Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Merton Park
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Merton Park, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Call or email for a price.
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Old water stains in the roof space
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Merton Park
If you are buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that’s often not the individual flat owner, with costs frequently 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. Where the building has a flat roof, it is checked as far as access allows. If you’re worried about blistered or split felt on a flat roof and gutters choked with leaves and moss, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
London’s housing runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war estates and new blocks of flats, so a property in Merton Park might be any of these. Whether you’re buying or have just had a roof replaced, the details that cause trouble depend on the age of the building. Slate roofs, butterfly valleys, parapet gutters and flat-roofed rear additions each have their own weak points.
Findings are set out part by part, 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
- Merton Park (SW19, SW20, SM4)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips that help
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Let us know your timetable
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
Once the home is yours, the report becomes a maintenance list. Work through the urgent items before anything else, and use the photos as a record of how the roof looked when you bought. Premium comes with a follow-up after 12 months to see how things have changed.
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.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
What we look for on each type of roof
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.
Clay and concrete tiles
Many post-war houses have concrete interlocking tiles. They’re heavy and hard-wearing, but they weather and can crack.
Nearby places to Merton Park
What else we do in Merton Park
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Merton Park
Is drone flying allowed in Merton Park?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. Merton Park is about 2 miles from the edge of the flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea. We check the exact boundary for the address before flying, and if the roof falls inside it, we ask for permission first. London’s airspace includes flight restriction zones around Heathrow, London City Airport and London Heliport, and restricted areas over Hyde Park, the City of London and the Isle of Dogs. Every London address is checked against them before a flight. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather.
Is parking a problem for a survey in Merton Park?
Typically it is manageable with a little notice. Let us know the parking rules on your street and we will work around them.
What’s the best way to book?
Simply call 07833 053749 or email us with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
Does the weather affect the survey?
It can, depending on the survey. Drone flights need calm, dry weather, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. If the conditions are not right, we’ll talk to you about another date.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. You need the report before you exchange, while you can still ask questions and negotiate.
Do you need access inside the house?
Ideally, yes. The loft tells us a lot about the roof, and views from upper windows help too. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first. Mention it when you get in touch and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Merton Park
In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. If your home in Merton Park is one of them, bay roofs, hips and later dormers each have their own details. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most. Merton Park is about 2 miles from the edge of the flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea. If the drone is used for your survey, we check the exact boundary for the address before flying.
Controlled parking zones are common in London, so mention any permit rules for Merton Park, along with any off-street space. If you own one of the older houses in the streets near St Mary's Church, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs frequently have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges. Landlords with a home close to South Merton station may find that a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Merton Park is about 1 mile south-east of Wimbledon, in Greater London. Anywhere in Merton Park, we can carry out pre-purchase roof surveys at your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our area takes in places right across Greater London. You can also see our page for London.
Surveys in SW19, SW20 and SM4 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Whether your property is on Mina Road, Manor Road and Cecil Road or anywhere close by, we can help. We also cover the places around Merton Park: Wimbledon Chase (1 mile west), Bushey Mead (1 mile west), Cannon Hill (1 mile south-west), Wimbledon (1 mile north-west) and Crooked Billet (1 mile north-west). Larger places within reach include London (8 miles north-east), City of Westminster (7 miles north), Marylebone (8 miles north), Kensington (6 miles north), St Pancras (9 miles north-east) and Shoreditch (10 miles north-east).
Landmarks near Merton Park
Around Merton Park, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Wibbas Down Inn, Morden Hall Park and Wimbledon School of Art, among other places. The nearest railway station is South Merton station, roughly 0.5 miles south of the centre. Well-known places in the area include St George's Hospital (1.6 miles north-east) and Southside Wandsworth (3.1 miles north). The countryside around Merton Park includes Merton Park Green Walks and Henman Hill.
Honest limits
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- The condition of the rest of the house (that is a RICS home survey)
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and does not.
What we look at
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
Why act early in Merton Park
Without a survey, you’re relying on a glance from the pavement. That won’t show slipped slates on the rear slope, a worn valley or cracked flaunching. We fill that gap before you are tied in. In a London terrace or conversion, a roof defect rarely stays your problem alone: failed flashings and blocked valley gutters can send water into more than one home. Finding it early keeps the work smaller.
One thing that affects the price is the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all inc. VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
What you get with us
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- 20+ years’ experience
- Plain-English reports with photos
- Surveys seven days a week
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.
What happens on the day
You do not need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we’ll get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Many London properties are flats or terraces with no side access, so the back of the roof is often seen from upstairs windows, from inside or, where a flight is allowed, from the air. If the building has a managing agent or access rules, tell us as you book.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- We agree a time and how we’ll get in, including the loft.
- We check the roof from ground level, from windows, from the roof space and from the roof where safe.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Arrange a survey
We confirm the price for your survey before you book, so you know where you stand. Prices start from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.