Greater London · London and the South East
Northumberland Heath Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A careful look at the roof at your property in Northumberland Heath, and put it all in a photo-illustrated written report.
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
Pre-purchase roof survey in Northumberland Heath: what you get
A Basic Survey starts from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, including VAT. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check. Premium adds thermal imaging, a drone inspection where applicable and an in-person consultation. Choose the level that suits the home you are buying. Every package comes with a written report, photos and recommendations. If you’ve noticed cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing and slipped or missing slates and tiles, we can find out what’s behind it.
Homes across London range from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war blocks and new developments, so a property in Northumberland Heath 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. Slates, hidden valley gutters, parapets and flat roofs over back additions all need checking in their own way.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Northumberland Heath (DA8, DA7)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in Northumberland Heath
Is parking a problem for a survey in Northumberland Heath?
It rarely stops a survey, but it’s worth planning. Let us know what parking is available nearby, and the visit is planned around it.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Northumberland Heath?
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.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We survey seven days a week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Tell us which days suit you as you book.
How long will you be at the property?
The visit normally takes about 1–2 hours at most homes, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. We will give you an idea of timing as you book.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
Do you use drones?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. You will have photos and a written description of each defect, so you can raise them with the seller or their agent. We can’t promise how the seller will respond.
Local roofs and buyers in Northumberland Heath
Outer London has lots of Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Whether you’re buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds. Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
Controlled parking zones are common in London, so mention any permit rules for Northumberland Heath, along with any off-street space. Landlords with a home close to Barnehurst station may find that it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Northumberland Heath is about 3 miles north-west of Dartford, in Greater London. If you’re in Northumberland Heath, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: a call or an email, a price, then a date. We cover towns and villages across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for London.
Surveys in DA8 and DA7 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include Mill Road, Penda Road and Chalk Road, all of which we cover. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Bexley Riverside (1 mile south-east), Erith (1 mile north), Barnehurst (1 mile south), Belvedere (1 mile north-west) and Lessness Heath (1 mile north-west). Further out, we also cover London (11 miles west), City of Westminster (14 miles west), Marylebone (14 miles west), St Pancras (13 miles west), Shoreditch (11 miles west) and Walthamstow (11 miles north-west).
What’s near Northumberland Heath
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Trinity School, The Royal Oak pub and Braeburn Park and the streets around them. Northumberland Heath’s nearest station is Barnehurst station, roughly 0.6 miles south-west of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Erith Museum (0.7 miles north-east) and Erith and District Hospital (under half a mile north). For a walk, there’s Crossness Nature Reserve.
Checking the roof from ground level
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
You can learn a lot from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
For landlords and managing agents
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, ring 07833 053749 or email us with the addresses.
What a survey costs
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- How big the roof is
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
What we need to know
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- Anything about access we should know
- The property’s address and postcode
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
You can call us seven days a week. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Towns and villages near Northumberland Heath
Also in Northumberland Heath
Practical tips
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Mention any deadline when you get in touch
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, while Premium includes a consultation in person. Whichever package you choose, you can ask us what a finding means.
After strong winds, look at the roof from ground level. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Dealing with them early keeps water out.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Northumberland Heath?
Viewings rarely include a proper look at the roof. You see the rooms, not the slates. Fresh decoration can also cover the marks an old leak left behind, which is why buyers book a closer look before committing.
Common reasons to book include:
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
Historic houses such as Hall Place and Gardens, about 1.8 miles south, show how far back building around Northumberland Heath goes. Older homes in the area can come with listed status or conservation area rules, which affect re-roofing, so check with the council before you buy.
Questions to ask before booking
- What exactly goes into their report
- What experience they bring
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- How soon the report will arrive
The survey, step by step
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available, including by drone where it is applicable and the weather allows. A typical visit takes an hour or two for a house, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so a visit in Northumberland Heath 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.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the roof space is agreed beforehand.
- 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.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Booking a survey
When you are ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or email us. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.