Greater London · London and the South East
Putney Vale Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Putney Vale, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
Pre-purchase roof survey in Putney Vale: what you get
Many older houses carry decades of roof repairs. Slates slip when their nails corrode, lead valleys and flashings wear, and chimney pointing crumbles. Little of that is easy to judge from the pavement on a viewing. We look closely and record what we see, with photos so you can see it for yourself. We explain each finding in plain English, so you know what it means for the house you’re buying. Common reasons to book are sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes and lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney, across chimney stacks, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and the roof space.
Many London homes have been converted into flats, extended at the back or given a loft conversion with a dormer. Each change adds roof details, like flat roofs, new flashings and junctions with the original slopes. If you are buying a flat or house in Putney Vale, or have just had new roofing work done, those junctions are often where problems start. Lead work around dormers and new flat roofs is easy to get wrong and easy to miss.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets. It records what’s sound as well as what isn’t.
- Location
- Putney Vale (SW15, KT2, SW19)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Putney Vale
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Putney Vale?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. Putney Vale is about 2 miles from the edge of the flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea. We check the exact boundary for the address before flying, and if the roof falls inside it, we ask for permission first. London’s airspace includes flight restriction zones around Heathrow, London City Airport and London Heliport, and restricted areas over Hyde Park, the City of London and the Isle of Dogs. Each address is checked against all of them before the drone goes up. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Putney Vale?
Parking in Putney Vale, as in most of London, takes a little planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day run more smoothly, so mention what’s available when you book.
What’s the best way to book?
Just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
How long will you be at the property?
The visit normally takes roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. We will give you an idea of timing when booking.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That gives you time to use the findings.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, like cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings.
Is your roof survey a RICS survey?
No. It’s a roof survey by an experienced roof surveyor, with a written report and photos. It isn’t a RICS survey and does not cover the rest of the house.
The survey, step by step
The visit has one job: to see as much of the roof as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Notes and photos go into the written report. It typically takes roughly 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. In a London area like Putney Vale, the main things to sort out are parking and access: tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space, which floor the property is on and how to get into the loft. We then look at whatever is safely visible from ground level, windows, the loft and, where it is safe, the roof itself.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you are buying.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- 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.
Getting ready for the survey
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Book a survey
Once you know what you need, call 07833 053749 or send us an email. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.
Read more
Why act early in Putney Vale
A seller may honestly not know the state of the roof. Their answers on the property forms only cover what they know about. An independent look tells you how the roof is now. In a London terrace or conversion, a roof defect rarely stays your problem alone: a blocked parapet gutter or slipped slate can let water into the flat below or the house next door. Finding it early keeps the work smaller.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where it applies, which starts from £400, inc. VAT. We will tell you which package suits the questions you have.
What you get with us
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Surveys seven days a week
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
What we can’t see
In fairness, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Asbestos testing of any kind
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
Tips from our surveys
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Check we will be able to get into the roof space
- Let us know your timetable
With Standard, you get a follow-up consultation, while Premium includes a consultation in person. Whichever package you choose, you can ask us what a finding means.
Keep the loft ventilated. Poor ventilation lets condensation build up, wetting timbers and insulation. Avoid packing insulation into the eaves so tightly that air cannot flow.
Places near Putney Vale
Also in Putney Vale
Local roofs and buyers in Putney Vale
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. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most. Putney Vale is about 2 miles from the edge of the flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea. If your survey includes the drone, the exact boundary is checked for the address first.
If you live in an older home near St John the Baptist, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are. As a London address, Putney Vale can be tricky for parking: tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space as you book, as a space near the door can’t be promised. Southside House, about 1.5 miles south-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Putney Vale. If you are buying an older home nearby, it is worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing.
Putney Vale is about 2 miles north-west of Wimbledon, in Greater London. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Putney Vale and the surrounding area. Our area takes in places right across Greater London. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in SW15, KT2 and SW19 are booked the same way as anywhere else. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Stag Lane, Friars Avenue and Kingston Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. Putney Vale sits on or near the A308, so getting to you is simple. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Kingston Vale (1 mile south), Coombe Hill (1 mile west), Coombe (1 mile south-west), Crooked Billet (1 mile south-east) and Copse Hill (1 mile south-east). Further out, we also cover London (8 miles north-east), City of Westminster (7 miles north-east), Marylebone (7 miles north-east), Kensington (5 miles north-east), St Pancras (9 miles north-east) and Shoreditch (10 miles north-east).
Landmarks near Putney Vale
In Putney Vale, that means homes and buildings near Robin Hood Primary School, Duke of Cambridge pub and Wimbledon Common and the streets around them. Putney Vale’s nearest station is Raynes Park station, roughly 2 miles south-east. Well-known places in the area include Wimbledon Windmill Museum (0.8 miles east) and Putney Exchange (2.5 miles north-east). Open spaces near Putney Vale include Kew Gardens Lake and Fishpond Wood and Beverley Meads.
What we look for on each type of roof
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’.
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead-lined valleys and gutters are common on older homes in London and South East England. Splits in a lead valley send water inside, and lead is also a target for theft.