Kent · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Nettlestead, Kent
We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Nettlestead and the rest of Kent. Surveys run on any day of the week.
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Nettlestead
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. At that point you can still ask questions, because nothing is binding yet. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when a sale is moving quickly. The report comes within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. If you’ve noticed blistered or split felt on a flat roof and slates or tiles that have slipped or gone, we can find out what’s behind it.
Somewhere as small as Nettlestead, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings frequently sit beside a few newer homes. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. Whether you are buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
Findings are set out part by part, from the coverings down to the gutters. It records what’s sound as well as what is not.
- Location
- Nettlestead (ME18)
- Region
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Should I look at the roof myself first?
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
Common questions in Nettlestead
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Nettlestead?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Do you cover Nettlestead?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Nettlestead as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
What’s the best way to book?
To book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price and agree a day with you.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We fly a sub-250g drone and we are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where applicable.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain doesn’t typically stop a survey, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so we’ll agree a new date if the weather is not suitable.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it isn’t a RICS home survey. It works alongside a home survey.
What we look for on each type of 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.
Gutters and parapets
Some older terraces have a butterfly roof with a central valley gutter. If yours does, we check that gutter and where it drains.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photographs included.
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out by urgency where it matters.
Buying a home or a new roof in Nettlestead
Historic houses such as Old Soar Manor, about 4.3 miles west, show how far back building in the area around Nettlestead goes. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
The streets around a church such as St Mary's Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Nettlestead is about 5 miles west of Maidstone, in Kent. Bookings from Nettlestead are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Across Kent, we cover Nettlestead and the places around it.
We survey roofs across ME18 for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Henrys Close, Glenleigh Road and Orchard Crescent or anywhere close by, we can survey it. We also cover the places around Nettlestead: Wateringbury (1 mile north-east), Red Hill (1 mile north-east), Teston (1 mile north-east), Nettlestead Green (1 mile south) and West Farleigh (2 miles east). We also work in nearby towns such as Maidstone (5 miles east), Sittingbourne (15 miles north-east), Sevenoaks (10 miles west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (10 miles south-west), Gravesend (13 miles north) and Tonbridge (7 miles south-west).
What’s near Nettlestead
Around Nettlestead, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Railway pub, among other places. Nettlestead has its own railway station: Wateringbury station. A little further out are Teapot Island (1.9 miles south) and Leybourne Castle (3.8 miles north).
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Nettlestead
Slates and tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay that hold them. Good slate can last well over a century, yet the nails holding it rust and let slates slide. That kind of wear is common on older roofs.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
If you let a flat or house near Wateringbury station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Before you book anyone
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- What happens after the report arrives
- Whether you get a written report with photos
Practical tips
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Some pointers:
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Mention any deadline when you get in touch
You may want to pass the report to your solicitor or conveyancer so they can raise enquiries with the seller’s side. It can prompt questions about past roof work and any paperwork for it, particularly where we’ve found patch repairs.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, particularly after autumn. Blocked gutters cause much of the damp we see. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.
Towns and villages near Nettlestead
Other services in Nettlestead
What we do, step by step
Every visit follows the same pattern: we listen to what’s been worrying you, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photographs as we go and record our findings for the written report. It normally takes between one and two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Somewhere like Nettlestead needs a little journey planning: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- 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.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
How to prepare
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Getting a price
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from the ground or a window; never climb up to get a better view. To send them or to book, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.