Kent · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Marley, Kent
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat around Marley, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Marley
Many older houses carry decades of roof repairs. Slates slip when their nails corrode, lead valleys and flashings wear, and chimney pointing crumbles. Most of it can’t be seen from the street. Our survey picks it out, with photographs that show you exactly where. We explain each finding in plain English, so you know what it means for the house you’re buying. We are often asked to look into worn or lifted lead flashings and a ridge or slope that dips, on lead flashings and valleys, gutters and downpipes and natural slate.
In a village or hamlet like Marley, homes are frequently older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Village roofs can be clay tile, slate, stone or even thatch on some older buildings. Whether you’re buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
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. It records what’s sound as well as what isn’t.
- Location
- Marley (CT4)
- Region
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. A few suggestions:
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Let us know your timetable
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. They’ll see exactly what we found, and where, so each quote covers the same ground.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. Binoculars from ground level are enough for a first look.
The survey, step by step
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the roof space if there’s safe access. All told, expect about 1–2 hours for most houses, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. Older rural homes like those around Marley can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- The roof is inspected from each safe vantage point, inside and out.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- We email a written report with photos and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
Booking a survey
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll explain the options and the price.
Read more
Can I check my roof myself?
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we look at the roof.
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings and valleys
Many leaks start at a flashing, so they get close attention in a pre-purchase survey. Any that need attention are photographed and explained.
Chimney stacks
Our chimney check is a visual one, not a flue, gas or sweep inspection. If a flue needs testing, we will suggest who to ask.
Honest limits
We only report whatever is safely visible on the day, so there are some things a survey cannot cover:
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- The condition of the rest of the house (that is a RICS home survey)
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you before booking. What our survey covers.
Roofs we survey in Marley
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Marley?
Chimneys take the worst of the weather. Mortar erodes, the flaunching around the pots cracks and the flashings work loose. On terraced and semi-detached homes, a stack may be shared with next door, which can affect how any work is arranged.
A survey can pick up problems like:
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
Historic houses such as Goodnestone Park, about 4.7 miles north-east, show how far back building around Marley goes. If you are buying an older home nearby, it is worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing.
Before booking anyone
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- What insurance they carry
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- Whether VAT is added on top
Questions from Marley
How do I find out if my home in Marley is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Is Marley within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We survey roofs across London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes, you can. The report sets out what we found, with photos, which you can share with the seller or agent. How the seller responds is up to them.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Only where it is safe. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It is a roof survey by an experienced roof surveyor, and you get a written report with photos. It doesn’t cover the rest of the property, which a RICS survey does.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It can, depending on the survey. Drone flights need calm, dry weather, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. We’ll rearrange with you if the weather is not right.
Local roofs and buyers in Marley
If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Older houses across Kent frequently have handmade clay or peg tiles, and many have tile-hung walls. Oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of the county’s older buildings too. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
For landlords with property near Snowdown station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St Giles, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Marley is about 5 miles south-east of Canterbury, in Kent. We survey roofs in Marley and the rest of Kent, as part of our work across London and South East England. Our area takes in places right across Kent, large and small.
Here we cover the CT4 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Local streets include Marley Lane and Covet Lane. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Kingston (1 mile north-east), Heart's Delight (1 mile south-east), Out Elmstead (1 mile east), Barham (1 mile east) and Derringstone (1 mile south-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Ashford (13 miles south-west), Canterbury (5 miles north-west), Dover (9 miles south-east), Folkestone (9 miles south), Ramsgate (15 miles north-east) and Whitstable (11 miles north-west).
Near you in Marley
Around Marley, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Jumping Downs and Black Robin Public House and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Snowdown station, about 3.5 miles east of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Kent and Canterbury Hospital (4.3 miles north-west).