Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Seven Kings, Greater London
Get a clear view of the roof at a property in Seven Kings. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
Pre-purchase roof survey in Seven Kings: what you get
Tall, steep or hidden roofs are hard to judge from the street. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, plus a drone inspection where applicable, and the report arrives the same day. Where a flight is not possible, because of airspace rules or the weather, we tell you and inspect from every other safe vantage point. Common reasons to book are cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing and sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes, on natural slate, the roof space and chimney stacks.
London’s housing runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war estates and new blocks of flats, and a home in Seven Kings could be any of them. Whether you are buying or have just had a roof replaced, the details that cause trouble depend on the age of the building. Slates, hidden valley gutters, parapets and flat roofs over back additions all need checking in their own way.
What you get is a clear record of the roof on the day we saw it. It’s useful right away, and a good reference for later.
- Where
- Seven Kings (IG3, IG2, IG1)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What this survey cannot tell you
It helps to know what a survey will not do before you book:
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
What we look for on each type of roof
Natural slate
On a slate roof, the underlay may be old bitumen felt, or there may be none at all on very old roofs. Where we can see it from the loft, we say what condition it is in.
Clay and concrete tiles
Clay plain tiles are common on older South East homes, and some still have peg tiles. Rotten pegs let tiles slide.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Seven Kings: local notes
Alongside Victorian and Edwardian terraces, outer London has a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs of clay or concrete tiles. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new. If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
If you let a flat or house near Seven Kings station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. Valentines Mansion lies about 1.4 miles west, so building around Seven Kings goes back a long way. If you are buying an older home nearby, it is worth knowing whether it’s listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing.
Seven Kings is about 2 miles north of Barking, in Greater London. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Seven Kings can all book pre-purchase roof surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Our Greater London coverage includes Seven Kings. You can also see our page for London.
Every address in IG3, IG2 and IG1 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on New Road, Lynn Road and High Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Seven Kings is on the A118, so it’s easy for us to get to. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Newbury Park (1 mile north-west), Ilford (1 mile south-west), Gants Hill (1 mile north-west), Barkingside (1 mile north-west) and Cranbrook (1 mile west). Further out, we also cover London (10 miles south-west), City of Westminster (11 miles west), Marylebone (11 miles west), Kensington (14 miles west), St Pancras (10 miles west) and Shoreditch (8 miles west).
Around Seven Kings
We work in homes and buildings around Palmer Catholic Academy and South Park. There is a railway station in Seven Kings itself: Seven Kings station. Nearby you’ll also find The Brewery (3.6 miles east) and Redbridge Museum (1.2 miles south-west). The countryside around Seven Kings includes Hainault Lodge and Hollow Pond.
Why act early in Seven Kings
A mortgage valuation is not a roof survey. It looks at whether the property is suitable security for the loan, and it will not look closely at the roof. A roof survey is carried out for the buyer, and the report is written for you to use. 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.
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.
Why us?
- Plain-English reports with photos
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
See our cost guide and two real surveys.
Also near Seven Kings
Other services in Seven Kings
How the survey works
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the roof space if there is safe access. In total, it 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. In a London conversion, the way into the roof space is often from a communal landing or the top flat. If that applies to your building, it is useful to agree access with the neighbours or the managing agent first. Otherwise, the visit in Seven Kings runs like any other.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- 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.
How to prepare
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
- Leave side gates unlocked
Getting a price
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Related advice
Landlord and commercial surveys in Seven Kings
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as homeowners. A written report with photos gives you a clear record of the roof, useful for planning maintenance.
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. Recommendations are set out with the most urgent first where relevant.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Seven Kings
Is my home in Seven Kings listed or in a conservation area?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Is parking a problem for a survey in Seven Kings?
It can be, so it’s useful to tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space as you book. That way the visit can be planned around it.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. It is a roof survey by an experienced roof surveyor, and you get a written report with photos. It isn’t a RICS survey and doesn’t cover the rest of the house.
What insurance do you have?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
Will you climb onto the roof?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
It’s your choice, but the two do different jobs. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Our survey complements a RICS survey and does not replace one.
Common roof problems in Seven Kings
Most viewings never get near the roof. You see the rooms, not the slates. Fresh decoration can also cover the marks an old leak left behind, which is why buyers book a closer look before committing.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Blocked or leaking gutters
Take an older house close to St John the Evangelist: a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Questions to ask before booking
- When you will get the report
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone