Kent · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Manston
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Manston, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photos.
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Manston
Buying a flat brings its own roof questions. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that’s often not the individual flat owner, with costs often passed on through the service charge. We inspect what access allows us to see safely, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. If the building has a flat roof, we look at that too where access allows. If you’re worried about gutters that overflow or drip at the joints and signs of past leaks inside the loft, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Some older homes in villages like Manston 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. Whether you are buying or signing off new roofing, it is worth knowing where you stand. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Where
- Manston (CT12)
- Region
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we cannot see
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- A structural engineer’s report
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
Different roofs, different checks
Gutters and parapets
The rainwater system keeps water off the walls. Leaking joints, sagging lengths and blockages are all noted.
Flat roofs
Many homes have a flat roof somewhere, frequently over an extension. Felt roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, rubber longer and GRP up to about 30. We check how the covering is wearing.
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- How big the roof is
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package matters as well. We’ll give you the figure before anything is booked.
Helping us price your survey
Getting the details right at the start saves time. Please include:
- Anything about access we should know
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- When you need the report by
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Manston
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
Landlords and letting agents in Manston book surveys as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photos, useful for planning maintenance.
Questions from Manston
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Manston?
Often, yes. Within about 2 miles of the sea, as Manston is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
Do you cover smaller places like Manston?
Yes. Manston is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We work right across London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route as you book.
How many surveys have you done?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
Do you use drones?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Are you insured?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. We look at the parts we’re given access to.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in Manston?
Simply ring 07833 053749 or email us. We will ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date, weekday or weekend.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
You can learn a lot from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
What happens on the day
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. A typical visit takes an hour or two at most homes, and longer for a large or complex roof. Rural addresses near Manston 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. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- 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 loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Keep pets in another room
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
Book a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will explain the options and the price.
Advice
What else we do in Manston
Local roofs and buyers in Manston
The coast is about 2 miles or less from Manston, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces. The wider area around Manston has a long history of building, with Quex Park about 2.5 miles north-west. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead.
Take an older house close to St. Catherine's Church: the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light. Landlords with a home close to Thanet Parkway station may find that a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Manston is about 2 miles west of Ramsgate, in Kent. Roofs in Manston get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Kent. Manston is one of the places in Kent we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. We also survey roofs in Canterbury.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: CT12. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on High Street, The Meadows and Manston Road. If you’re just outside Manston, we cover Haine (1 mile north-east), Flete (1 mile north), Newington (1 mile east), Cliffs End (1 mile south) and Chilton (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include Canterbury (13 miles west), Dover (15 miles south), Broadstairs (3 miles east), Whitstable (15 miles west), Deal (9 miles south) and Herne Bay (10 miles west).
Local landmarks in Manston
Around Manston, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Lord of the Manor pub, Sandwich and Pegwell Bay and The Royal Harbour Academy. For rail, the closest station is Thanet Parkway station, about 1.2 miles south of the centre. A little further out are Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum (0.9 miles west) and Ramsgate General Hospital (2.1 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Sandwich and Pegwell Bay.