Kent · London and the South East
Printstile Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Printstile, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. You get a clear report with photos.
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
Pre-purchase roof survey in Printstile
The best time to book is once your offer has been accepted and before you exchange contracts. At that point you can still ask questions, while you’re not yet committed. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when a sale is moving quickly. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. We survey lead flashings and valleys, chimney stacks and gutters and downpipes, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney and slates or tiles that have slipped or gone.
In a village or hamlet like Printstile, homes are frequently older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. Whether you’re buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
We write the report in plain English, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Each point is backed by a photo where possible, with the urgent items made clear.
- Location
- Printstile (TN3)
- Region
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the price in Printstile
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
A Basic Survey starts from £150, including VAT. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. You’ll know the exact price before booking.
Booking your survey
A little information up front helps. It’s useful to include:
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Printstile, call 07833 053749 or send us an email. Some details about the property and the roof help us give you an accurate price.
Also near Printstile
More services for Printstile
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work around your tenants.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Printstile. For a price for a let property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Before and after the survey
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Ask for loft access on the day
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
It’s worth sharing the report with your solicitor so they can raise enquiries with the seller’s side. It can prompt questions about past roof work and any paperwork for it.
Keep the loft ventilated. Poor ventilation lets condensation build up, wetting timbers and insulation. Avoid packing insulation into the eaves so tightly that air can’t flow.
How the survey works
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. Then the inspection itself takes about one to two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Rural addresses near Printstile can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from ground level and from vantage points.
- Inside, we check the roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
How to prepare
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
How to book
We confirm the price for your survey before you book, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Read more
Roof by roof
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, but the nails holding it corrode long before that. When slates start to slip, corroded nails are often the reason, and we note how widespread it looks.
Flat roofs
Flat roofs on extensions, dormers and garages are easy to forget about. Felt often lasts around 15 to 20 years, EPDM rubber 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30. We look for signs of age and failure.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Printstile
Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Whether you’re buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds. Historic houses such as Penshurst Place, about 1.4 miles west, show how far back building in the area around Printstile goes. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
For landlords with property near Leigh (Kent) station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Printstile is about 3 miles north-west of Royal Tunbridge Wells, in Kent. Printstile gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Printstile is one of the towns and villages in Kent we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. You can also see our page for Maidstone.
Surveys in TN3 are booked the same way as anywhere else. That includes homes and businesses on Penshurst Road and Barden Road. Being close to the B2176, Printstile is simple for us to get to for pre-purchase roof surveys. We also cover Bidborough (1 mile east), Speldhurst (1 mile south), Poundsbridge (1 mile south-west), Stockland Green (1 mile south-east) and Bullingstone (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (15 miles north-east), Sevenoaks (8 miles north), Royal Tunbridge Wells (3 miles south-east), Tonbridge (3 miles north-east), Kings Hill (11 miles north-east) and Paddock Wood (8 miles east).
Landmarks near Printstile
For rail, the closest station is Leigh (Kent) station, roughly 1.7 miles north of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Tonbridge Cottage Hospital (2.6 miles east) and The Milne Museum (3.2 miles north-east). Not far away are Barden Lake and Broadwater Warren RSPB Reserve.
Common questions in Printstile
How do I find out if my home in Printstile is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Is Printstile within the area you cover?
Yes, Printstile is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey seven days a week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Just tell us the days that suit you.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where applicable and safe. We fly a sub-250g drone and we are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). It’s included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where applicable, the Premium Survey.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That way you can still act on what we find, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
How quickly will I get the report?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email with photos included.
How experienced are you?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys.
What we’re asked to look at in Printstile
Flat roofs turn up on extensions, dormers, porches and garages. A felt roof often lasts around 15 to 20 years, and ponding, blisters and splits are common signs of age. They’re easy to overlook on a viewing, because many can only be seen from an upstairs window.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Parish Church of St Lawrence, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
What to check before booking
- What exactly goes into their report
- Their report turnaround times
- Whether the price includes VAT
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely