Greater London · London and the South East
Northfields Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Northfields, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Old water stains in the loft space
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Northfields
Older homes often have roofs that have been patched over the years. Slates slip when their nails corrode, lead valleys and flashings wear, and chimney pointing crumbles. Most of it cannot be seen from the street. Our survey picks it out, with photographs that show you exactly where. Each finding is explained in plain words, so it’s clear what it means for your purchase. If you’re worried about gaps where slates or tiles have come loose and a ridge or slope that dips, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Many London homes have been converted into flats, extended at the back or given a loft conversion with a dormer. Every alteration brings new junctions, flashings and flat-roof areas to look at. If you’re buying a flat or house in Northfields, or have just had new roofing work done, those junctions are frequently where problems start. Dormer cheeks, lead work and new flat roofs are worth checking closely, as faults there are easy to miss.
The report records the roof as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, for example when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Place
- Northfields (W5, W13, TW8)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens on the day
A survey visit follows a simple order: we hear what you’ve seen, inspect the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find and record our findings for the written report. Most visits take about one to two hours for most houses, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. Surveys in Northfields can be booked for any day of the week. London parking is often by permit or pay-and-display, so it helps to know what’s near you. A back bedroom window can be the best vantage point for a rear addition, so we may ask to use one.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it is safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Getting a price
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know where you stand. Our price is from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Advice
Why get it checked now?
A mortgage valuation isn’t a roof survey. Its job is to check the property’s value for the mortgage, not at the condition of each slate and flashing. A roof survey is carried out for the buyer, and the report is written for you to use. Any roof job in Northfields means planning around parking, neighbours and access. That is a good reason to find problems early, while there’s time to plan, rather than in a rush after a leak.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why book with us
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- Visits on any day of the week
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- Over 20 years’ experience
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
Common questions in Northfields
How do I find out if my home in Northfields is listed?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Are there drone restrictions around Northfields?
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. Every London address is checked against them before a flight. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions, including zones around airports and prisons. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Light rain does not typically stop a survey, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Strong wind or heavy rain can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so we will agree a new date if the weather is not suitable.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning, with the building owner or managing agent. Tell us about it when booking and we will explain what’s needed.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling are not something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it’s disturbed.
How many surveys have you done?
We’ve been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have completed over 5,000 surveys.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability.
Buying a home or a new roof in Northfields
With Boston Manor about 0.5 miles south, Northfields sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead. If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
If you own a rental within reach of Brentford station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer. Controlled parking zones are common in London, so mention any permit rules for Northfields.
Northfields is about 1 mile south of Ealing, in Greater London. We cover Northfields and the rest of Greater London. We cover towns and villages across Greater London. You can also see our page for London.
All of W5, W13 and TW8 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys. Whether your property is on Burns Road, South Road and Elers Road or anywhere close by, we can help. Being close to the A3002, Northfields is easy for us to reach. We also cover Brentford (1 mile south-east), Gillette Corner (1 mile south-west), Brentford End (1 mile south), Osterley (2 miles south-west) and Spring Grove (2 miles south-west). We also work in nearby towns like London (9 miles east), City of Westminster (7 miles east), Marylebone (7 miles east), Kensington (5 miles east), St Pancras (9 miles east) and Shoreditch (10 miles east).
Local landmarks in Northfields
We work in homes and buildings around Ealing Fields High School, Great Ealing School and Ealing Park Tavern, among other places. Nearby too are Library for Iranian Studies (1.8 miles east) and Lammas Park (within half a mile north). Northfields’s nearest station is Brentford station, roughly 0.8 miles south of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Gunnersbury Park House - Large Mansion (1.2 miles east) and Treaty Centre (3 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Middle Lake and Long Wood.
Practical tips
There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. Here’s what helps most:
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Let us know your timetable
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
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 ground level are enough for a first look.
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
For landlords and managing agents
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Tell us about it when you book and we will plan the survey around it.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
Also near Northfields
What else we do in Northfields
DIY checks: what’s safe
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us as you book, as it helps us focus the survey.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.