Kent · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in South Alkham
Pre-purchase roof surveys across South Alkham, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
Different roofs, different checks
Flat roofs
Standing water, blisters, splits and tired upstands all point to wear. We check outlets too, since a blocked one leaves water sitting on the roof.
Chimney stacks
We inspect the outside of the stack, and it isn’t a flue or gas safety check. We’ll say if the flue needs a specialist.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in South Alkham
With a written roof report, you can go back to the seller or agent with specifics. You can ask about the roof’s history, ask for repairs before completion or rethink the price. We can’t say how a seller will respond, but you’ll be negotiating from a clear picture rather than a hunch. It can also help you decide whether the purchase is still right for you. We survey chimney stacks, clay and concrete tiles and natural slate, and people most often book us about gutters choked with leaves and moss and cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing.
In a village or hamlet like South Alkham, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Village roofs can be clay tile, slate, stone or even thatch on some older buildings. Whether you’re buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
You receive the findings by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Where
- South Alkham (CT15)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from ground level
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Don’t go up yourself.
Towns and villages near South Alkham
Other services in South Alkham
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in South Alkham
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- The size of the roof
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and the package you choose.
Getting in touch
We’ll normally ask about:
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Dates you’re working to, like exchange
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to call 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will explain the options and the price.
Leave it or get it looked at?
A seller may honestly not know the state of the roof. The forms they complete only show what they’re aware of. Our survey shows you the roof as it is today. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like South Alkham, driving rain gets into any weakness, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
To find out what your survey will cost, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know about the roof. We’ll confirm the figure before booking.
Why us?
- Prices that include VAT
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
Read what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
When you need someone else
It helps to know what a survey won’t do before booking:
- A structural engineer’s report
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll tell you before booking. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
What we do, step by step
Every roof is different, but as a rough guide the survey takes an hour or two for most houses, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. If you have questions on the day, just ask. Rural addresses near South Alkham can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you’re buying.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- 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
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Book a survey
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Local roofs and buyers in South Alkham
South Alkham is within about 2 miles of the coast, so there’s more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, and loose ridges, slates and tiles are the first to lift in a gale, which is worth knowing before you buy or pay for new work. Where the drone is part of the survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
Acrise Place lies about 3.5 miles west, so building around South Alkham goes back a long way. Buying a period property here means asking about the roof’s age and repairs, and about any listing or conservation area. Take an older house close to Church of St Anthony the Martyr: ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges. If you let a flat or house near Kearsney station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
South Alkham is about 4 miles west of Dover, in Kent. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in South Alkham for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings, with a written report and photographs every time. Our Kent coverage includes South Alkham and the places around it. There is also a page for Canterbury.
We work across CT15 for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on Meggett Lane and Alkham Valley Road. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Alkham (1 mile north-east), Drellingore (1 mile south-west), Chalksole Green (1 mile north), Ewell Minnis (1 mile north-east) and Wolverton (1 mile north-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Ashford (15 miles west), Canterbury (12 miles north-west), Dover (4 miles east), Folkestone (4 miles south-west), Deal (10 miles north-east) and Hythe (7 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in South Alkham
In South Alkham, that means homes and buildings near Sladden Wood and the streets around them. South Alkham’s nearest station is Kearsney station, about 2.8 miles north-east of the centre. A little further out are Folkestone Castle (3.2 miles south-west) and Crabble Corn Mill (3.1 miles east). Not far away are Dover Western Heights and Sugar Loaf Hill.
South Alkham: your questions answered
Is my home in South Alkham listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Is the coastal weather around South Alkham hard on roofs?
Often, yes. Within about 2 miles of the sea, as South Alkham is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends. To find a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
On site, it normally takes about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Report times depend on the package, from the same day for Premium to within 48 hours for Basic.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That gives you time to use the findings, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. You will have photos and a written description of each defect, which you can share with the seller or agent. How the seller responds is up to them.