Kent · London and the South East
Shorne Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Shorne, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Call or email for a price.
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Shorne
If you are buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that’s often not the individual flat owner. We look at as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. Where the building has a flat roof, it is checked as far as access allows. We are frequently asked to look into worn or lifted lead flashings and gaps where slates or tiles have come loose, on natural slate, chimney stacks and clay and concrete tiles.
Being in a small place like Shorne makes no difference to the inspection itself: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when you book. Whether you’re buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Visits can be booked on weekdays and at weekends.
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.
- Place
- Shorne (DA12)
- Region
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
When we price a survey, we consider:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package you pick makes a difference too. The price is always agreed first.
What to let us know when you contact us
There is no need for technical words. It is enough to let us know:
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- What made you get in touch
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
Unsure which package suits your roof? It is easiest to call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Before and after the survey
Nothing here needs a ladder. Our suggestions:
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Check we will be able to get into the loft space
We email the report to you, with photos of each finding. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Each defect is explained in plain words, with recommendations prioritised by urgency where relevant.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.
What we’re asked to look at in Shorne
Patch repairs are common on roofs of every age. Bitumen painted over a flashing, mortar where lead should be, or a few tiles that don’t match can be signs that something has leaked before. We note what we see so you can ask about it.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
For an older house near a landmark like Church of St Peter and St Paul, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- What they will not be able to tell you
Places near Shorne
What else we do in Shorne
What we do, step by step
A survey visit follows a simple order: we listen to what’s been worrying you, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find and record our findings for the written report. It normally takes an hour or two for most houses, and more on a big or complicated roof. Cottages and farmhouses around Shorne often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Getting ready for the survey
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Getting a price
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you’re ready.
Read more
Common questions in Shorne
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Shorne, take more of a battering?
Generally, yes: wind and salt air take more of a toll near the sea. Exposed details such as ridges, verges, flashings and metal fixings are the ones to watch, and Shorne is within about 3 miles of the coast.
Is Shorne within the area you cover?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and details are available on request.
Do you go up on the roof?
Only where it is safe. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the roof space.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. The report is most useful before exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
How long will you be at the property?
On site, it normally takes an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Do you use drones?
Yes, where it applies and safe. We are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where it applies.
Local roofs and buyers in Shorne
Shorne lies within about 3 miles of the sea, where wind off the sea can be strong. The weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead, as a small drone can’t fly safely in high wind or heavy rain. About 2.3 miles south-west lies Cobham College, a reminder of how long the area around Shorne has been built on. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
For landlords with property near Higham station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Shorne is about 2 miles south-east of Gravesend, in Kent. Shorne is one of many places we visit across Kent, for homes and businesses alike. Shorne is one of the places in Kent where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys. Our Maidstone page covers surveys nearby.
Here we cover the DA12 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Whether your property is on The Street, Cob Drive and Crown Green or anywhere close by, we can survey it. If you’re just outside Shorne, we cover Upper Ifield (1 mile west), Shorne Ridgeway (1 mile south), Higham (1 mile east), Thong (1 mile west) and Gadshill (1 mile east). We also work in nearby towns such as Maidstone (11 miles south), Sittingbourne (14 miles east), Dartford (9 miles west), Sevenoaks (14 miles south-west), Northfleet (4 miles west) and Swanley (11 miles west).
Local landmarks in Shorne
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Rose and Crown pub, Shorne Woods Country Park and Thamesview School, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Higham station, roughly 1.7 miles north-east. Other landmarks nearby include Gravesham Museum (3.2 miles north-west) and Gravesham Community Hospital (3.4 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Rede Common and Gad's Hill.
DIY checks: what’s safe
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.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
When you need someone else
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- A structural engineer’s report
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll recommend the right survey before you book. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Natural slate