Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Millbank, Greater London
Get a clear view of the roof at a property in Millbank from an independent roof surveyor. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
Pre-purchase roof survey in Millbank: what you get
Our packages start with the Basic Survey from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. Standard adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. Premium adds thermal imaging, a drone inspection where applicable and an in-person consultation. Choose the level that suits the home you are buying. Every package comes with a written report, photos and recommendations. If you’re worried about gutters that overflow or drip at the joints and standing water on a flat extension roof, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
London terraces and converted houses often share a roof line, chimney stacks and gutters with the house next door, with parapet walls and party-wall upstands marking where one roof ends and the next begins. That matters for anyone buying in Millbank or checking a new roof there: only the parts we’re given access to and can see safely are inspected. For a flat, the lease typically says who looks after the roof.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Millbank (SW1P, W1J, SW1V)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Millbank questions
Is parking a problem for a survey in Millbank?
It can be, so it helps to let us know about permits, visitor bays or off-street space when you book. That way the visit can be planned around it.
Are there drone restrictions around Millbank?
Normally it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. The flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea comes within about 1 mile of Millbank. The exact boundary is checked for each address before any flight, and a roof inside it needs permission before we fly. Millbank is about 2 miles from the restricted area over Hyde Park, where drone flights need permission from NATS. If a roof falls inside it, we apply for permission before flying, and the flight only goes ahead if it’s granted. 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. Every London address is checked against them before a flight. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather, and the rest of the survey does not depend on the drone.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, like cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That way you can still act on what we find, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
When will the report arrive?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. Reports are emailed, with photographs.
Does someone need to be in?
Someone needs to let us in if we’re looking inside or in the loft. Access is agreed with you when you book.
Are you insured?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability.
What happens if roof problems are left?
Plenty of buyers go ahead anyway, but with their eyes open. The report shows what needs doing first, so you can plan work before small faults get bigger. Behind a London parapet, a blocked gutter can sit full of water without anyone seeing it. By the time a ceiling stains, the timbers underneath may have been wet for a while.
All our prices include VAT. Prices start from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the exact price before booking.
Why us?
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Package prices that include VAT
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Local roofs and buyers in Millbank
With Clarence House about 0.4 miles north-west, Millbank sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Many homes in inner London are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, often with Welsh slate roofs. From the street you may see only a parapet, with a butterfly roof and a valley gutter behind it draining to the back. In a house like that, shared stacks, party-wall upstands and lead flashings all need looking at as far as they can be seen. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new.
If you let a flat or house near London Victoria station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. Millbank is in London, so parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day easier.
Millbank is about 1 mile south-east of City of Westminster, in Greater London. Anywhere in Millbank, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. We cover towns and villages across Greater London, large and small.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: SW1P, W1J and SW1V. Local streets include Eaton Lane, Wilton Road and Castle Lane. Millbank is on the A4 and A202, so it’s easy for us to get to. We also cover Westminster (1 mile north), Victoria (1 mile south-west), Pimlico (1 mile south), Vauxhall (1 mile south-east) and Lambeth (1 mile south-east). We also work in nearby towns like Kensington (3 miles west), Shoreditch (3 miles north-east), Walthamstow (8 miles north-east), Hoxton (3 miles north-east), Whitechapel (3 miles north-east) and Hampstead (4 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Millbank
In Millbank, that means homes and buildings near Blewcoat School, St Matthew's School and London Library and the streets around them. Nearby too are St James's Park (within half a mile north) and Grafton Arms (within half a mile south). The nearest railway station is London Victoria station, about 0.6 miles south-west of the centre. A little further out are Westminster Hospital (less than half a mile east) and Kingly Court (0.9 miles north). Not far away are St. James's Park Lake and Ludgate Hill.
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney stacks
Chimney stacks take the brunt of the weather. We check the pots, the flaunching, the pointing and the flashings, as far as we can see them safely.
Lead flashings and valleys
Many leaks start at a flashing, so we check each one closely. We photograph any that need work.
How the survey works
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey typically takes about one to two hours for most houses, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. In a London area like Millbank, the main things to sort out are parking and access: tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space, which floor the property is on and how to get into the loft. We then look at whatever is safely visible from ground level, windows, the loft and, where it is safe, the roof itself.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Before the survey
- Leave side gates unlocked
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
How to book
Not sure which survey you need? It’s easiest to ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Related advice
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Millbank
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.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Old water stains in the loft space
If you live in an older home near Christ Church, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- What insurance they carry
- Which limits apply to the survey
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
No survey can tell you everything, and it’s better to know them up front. Keep these in mind:
- The condition of the rest of the house (that is a RICS home survey)
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Natural slate
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
Nearby places to Millbank
More services for Millbank
Can I check my roof myself?
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That part is for a survey.
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.