quickly. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. If you’re worried about bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs and lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney, we can find out what’s behind it, on gutters and downpipes, natural slate and flat-roofed extensions and dormers alike.
Some older homes in villages like Little Chart Forstal are listed or sit in a conservation area. That can affect what materials a new roof may use, so check with the council and Historic England’s list. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it’s worth knowing which applies. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets, with a note and a photo for each point. You’ll see the good as well as the bad.
- Place
- Little Chart Forstal (TN27)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens if roof problems are left?
When a chain is moving fast, a roof survey can feel like one more delay. We visit on weekdays and at weekends, and a Premium report comes the same day, which helps it fit around your exchange date. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Little Chart Forstal, driving rain gets into any weakness, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package you pick makes a difference too. We will give you the figure before anything is booked.
Why book us in Little Chart Forstal
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- Plain-English reports with photos
See our cost guide or two real surveys.
DIY checks: what’s safe
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.
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry, as it helps us focus the survey.
Questions from Little Chart Forstal
Will you come out to Little Chart Forstal?
Yes, we do. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Is my home in Little Chart Forstal listed or in a conservation area?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you need to go inside the property?
Where we can, yes. Inside, the loft shows leaks, damp timbers and the underlay. If we cannot get in, the report says so.
How soon is the report ready?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email with photos included.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It depends on the weather and the survey. Strong wind or a downpour can make access unsafe and ground a drone, so we’d move the date with you.
How do I book a survey in Little Chart Forstal?
It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. Give us the address and some details about the roof. Surveys run on any day of the week.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you when booking.
Practical tips
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
It’s worth sharing the report with your solicitor so questions can go to the seller’s solicitor. It can prompt questions about past roof work and any paperwork for it.
Every so often, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Watch for stains, damp timbers and chinks of daylight. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
Nearby places to Little Chart Forstal
Other services in Little Chart Forstal
How the survey works
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photographs. As for time on site, most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Cottages and farmhouses around Little Chart Forstal often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen.
- 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.
- The roof is inspected from every safe vantage point, inside and out.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Before the survey
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
Book a survey
We confirm the price for your roof before booking, so you know the cost up front. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Read more
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Little Chart Forstal
Prices vary from roof to roof, and it comes down to:
- Which survey package you book
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before you book.
What we need to know
These details help when you get in touch:
- What’s prompted the survey
- Anything about access we should know
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- The address and postcode of the property
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll explain the options and the price.
Little Chart Forstal homes and their roofs
About 2.2 miles south-east lies Godinton House, a reminder of how long the area around Little Chart Forstal has been built on. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Older houses across Kent often have handmade clay or peg tiles, and many have tile-hung walls. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
The streets around a church such as St Mary are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Little Chart Forstal is about 4 miles north-west of Ashford, in Kent. Little Chart Forstal is one of many places we visit across Kent, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. We cover towns and villages across Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Maidstone.
We survey roofs across the TN27 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. If you’re just outside Little Chart Forstal, we cover Little Chart (1 mile west), Pluckley (2 miles west), Fir Toll (2 miles west), Pluckley Thorne (2 miles west) and Chambers' Green (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Maidstone (13 miles north-west), Ashford (4 miles south-east), Canterbury (14 miles north-east), Sittingbourne (12 miles north), Faversham (10 miles north-east) and Hythe (15 miles south-east).
Landmarks near Little Chart Forstal
In Little Chart Forstal, that means homes and buildings near The Swan Inn And Former Stables. For rail, the closest station is Charing station, roughly 2.1 miles north. A little further out are Romden Castle (4.1 miles south-west) and William Harvey Hospital (5.9 miles south-east).
When to book a survey in Little Chart Forstal
Most viewings never get near the roof. You walk round the rooms, but the roof stays out of sight. New paint on a ceiling can hide old water stains, which is why buyers book a closer look before committing.
Look out for signs like these:
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
If you own a rental within reach of Charing station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Questions to ask before you book
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Their track record with similar roofs