Kent · London and the South East
Littlebourne Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Littlebourne, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Call or email for a price.
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Littlebourne
Older homes often have roofs that have been patched over the years. Corroded nails let slates slide, valley linings wear thin and chimney mortar erodes. Most of it can’t be seen from the street. We look closely and record what we see, with photos that show you exactly where. Each finding is explained in plain words, so you know what it means for the house you’re buying. Common reasons to book are a ridge or slope that dips and signs of past leaks inside the loft, across flat-roofed extensions and dormers, clay and concrete tiles and gutters and downpipes.
Somewhere as small as Littlebourne, 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, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
You receive the findings by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Where
- Littlebourne (CT3)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Littlebourne?
Gutter problems often look minor from the street. Water spilling over a gutter soaks brickwork and can rot fascias and rafter ends. Valley and parapet gutters can overflow inside the house. They’re part of what we check.
People typically book a survey after spotting one of these:
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
If you let a flat or house near Bekesbourne 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 price includes VAT
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
Honest limits
Our survey isn’t a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will recommend the right survey. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Littlebourne
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
Why act early in Littlebourne
Without a survey, you are relying on a glance from the pavement. That rarely shows the back slope, the valleys or the top of the chimney. A survey fills that gap before you commit. For older village homes like those around Littlebourne, the right replacement materials aren’t always easy to find quickly. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before you book.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Littlebourne
- Every finding written up with photos
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- An independent view of the roof
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
Read our cost guide or two real surveys.
Buying a home or a new roof in Littlebourne
Historic houses such as Goodnestone Park, about 3.5 miles south-east, show how far back building in the area around Littlebourne goes. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Many older homes in Kent have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles held by pegs through two holes, and tile-hanging on their upper walls. You’ll also find oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses among the county’s older buildings. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most.
The streets around a church like Church of St Vincent are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Littlebourne is about 4 miles east of Canterbury, in Kent. If you are in Littlebourne, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our Kent coverage includes Littlebourne and the places around it.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: CT3. Whether your property is on Church Road, High Street and Jubilee Road or anywhere close by, we can help. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Ickham (1 mile east), Wickhambreaux (1 mile north-east), Seaton (1 mile north-east), Bramling (1 mile south-east) and Bekesbourne (2 miles south). Further out, we also cover Canterbury (4 miles west), Margate (12 miles north-east), Dover (11 miles south-east), Folkestone (13 miles south), Ramsgate (12 miles east) and Broadstairs (13 miles north-east).
What’s near Littlebourne
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Basket Makers pub, among other places. Littlebourne’s nearest station is Bekesbourne station, about 1.5 miles south-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Canterbury Castle (3.9 miles west) and Canterbury Roman Museum (3.6 miles west). The countryside around Littlebourne includes West Blean and Thornden Woods.
The survey, step by step
We do not take risks to get a closer look. Everything that can be seen safely is inspected, and anything we can’t see is noted in the report. Most visits take between one and two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Rural addresses near Littlebourne can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you’re buying.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Preparing for the visit
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
Book a survey
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We’ll confirm the price before you book.
Read more
How the survey changes by roof type
Clay and concrete tiles
Concrete interlocking tiles are common on post-war and newer homes. They wear slowly, but surfaces erode and edges crack.
Natural slate
Older slate roofs often have bitumen felt under them, and very old ones may have none. From inside the loft space, we report what we can see of it.
Common questions in Littlebourne
Do you carry out roof surveys in Littlebourne?
Yes, Littlebourne is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Littlebourne as anywhere else.
Will you come out to Littlebourne?
Yes. Littlebourne is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. Our area covers London and the South East. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
It depends on the roof and how confident you want to be. A home survey may recommend further investigation of the roof, and that’s where a roof survey helps. It doesn’t stand in for a RICS survey.
Do you need access inside the house?
Ideally, yes. We look in the loft space where there is safe access, and upstairs windows give useful views. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in Littlebourne?
Simply call 07833 053749 or email us with the address. We’ll ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date, weekday or weekend.
How many surveys have you done?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have completed over 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
Also near Littlebourne
Other services in Littlebourne
Before and after the survey
There is plenty you can do without going near the roof. What helps most:
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Request records of any re-roofing
With the findings in hand, you can talk to the seller or their agent. Some buyers ask for repairs before completion, others ask for a change to the price. The outcome is between you and the seller, and we can’t promise any result.
Keep the loft ventilated. Condensation in a roof space can look like a leak and can damage timbers over time. Avoid packing insulation into the eaves so tightly that air cannot flow.