Kent · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Ripple
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Ripple from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. Over 5,000 surveys and 20+ years behind us.
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
Pre-purchase roof survey in Ripple: what you get
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. At that point you can still ask questions, because nothing is binding yet. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when a sale is moving quickly. The report comes within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Typical surveys look at chimney mortar that has eroded and lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney, on clay and concrete tiles, the roof space and flat-roofed extensions and dormers.
Some older homes in villages like Ripple are listed or sit in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. Whether you’re buying or signing off new roofing, it’s worth knowing where you stand. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
The written findings come by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Where
- Ripple (CT14)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we’re asked to look at in Ripple
Rear extensions, dormers and garages frequently have flat roofs. Felt flat roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, and standing water, blisters and splits are typical signs of ageing. They’re easy to overlook on a viewing, because many can only be seen from an upstairs window.
Common reasons to book include:
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
If you own a rental within reach of Walmer station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Their insurance cover
Questions from Ripple
Will you come out to Ripple?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
How do I find out if my home in Ripple is listed?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
On site, it typically takes about 1–2 hours for a house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
How do I book a survey in Ripple?
It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or send us an email. Tell us the address and a little about the roof, and we’ll take it from there. We survey seven days a week.
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 photographs.
Are you insured?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
Does someone need to be in?
Someone needs to let us in if we’re looking inside or in the loft. We will talk about access when booking.
What you can safely check yourself
A lot can be seen from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Do not go up yourself.
How the survey works
We work from the outside in: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the roof space where it can be reached. In total, it takes between one and two hours for most houses, and more on a big or complicated roof. Somewhere as small as Ripple, access is often the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you’re 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.
Before we arrive
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Booking a survey
We confirm the price for your survey before you book, so you know where you stand. Prices start from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Related advice
When you need someone else
A survey is a careful look at the roof, but it can’t do everything. Its limits include:
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll suggest the right survey. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roof types and parts we check
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
Roof by roof
Clay and concrete tiles
Older homes in the South East often have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles on some. Where pegs have rotted, tiles can slip.
Chimney stacks
We inspect the outside of the stack, and it isn’t a flue or gas safety check. If a flue needs testing, we’ll suggest who to ask.
Other services in Ripple
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Ripple
Ripple is within about 3 miles of the coast, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Corroded clips and nails and lifted ridge pieces are typical of exposed roofs near the sea, which is worth knowing before you buy or pay for new work. About 1.9 miles east lies Walmer Castle, a reminder of how long the area around Ripple has been built on. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Take an older house close to Church of St Mary the Virgin: ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs frequently have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Ripple is about 2 miles south-west of Deal, in Kent. We survey roofs in Ripple and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Ripple is one of the towns and villages in Kent we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. There’s also a page for Canterbury.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in CT14 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on Mongeham Road, Sunnyside Close and Sutton Lane and the roads around them. If you are just outside Ripple, we cover Great Mongeham (1 mile north), Mill Hill (1 mile north-east), Northbourne (2 miles north-west), Sholden Meadows (2 miles north) and Sholden (2 miles north-east). We also work in nearby towns like Canterbury (13 miles north-west), Margate (12 miles north), Dover (5 miles south-west), Folkestone (12 miles south-west), Ramsgate (10 miles north) and Broadstairs (12 miles north).
What’s near Ripple
Around Ripple, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Goodwin Academy, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Walmer station, about 1.1 miles east. Well-known places in the area include Royal Victoria Hospital (5.5 miles south-west) and Kent Museum of the Moving Image (2.4 miles north-east).
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, all inc. VAT. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Getting in touch
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- The property’s address and postcode
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
To book a survey, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price before booking.