Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Rainham, Greater London
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Rainham and the rest of Greater London. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Rainham
Our packages start with the Basic Survey from £150, with the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all with VAT included. Standard adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. Premium adds thermal imaging, a drone inspection where it applies and an in-person consultation. Pick the one that fits the property. Every package comes with a written report, photos and recommendations. If you’ve noticed flashings that have lifted or split and blistered or split felt on a flat roof, we can find out what’s behind it.
In London, a good many houses have been split into flats, extended or fitted with a dormer loft conversion. Each change adds roof details, such as flat roofs, new flashings and junctions with the original slopes. For a purchase in Rainham, or for new roofing work there, those junctions deserve a proper look. Lead work around dormers and new flat roofs is easy to get wrong and easy to miss.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent, whichever applies.
- Where
- Rainham (RM13)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
Prices vary from roof to roof, and it comes down to:
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- House, block, shop or office
- The roof’s overall size
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and the package you choose.
Booking your survey
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Anything about access we should know
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
Unsure which package suits your roof? It is easiest to ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll explain the options and the price.
For landlords and managing agents
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out in order of urgency where relevant, which helps with budgets and planning.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
The survey, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up as a report with photographs, emailed to you. As for time on site, it typically takes about 1–2 hours for most houses, or half a day or so for a commercial building. From the street, a London terrace usually shows only its front slope or parapet, so in Rainham we work round the house, using the street, the windows, the loft and any safe vantage point behind it. Shared stairs or a basement flat? Tell us who holds the keys.
- 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.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
How to prepare
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Let us know about parking near the property
Book a survey
We survey roofs seven days a week. To find a date that works for you, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
Why get it checked now?
Small roof defects let water in slowly. Damp can spread into timbers and ceilings before anyone sees a mark. Spotting it before you buy means you know about it from day one. Any roof job in Rainham means planning around parking, neighbours and access. That is a good reason to find problems early, while there is time to plan.
Every price we give includes VAT. Prices start from £150, including VAT. We confirm the exact price before booking.
Why book with us
- Over 20 years’ experience
- An independent view of the roof
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Packages from £150, including VAT
Read what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.
FAQs for Rainham
Are there drone restrictions around Rainham?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. 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. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions, including zones around airports and prisons. A small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Rainham?
In much of London, parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a bay close to the door helps a lot, so mention what’s available when booking.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years, across London and South East England.
Do you test for asbestos?
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.
Can I use the report to negotiate on price?
Yes, you can. The report sets out what we found, with photos, which you can share with the seller or agent. How the seller responds is up to them.
How quickly will I get the report?
That depends on which survey you choose: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Let us know your timetable as you book.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It can, depending on the survey. Drone flights need calm, dry weather, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. We will rearrange with you if the weather isn’t right.
Local roofs and buyers in Rainham
Further from the centre, London’s housing takes in interwar semis with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles as well as slate-roofed terraces. 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. With Rainham Hall about 0.2 miles west, Rainham sits in an area with a long building history. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof.
If you own a rental within reach of Rainham (Essex) station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it. Rainham is in London, so parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day easier, as a space near the door cannot be promised. If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Church of St Helen and St Giles, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Rainham is about 4 miles south of Romford, in Greater London. Bookings from Rainham are handled just like any other: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. Rainham is one of the towns and villages in Greater London we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. Our London page covers surveys nearby.
We cover every part of RM13 for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. Local streets include New Road, Ferry Lane and Wantz Lane, all of which we cover. Other places close to Rainham include South Hornchurch (1 mile north-west), Beam Park (1 mile west), Hornchurch Marshes (1 mile west), Dagenham Green (2 miles west) and Elm Park (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover London (13 miles west), City of Westminster (15 miles west), Marylebone (15 miles west), St Pancras (13 miles west), Shoreditch (12 miles west) and Walthamstow (11 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Rainham
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Harris Academy Rainham, The Chafford School and The Phoenix pub, among other places. Rainham has its own railway station: Rainham (Essex) station. Nearby you’ll also find St George's Hospital (2.3 miles north-east) and Erith Museum (2.6 miles south). Not far away are Ingrebourne Marshes.
What else we do in Rainham
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead-lined valleys and gutters are common on older homes in London and the South East. Worn or cracked lead lets water straight into the roof, and missing lead is not unknown, as it’s a target for thieves.
Gutters and parapets
Hidden gutters behind parapets send water indoors when they block. Where we can see them safely, we check the linings and outlets.
Useful tips for Rainham property owners
There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. What helps most:
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Ask for loft access on the day
If the report shows work is needed, you can raise it with the seller or agent. Some buyers ask for repairs before completion, others ask for a change to the price. The outcome is between you and the seller.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.