Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Netherne on-the-Hill
Not sure what state the roof is in? You can book a pre-purchase roof survey in Netherne on-the-Hill and across Greater London, with plain-English findings.
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
Pre-purchase roof survey in Netherne on-the-Hill: what you get
Many older houses carry decades of roof repairs. Corroded nails let slates slide, valley linings wear thin and chimney mortar erodes. Most of it can’t be seen from the street. We look closely and record what we see, with photos that show you exactly where. Each finding is explained in plain words, so it is clear what it means for your purchase. Typical surveys look at blocked or leaking gutters and old water stains in the roof space, across natural slate, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and chimney stacks.
London terraces and converted houses often share a roof line, chimney stacks and gutters with the house next door. That matters for anyone buying in Netherne on-the-Hill or checking a new roof there: we inspect what we’re given access to and can see safely, which may not include a neighbour’s side. For a flat, the lease typically says who looks after the roof.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Where
- Netherne on-the-Hill (CR5)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in Netherne on-the-Hill
Is my home in Netherne on-the-Hill listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It’s worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Netherne on-the-Hill?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. 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. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. A small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
What if it rains on the day?
It depends on the weather and the survey. High wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, and we’d agree another day.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
How quickly will I get the report?
That depends on which survey you choose: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Tell us your exchange date and we will help you choose.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Only where it’s safe. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the loft space.
Can I use the report to negotiate on price?
Yes. You might ask for work to be done, ask questions or ask for a change to the price. What the seller agrees to is their decision, so we cannot promise any saving.
Common roof problems in Netherne on-the-Hill
Buildings put up or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. Cement roof sheets, soffits and flue pipes are typical places to find it. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys, but our report flags materials that could contain it so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before anything is disturbed.
We are often asked to look at:
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
If you live in an older home near Church of St Margaret, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Questions to ask before booking
- What exactly goes into their report
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
More services for Netherne on-the-Hill
Practical tips
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Let us know your exchange date as you book
- Check we’ll be able to get into the loft space
If you want quotes for the work, roofers can work from the report. The photos show the defects and where they are, which makes quotes easier to compare.
Check the roof from the garden and the street after a storm. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Dealing with them early keeps water out.
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Netherne on-the-Hill
All our prices include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Roof area
- Building height and the viewpoints available
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can safely be seen and which survey you book.
Helping us price your survey
When you call or email, these details help:
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
A quick phone call is typically the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Local roofs and buyers in Netherne on-the-Hill
In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. Hips, bay roofs and later loft conversions are typical of those semis, if your home is one of them. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds. Older buildings may be listed or sit in a conservation area. Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the council can say whether a street is in a conservation area. Re-roofing in different materials may need permission there.
Parking in Netherne on-the-Hill, as in most of London, takes a little planning: let us know about parking bays, permits or a driveway when you book. If you let a flat or house near Coulsdon South station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Netherne on-the-Hill is about 2 miles south of Coulsdon, in Greater London. Netherne on-the-Hill is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and South East England. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, large and small. We also survey roofs in Crawley.
Here we cover the CR5 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We cover properties on The Village Square, Rookery Mead and Netherne Lane. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Hooley (1 mile west), Merstham (2 miles south), Chaldon (2 miles south-east), South Merstham (2 miles south) and Gatton (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover London (14 miles north), City of Westminster (15 miles north), Kensington (15 miles north), Brompton (14 miles north), Stockwell (12 miles north) and Orpington (12 miles north-east).
Around Netherne on-the-Hill
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Shabden Park and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Coulsdon South station, roughly 1.6 miles north. A little further out are The Belfry (3.8 miles south) and East Surrey Museum (2.9 miles east). Not far away are South London Downs National Nature Reserve and Colley Hill.
Roof by roof
Flat roofs
Repeated coatings on a flat roof can mask what’s underneath. We say when the covering would need opening up to know more.
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.
The survey, step by step
Every visit follows the same pattern: we listen to what’s been worrying you, inspect the roof from every safe vantage point, photograph what we find and make notes for the report. It normally takes between one and two hours at a typical home, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. In Netherne on-the-Hill, visits are available on weekdays and at weekends. It helps if you can point us to a visitor permit or a nearby bay. Upstairs rooms at the back are useful too, as they often give the best view of a rear addition.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- We check the roof from ground level, from windows, from the loft 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
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
Arrange a survey
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
What we can’t see
Every survey has limits, and it is better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll suggest the right survey before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks