Kent · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Slutshole, Kent
Know where you stand with the roof before you spend money on it. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Slutshole, with photos and a clear written report.
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Slutshole
Slates and tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay that hold them. Good slate can last well over a century, yet the nails holding it rust and let slates slide. That kind of wear is common on older roofs and easy to miss from ground level.
Most people get in touch after spotting one of these:
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Blocked or leaking gutters
If you let a flat or house near Selling station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
What to check before booking
- What experience they bring
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- What insurance they carry
- What happens after the report arrives
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Slutshole
If you’re buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. Depending on the lease, roof repairs may fall to the building owner or a management company, with costs often passed on through the service charge. We check as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. If the building has a flat roof, we look at that too where access allows. Common reasons to book are standing water on a flat extension roof and cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing, on clay and concrete tiles, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and chimney stacks.
For a small place like Slutshole, the visit is planned like any other: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them when you book. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
Where we cannot see part of the roof, the report says so. That way, it’s clear what was covered and what wasn’t.
- Location
- Slutshole (ME13)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
There is plenty you can do without going near the roof. What helps most:
- Ask the agent to check the loft hatch can be opened
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
Once the home is yours, the report becomes a maintenance list. Work through the urgent items before anything else, and keep the photographs to compare against later. Premium comes with a follow-up after 12 months.
Keep the loft ventilated. Poor ventilation lets condensation build up, wetting timbers and insulation. Avoid packing insulation into the eaves so tightly that air can’t flow.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Slutshole
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Slutshole?
It can do. Within about 4 miles of the sea, as Slutshole is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
Do you cover smaller places like Slutshole?
Yes, Slutshole is covered. We survey roofs across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That way you can still act on what we find.
Does someone need to be in?
Not necessarily. If we only need the outside, we can agree that ahead of time, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Do you need access inside the house?
Where we can, yes. Inside, the loft shows leaks, damp timbers and the underlay. If we cannot get in, the report says so.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It complements one rather than replacing it.
What insurance do you have?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and details are available on request.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Slutshole
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, with the most urgent items set out first.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client, photographs included.
How it works
We check the roof from outside and, where it is relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the loft space too. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. The whole visit typically takes about one to two hours for most houses, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. For a village or hamlet like Slutshole, the journey is planned ahead of time: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from ground level and from vantage points.
- Inside, we check the roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
How to book
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. You’ll have a price before anything is arranged.
Read more
Should I look at the roof myself first?
A lot can be seen from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
It is useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us when booking, as it helps us focus the survey.
Roof by roof
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead-lined valleys and gutters are common on older homes in London and South East England. Worn or cracked lead lets water straight into the roof, and missing lead is not unknown, as it is a target for thieves.
Clay and concrete tiles
Clay and concrete tiles commonly last 50 years or more. Cracked, slipped or missing tiles are noted, and for mismatched replacements that point to past repairs.
Nearby places to Slutshole
Other services in Slutshole
Buying a home or a new roof in Slutshole
Slutshole lies within about 4 miles of the sea, and wind near the sea can be strong. A small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, so the weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead. If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
The streets around a church such as Church of St Michael are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Slutshole is about 3 miles east of Faversham, in Kent. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Slutshole can all book pre-purchase roof surveys. Across Kent, we cover Slutshole. For surveys nearby, see our Canterbury page.
All of ME13 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Hernhill (1 mile north-east), Staplestreet (1 mile south-west), Dargate (1 mile north-east), Goodnestone (1 mile north-west) and Culmers (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Ashford (12 miles south), Canterbury (6 miles east), Sittingbourne (10 miles west), Whitstable (5 miles north-east), Faversham (3 miles west) and Herne Bay (9 miles north-east).
What’s near Slutshole
Around Slutshole, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Red Lion pub and Mount Ephraim Gardens. For rail, the closest station is Selling station, about 2.1 miles south. Nearby you will also find Tower keep castle at Chilham (4.3 miles south) and Eastbridge Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr (5.5 miles east). Not far away are Blean Woods RSPB Reserve.