Kent · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Shepway, Kent
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Shepway, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photographs.
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
Questions from Shepway
Do you cover smaller places like Shepway?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
Is my home in Shepway 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.
When will the report arrive?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Let us know your exchange date and we’ll help you choose.
Do you go up on the roof?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where it applies.
How long will you be at the property?
It typically takes about one to two hours at most homes, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Are you insured?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
It is your choice, but the two do different jobs. A home survey looks at the whole property, and ours concentrates on the roof alone. Our survey complements a RICS survey and doesn’t replace one.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Shepway
Buying a flat brings its own roof questions. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that is often not the individual flat owner, with costs frequently passed on through the service charge. We inspect what access allows us to see safely, and the report gives you clear points to raise with your solicitor or the managing agent. Where the building has a flat roof, it’s checked as far as access allows. If you’re worried about bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs and lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on natural slate, clay and concrete tiles and flat-roofed extensions and dormers alike.
Smaller places like Shepway often have bungalows and cottages as well as houses, and many have been extended or had dormers added. Even on a low roof, dormers, valleys and flat-roofed additions need a careful look. The same goes for a purchase or a new roof around Shepway. Lead around a dormer and the edges of a flat roof are common places for snags and wear alike.
The report does not just list problems. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend, so you can plan your next steps.
- Place
- Shepway (ME15)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
Survey packages start from £150, with VAT included. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- House, block, shop or office
- The roof’s overall size
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
For a price for your roof in Shepway, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and some details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Booking your survey
Before you get in touch, it helps to have:
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
Once you know what you need, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
Buying a home or a new roof in Shepway
Older houses across Kent often have handmade clay or peg tiles, and many have tile-hung walls. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most. Stoneacre, about 1.4 miles east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Shepway. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof.
If you let a flat or house near Maidstone West station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer. For an older house near a landmark such as St Martin's Church, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Shepway is about 1 mile south-east of Maidstone, in Kent. In Shepway, as across Kent, every roof gets the same careful survey. Shepway is one of the towns and villages in Kent we cover.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in ME15 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We cover properties on Derby Road, Devon Road and Surrey Road. Other places close to Shepway include Willington (1 mile east), Park Wood (1 mile south), Otham (1 mile south-east), Maidstone (1 mile north-west) and Weavering (1 mile north-east). Larger places within reach include Sittingbourne (10 miles north-east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (15 miles south-west), Gravesend (14 miles north-west), Tonbridge (12 miles west), Faversham (15 miles east) and Northfleet (15 miles north-west).
Around Shepway
Around Shepway, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Mote Park, The Wheatsheaf pub and Senacre Technology College. The nearest railway station is Maidstone West station, roughly 1.7 miles north-west. Other landmarks nearby include KIMS hospital (2.2 miles north) and Allington Castle (3.1 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Detling Hill.
What you can safely check yourself
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground.
Tips from our surveys
Most of what helps is simple and safe from the ground. Our suggestions:
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
If you want quotes for the work, roofers can work from the report. They’ll see exactly what we found, and where, which makes quotes easier to compare.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.
How the survey works
After the inspection, everything we found is written up as a written report with photographs, emailed to you. As for time on site, it usually takes an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. A visit to a smaller place like Shepway is no different on the day: outside, inside and from any safe vantage point, in that order. It helps to show us anything you’ve already noticed.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- Access to the house and the roof space is agreed beforehand.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it is safe.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
Getting a price
To book a survey, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Why it is worth a survey now in Shepway
A mortgage valuation isn’t 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. In a smaller place like Shepway, wherever a roof is exposed, a loose ridge or flashing doesn’t stay loose for long. Wind gets under it and lifts more, and water follows.
One thing that affects the price is the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, with VAT included. The roof’s size, height and access matter as well.
Why book with us
- Plain-English reports with photos
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Surveys on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
See what a roof survey costs and our case studies.
Towns and villages near Shepway
Other services in Shepway
Roof by roof
Chimney stacks
Leaning stacks, loose pots and eroded mortar are common findings. We note them with photos so you can ask about them.
Lead flashings and valleys
Many older houses have lead in their valleys and hidden gutters. Worn or cracked lead lets water straight into the roof, and lead is also a target for theft.