Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Southfields, Greater London
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Southfields, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
Why act early in Southfields
Once you exchange, the roof’s problems become yours. Before then, you can still ask questions, ask for work to be done or reconsider. Finding out later gives you the same facts, but too late to use them in the purchase. 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. Dealing with it early is far less disruptive.
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package matters as well. We’ll give you the figure before anything is booked.
Why us?
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Surveys on weekdays and at weekends
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Read what a roof survey costs or two real surveys.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Southfields
A RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey covers the whole building, and the roof is only one part of it. Our survey isn’t a RICS survey, and it doesn’t replace one. What it adds is a closer look at the roof alone, with photos and written recommendations you can act on. You can have both if you want the fullest picture. Common reasons to book are gaps where slates or tiles have come loose and lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney, across natural slate, clay and concrete tiles and lead flashings and valleys.
In a London terrace or conversion, the roof frequently joins the neighbours’ roofs and shares their stacks and gutters, with parapet walls and party-wall upstands marking where one roof ends and the next begins. For a purchase or a new roof in Southfields, that shapes what can be checked: only the parts we’re given access to and can see safely are inspected. If it is a flat, the lease normally sets out who is responsible for the roof.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Location
- Southfields (SW18, SW19, SW17)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Southfields homes and their roofs
Fulham Palace, about 1.9 miles north-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Southfields. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Welsh slate on Victorian and Edwardian terraces is a familiar sight across inner London. A butterfly roof with a central valley gutter, tucked behind a parapet wall, is common on these houses. In a house like that, shared stacks, party-wall upstands and lead flashings all need looking at as far as they can be seen. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new.
Southfields is in London, so parking needs planning: let us know about permits, visitor bays or off-street space as you book, as a space near the door cannot be promised. If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near St John the Divine, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Southfields is about 2 miles north-east of Wimbledon, in Greater London. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Southfields and nearby. Our area takes in places right across Greater London. You can also see our page for London.
We work across SW18, SW19 and SW17 for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. You will find streets such as Burr Road, Acuba Road and Mount Road. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Earlsfield (1 mile south-east), Wandsworth (1 mile north), Summerstown (1 mile south), Battersea (2 miles north-east) and Clapham Junction (2 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include London (6 miles north-east), City of Westminster (5 miles north), Marylebone (5 miles north), Kensington (4 miles north), St Pancras (6 miles north-east) and Shoreditch (7 miles north-east).
What’s near Southfields
In Southfields, that means homes and buildings near Old Sergeant pub, Southfields Academy and Wandsworth School and the streets around them. There is a railway station in Southfields itself: Earlsfield station. A little further out are Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (1 mile west) and Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum (1.2 miles south-west). Open spaces near Southfields include Henman Hill and Wandle Meadow Nature Park.
Southfields: your questions answered
Is drone flying allowed in Southfields?
Usually it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. The flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea covers Southfields, or comes right up to its edge. We ask the heliport for permission before flying there, and only fly if it’s given. London’s airspace includes flight restriction zones around Heathrow, London City Airport and London Heliport, and restricted areas over Hyde Park, the City of London and the Isle of Dogs. Every London address is checked against them before a flight. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Southfields?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Where it is safe, yes. Much of the inspection is done from the ground, from windows and from the loft space. The Premium Survey adds a drone inspection where it applies.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That gives you time to use the findings.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. For inside areas and the loft space, someone has to give us access, while outside access can be discussed as you book.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
It depends on the roof and how confident you want to be. A home survey may recommend further investigation of the roof, and our survey gives you that closer look. It does not stand in for a RICS survey.
How the survey works
We look at the roof from outside and, where it is relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the roof space too. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. All in, the survey normally takes an hour or two at a typical home, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. In Southfields, as in much of London, lots of properties are flats or terraces without side access, so the back of the roof is often seen from upstairs windows, from inside or, where a flight is allowed, from the air. Mention any building rules, key holders or managing agents as you book.
- Once your offer is accepted, you let us know the address and when you hope to exchange.
- 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 loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Check pets are kept safely away
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
Getting a price
For a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Southfields, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. The address, the type of property and what you need to know help us give you an accurate price.
Advice
Tips from our surveys
Small things make a difference, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Some pointers:
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. The photos show the defects and where they are, which makes quotes easier to compare.
Look in the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. Damp patches, daylight through the roof or water stains on timbers are worth noting. Take photos so you can show whoever looks at it.
Common roof problems in Southfields
Gutter problems often look minor from the street. Water spilling over a gutter soaks brickwork and can rot fascias and rafter ends. Valley and parapet gutters can overflow inside the house. They’re part of what we look at.
Things that frequently lead to a survey include:
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
If you let a flat or house near Earlsfield station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Questions to ask before you book
- What the survey won’t cover
- Whether VAT is added on top
- What exactly goes into their report
- How long the report takes to arrive
Places near Southfields
Other services in Southfields
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Southfields
Prices always include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- How many separate roofs there are, like extensions, dormers and garages
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before booking.
What we need to know
If you can, have these to hand when you contact us:
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Anything about access we should know
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or email us, let us know about the property and we will explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Southfields
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, with the most urgent items set out first.
With a portfolio of properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To discuss a number of properties, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.