Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Mildmay, Greater London
A careful look at the roof at your property in Mildmay, with photos and a written report.
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
Pre-purchase roof survey in Mildmay: what you get
A roof report gives you something solid to take back to the seller or the agent. You can ask about the roof’s history, ask for repairs before completion or rethink the price. What the seller agrees to is up to them, but you’ll be asking from facts rather than guesses. It can also help you decide whether the purchase is still right for you. If you’ve noticed ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof and bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on gutters and downpipes, clay and concrete tiles and the roof space alike.
Many London homes have been converted into flats, extended at the back or given a loft conversion with a dormer. Each change adds roof details, like flat roofs, new flashings and junctions with the original slopes. If you are buying a flat or house in Mildmay, or have just had new roofing work done, those junctions are often where problems start. Lead work around dormers and new flat roofs is easy to get wrong and easy to miss.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Mildmay (N1, N16, E8)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll suggest the right survey before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Mildmay
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
Places near Mildmay
Other services in Mildmay
Can I check my roof myself?
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
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. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Mildmay
How do I find out if my home in Mildmay is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Mildmay?
Normally it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. Across London there are restriction zones around Heathrow, London City and London Heliport, plus restricted areas over Hyde Park, the City of London and the Isle of Dogs. Each address is checked against all of them before the drone goes up. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions, including zones around airports and prisons. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, and the rest of the survey doesn’t depend on the drone.
Does someone need to be in?
Someone needs to let us in if we are looking inside or in the loft. We’ll talk about access as you book.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It can, depending on the survey. Drones can’t fly safely in high wind or heavy rain, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. We will rearrange with you if the weather isn’t right.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime, which suits people who work during the week. Let us know your preferred days when booking.
Do you go up on the roof?
Where it’s safe, yes. Much of the inspection is done from ground level, from windows and from the roof space. On Premium, a drone is used where applicable.
How quickly will I get the report?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. Reports are emailed, with photographs.
Tips from our surveys
Most of what helps is simple and safe from the ground. A few suggestions:
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Ask the agent to check the loft hatch can be opened
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, and the Premium Survey includes an in-person consultation. Whichever package you choose, you can ask us what a finding means.
Once you’ve moved in, keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, particularly after autumn. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.
What we’re asked to look at in Mildmay
Patch repairs are common on roofs of every age. Bitumen over flashings, mortar fillets in place of lead and odd replacement tiles can be signs that something has leaked before. We note what we see so you can ask about it.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
Controlled parking zones are common in London, so mention any permit rules for Mildmay, along with any off-street space.
Questions to ask before you book
- What experience they bring
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- When you’ll get the report
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
The survey, step by step
We’ll ask a few questions first, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. Then the inspection itself takes an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so in Mildmay we work round the house, using the street, the windows, the loft and any safe vantage point behind it. If other people live in the building, let us know who can let us into the shared parts.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- Inside, we check the roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Before we arrive
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Leave side gates unlocked
Arrange 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 what’s worrying you. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Related advice
Local roofs and buyers in Mildmay
If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Historic houses such as Sutton House, about 1.4 miles east, show how far back building in the area around Mildmay goes. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you own a rental within reach of Dalston Kingsland station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St Jude and St Paul, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Mildmay is about 1 mile north of Hoxton, in Greater London. Whether the building in Mildmay is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, the roof can be surveyed. Across Greater London, we cover Mildmay.
Surveys in N1, N16 and E8 are booked the same way as anywhere else. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Dove Road, Essex Road and Burma Road or anywhere close by, we can help. With the A1199 close by, Mildmay is easy for us to reach. If you’re just outside Mildmay, we cover Newington Green (1 mile north), De Beauvoir Town (1 mile south), Canonbury (1 mile south-west), Kingsland (1 mile south-east) and Highbury (1 mile west). Further out, we also cover London (3 miles south), City of Westminster (4 miles south-west), Marylebone (3 miles south-west), Kensington (6 miles south-west), Walthamstow (4 miles north-east) and Hampstead (4 miles west).
Local landmarks in Mildmay
In Mildmay, that means homes and buildings near City of London Academy Highbury Grove, Highbury Fields and Army and Navy pub, among other places. Mildmay has its own railway station: Dalston Kingsland station. A little further out are Clowns Gallery-Museum (0.6 miles south-east) and Hackney Walk (1.5 miles east). Not far away are Gillespie Park and Ludgate Hill.
Roof by roof
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead flashings seal the joints where a roof meets a wall or chimney. We look for lead that has lifted, split or been patched over.
Natural slate
Good slate is one of the longest-lasting roof coverings, yet the nails that fix it frequently give out first. When slates start to slip, corroded nails are often the reason.