Kent · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Old Hawkinge
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Old Hawkinge, with photos and a written report.
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Old Hawkinge
The roof is one of the most expensive parts of a home to repair, and one of the hardest for a buyer to see. A pre-purchase roof survey looks at it closely before you are tied in. We check the slates or tiles, the ridges and valleys, the flashings, the chimneys and the gutters, and the roof space where it’s safe to get in. You get a photo-illustrated written report. Typical surveys look at standing water on a flat extension roof and gutters choked with leaves and moss, on the roof space, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and natural slate.
Being in a small place like Old Hawkinge makes no difference to the inspection itself: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed ahead of time. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them as you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Whether you are buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
Where we can’t see part of the roof, the report says so. You will know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Place
- Old Hawkinge (CT18)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
For landlords and managing agents
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photographs included.
Letting agents and landlords in Old Hawkinge book surveys as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photos.
Honest limits
Before booking, it’s worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you before you book. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
What happens on the day
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings as a written report with photos, sent to you by email. As for time on site, most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours for most houses, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. Cottages and farmhouses around Old Hawkinge often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- 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.
Before we arrive
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
Getting a price
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Related advice
What affects the price in Old Hawkinge
Our packages start from £150, including VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
Price depends partly on the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, with VAT included. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
What to tell us when you get in touch
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
We survey roofs on any day of the week. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Old Hawkinge: your questions answered
Is my home in Old Hawkinge listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Old Hawkinge?
It can do. Old Hawkinge is within about 2 miles of the sea, and coastal roofs tend to see faster wear on metal parts and more wind lifting loose pieces.
How long does the survey visit take?
On site, it normally takes roughly 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, if the freeholder or managing agent agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Only where it is safe. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, across 20+ years of surveying roofs, and 98% of clients are satisfied.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not 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, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
Local roofs and buyers in Old Hawkinge
Old Hawkinge is within about 2 miles of the coast, where wind off the sea can be strong. The weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead, as a small drone cannot fly safely in high wind or heavy rain. Many older homes in Kent have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles held by pegs through two holes, and tile-hanging on their upper walls. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
Landlords with a home close to Folkestone Central station may find that a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in. For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St Michael, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges. Acrise Place lies about 2.7 miles north-west, so building around Old Hawkinge goes back a long way. When you buy an older home, the roof’s age, past repairs and any listing all affect what you might spend later.
Old Hawkinge is about 1 mile east of Hawkinge, in Kent. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Old Hawkinge. We cover towns and villages across Kent, large and small. We also survey roofs in Canterbury.
Here we cover the CT18 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We cover properties on Standen Lane and Church Hill and the roads around them. Other places close to Old Hawkinge include Hawkinge (1 mile west), Densole (2 miles north-west), Swingfield Minnis (2 miles north), Arpinge (2 miles west) and Selsted (3 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Ashford (14 miles west), Canterbury (12 miles north), Dover (5 miles east), Deal (11 miles north-east), Hythe (5 miles south-west) and Tower Hamlets (5 miles east).
What’s near Old Hawkinge
Typical jobs here are in homes near East Cliff and Warren Country Park and White Horse pub, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Folkestone Central station, about 2.3 miles south. Well-known places in the area include Folkestone Castle (1.6 miles south-west) and Royal Victoria Hospital (2.1 miles south). Open spaces near Old Hawkinge include Sugar Loaf Hill.
Also in Old Hawkinge
Why act early in Old Hawkinge
When a chain is moving fast, a roof survey can feel like one more delay. Weekend visits are available as well as weekdays, and the Premium Survey report arrives the same day, which helps it fit around your exchange date. In a place like Old Hawkinge, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. It is worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 with VAT included. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Old Hawkinge
- Every finding written up with photos
- An independent look at the roof
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and two real surveys.
How the survey changes by roof type
Natural slate
Good slate is one of the longest-lasting roof coverings, yet the nails that fix it frequently give out first. Slipped or missing slates are a sign of ‘nail fatigue’.
Flat roofs
Flat roofs on extensions, dormers and garages are easy to forget about. Felt frequently lasts around 15 to 20 years, EPDM rubber 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30. We check how the covering is wearing.