Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in North End, Greater London
We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in North End and the rest of Greater London. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Old water stains in the roof space
FAQs for North End
Can you fly a drone over a roof in North End?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions 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. Every London address is checked against them before a flight. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. A small drone can’t fly safely in high wind or heavy rain.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in North End?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
How soon is the report ready?
Premium reports arrive the same day, Standard reports within 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email, with photographs.
What insurance do you have?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling aren’t something we do. Where a material might contain it, like old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it’s disturbed.
How do I book a survey in North End?
Just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are frequently shared, so whoever owns or manages the building needs to agree access. We inspect only the parts we are allowed to reach.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in North End
Some roofs can’t be seen well from ground level or from windows. Our Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and, where it applies, a drone inspection, and the report arrives the same day. If airspace rules or the weather rule out a flight, we’ll say so and look from the ground, windows and the loft instead. We survey flat-roofed extensions and dormers, chimney stacks and clay and concrete tiles, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs and blocked or leaking gutters.
London’s housing runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war estates and new blocks of flats, so a property in North End might be any of these. Whether the roof is old or newly laid, the problem areas depend on how and when the building went up. Slate roofs, butterfly valleys, parapet gutters and flat-roofed rear additions each have their own weak points.
The report is written in plain words, so you don’t need to be a roofer to follow it. Photographs show what each point refers to, and recommendations are put by urgency where it matters.
- Where
- North End (DA8, DA1, DA7)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Also near North End
More services for North End
What we do, step by step
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect everything that’s safely in view, and if part of the roof cannot be seen, the report says so. The survey typically takes between one and two hours for a house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so a visit in North End moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. If other people live in the building, let us know who can let us into the shared parts.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you are buying.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- 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.
How to prepare
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
Booking a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Related advice
Tips that help
You don’t need to be a roofer to help. Here’s what helps most:
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Share the report with your solicitor
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Book once your offer is accepted
Your report arrives by email, with photos of what we found. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Findings are set out in plain English, with recommendations prioritised by urgency where relevant.
After strong winds, look at the roof from the ground. Slipped slates, lifted ridge tiles and debris on the ground are signs to act on. Dealing with them early keeps water out.
What this survey can’t tell you
Every survey has limits, and it’s better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll point you to the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in North End
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
Roof by roof
Natural slate
On a slate roof, the underlay may be old bitumen felt, or there may be none at all on very old roofs. Where we can see it from the loft, we say what condition it’s in.
Flat roofs
Many homes have a flat roof somewhere, often over an extension. Felt roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, rubber longer and GRP up to about 30. We look for signs of age and failure.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in North End
If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. Hall Place and Gardens, about 2 miles south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around North End. 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.
Landlords with a home close to Slade Green station may find that it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it. If your house is among the older ones in the streets near St. Augustine's Church, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges. For a London address like North End, it helps to know about controlled parking before the day.
North End is about 2 miles north-west of Dartford, in Greater London. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in North End and nearby. North End is one of the towns and villages in Greater London where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys. London is in our area too.
Surveys in DA8, DA1 and DA7 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on Oak Road, Elm Road and Moat Lane and the roads around them. If you’re just outside North End, we cover Slade Green (1 mile east), Barnes Cray (1 mile south), Bexley Riverside (1 mile west), Barnehurst (1 mile west) and Northumberland Heath (1 mile west). We also work in nearby towns like London (13 miles west), City of Westminster (15 miles west), Marylebone (15 miles west), St Pancras (14 miles west), Shoreditch (12 miles west) and Walthamstow (13 miles north-west).
Around North End
In North End, that means homes and buildings near Railway Tavern, Braeburn Park and Haberdashers' Aske's Crayford Academy. There’s a railway station in North End itself: Slade Green station. A little further out are Erith Museum (1.2 miles north-west) and Erith and District Hospital (1.4 miles north-west). The countryside around North End includes Wansunt Pit.
Why it is worth a survey now in North End
Once you exchange, the roof’s problems become yours. Before then, you can still ask questions, ask for work to be done or reconsider. A survey after you’ve moved in tells you the same things, but with far less room to act on them. Many older London roofs have only old felt under the slates, or no underlay at all, so once the slates or flashings let water past, little stops it reaching ceilings. Left unchecked, water soaks into timber and plaster and the damage spreads.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, which starts from £400, with VAT included. We can help you choose the package that fits what you’d like to know.
Why book with us
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Prices that include VAT
Take a look at our cost guide and our case studies.
Surveys for landlords and agents in North End
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photos included.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, putting the urgent items at the top.