Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in New Eltham, Greater London
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in New Eltham, with photographs and a written report.
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in New Eltham
Buying a home is a big commitment, and the roof is one of the costliest parts to put right. Our pre-purchase roof survey gives you a close look at it before you’re committed. We check the coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, and the loft space where it’s safe to get in. The findings come in a written report with photos. Common reasons to book are damp timbers or stains in the loft and bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs, on flat-roofed extensions and dormers, clay and concrete tiles and the roof space.
Homes across London range from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war blocks and new developments, so a property in New Eltham might be any of these. Whether you are buying or have just had a roof replaced, the details that cause trouble depend on the age of the building. Slates, hidden valley gutters, parapets and flat roofs over back additions all need checking in their own way.
What you get is a clear record of the roof on the day we saw it. It’s useful right away, and a good reference for later.
- Location
- New Eltham (SE9, DA15, BR7)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Height and safe access
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so the price reflects that. You’ll know the figure before booking.
Helping us price your survey
Some details help us suggest the right survey and price. When you contact us, let us know:
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
- What kind of property and roof it is
- What made you get in touch
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
Before and after the survey
Small things make a difference, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Some pointers:
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
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.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
Landlords, agents and block managers in New Eltham
Where a roof is shared: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Tell us about it when you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, with the report sent to whoever needs it. Access is agreed with the tenant beforehand.
Common roof problems in New Eltham
A chimney stack stands out in the wind and rain. 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 matters if work is needed.
A survey can pick up problems like:
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
If you live in an older home near All Saints Church, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
What to check before booking
- Are they insured for the work?
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- When you’ll get the report
- Whether you get a written report with photos
Nearby places to New Eltham
More services for New Eltham
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in New Eltham
If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. About 1.1 miles north-west lies Eltham Palace, a reminder of how long the area around New Eltham has been built on. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs.
New Eltham is in London, so parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day easier, as a space near the door cannot be promised. For landlords with property near New Eltham station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
New Eltham is about 1 mile south-east of Eltham, in Greater London. Bookings from New Eltham are handled just like any other: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. We cover towns and villages across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages. London is in our area too.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in SE9, DA15 and BR7 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We cover properties on Green Lane, Gerda Road and Novar Road. Other places close to New Eltham include Eltham (1 mile north-west), Longlands (1 mile south-east), Coldharbour (1 mile south-west), Avery Hill (1 mile north) and Blackfen (1 mile north-east). We also work in nearby towns like London (8 miles north-west), City of Westminster (11 miles north-west), Marylebone (11 miles north-west), Kensington (13 miles west), St Pancras (10 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (9 miles north-west).
Near you in New Eltham
Around New Eltham, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Elmstead Wood and St Thomas More Catholic Comprehensive School. New Eltham has its own railway station: New Eltham station. A little further out are Metropolitan Police Museum (1.4 miles east) and Eltham Community Hospital (1.1 miles north-west). Open spaces near New Eltham include Summer Hill and The Tarn.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in New Eltham
Can parking be tricky for a visit in New Eltham?
It depends on the street. If New Eltham has controlled parking where you are, a visitor permit is the easiest answer.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in New Eltham?
That depends on where the roof is and on 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. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day. Just say which days work for you.
Do I need to be at home?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We’ll talk about access when you book.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain is usually fine; heavy rain and wind are different. High wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, and we’d agree another day.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
It’s your choice, but the two do different jobs. A home survey looks at the whole property, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
Do you need access inside the house?
If it can be arranged, yes. From the loft space we can see staining, timbers and underlay. If access is not possible, we note it in the report.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t 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.
How it works
There is not much for you to do on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we will take it from there. The survey itself takes between one and two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so in New Eltham 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.
- 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.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Before we arrive
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Getting a price
When you are ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.