Kent · London and the South East
Southfleet Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A careful look at the roof at your property in Southfleet, and put it all in a report with photographs.
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
Pre-purchase roof survey in Southfleet: what you get
Buying a home is a big commitment, and the roof is one of the costliest parts to put right. Our pre-purchase roof survey gives you a careful look at it before you are committed. We check the slates or tiles, the ridges and valleys, the flashings, the chimneys and the gutters, plus the loft where there is safe access. The findings come in a written report with photos. Typical surveys look at signs of past leaks inside the loft and blocked or leaking gutters, on lead flashings and valleys, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and the roof space.
In a village or hamlet like Southfleet, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. 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. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Southfleet (DA13)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available. Most surveys take between one and two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Somewhere like Southfleet needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- 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.
Before the survey
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Note where any stains or damp appear
Booking a survey
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Read more
What we are asked to look at in Southfleet
Gutter problems often look minor from the street. Overflowing water soaks walls and can rot the timber behind. Hidden gutters behind parapets or in roof valleys can send water indoors. We check them as part of the survey.
We’re often asked to look at:
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Blocked or leaking gutters
For landlords with property near Longfield station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
What to check before booking
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Is VAT included in the price?
- What exactly goes into their report
Before and after the survey
You do not need to be a roofer to help. What helps most:
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Request records of any re-roofing
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, while Premium includes a consultation in person. Whichever package you choose, you can ask us what a finding means.
Every so frequently, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Watch for stains, damp timbers and chinks of daylight. Take photos so you can show whoever looks at it.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Southfleet: local notes
Southfleet lies within about 4 miles of the sea, and wind near 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 strong wind or heavy rain. Historic houses such as Cobham College, about 3.6 miles south-east, show how far back building in the area around Southfleet goes. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you live in an older home near Church of St Nicholas, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Southfleet is about 2 miles south-west of Northfleet, in Kent. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Southfleet and the surrounding area. Our area takes in places right across Kent. Our Maidstone page covers surveys nearby.
We cover every part of DA13 for pre-purchase roof surveys. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on Red Street, Gloxinia Road and Brakefield Road. We also cover the places around Southfleet: Hook Green (1 mile south-west), Northfleet Green (1 mile east), Betsham (1 mile north-west), Painters Ash (1 mile north-east) and Springhead (1 mile north). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (13 miles south-east), Dartford (5 miles north-west), Sevenoaks (11 miles south-west), Gravesend (3 miles north-east), Tonbridge (15 miles south) and Swanley (7 miles west).
Near you in Southfleet
We work in homes and buildings around Northfleet School for Girls, Black Lion pub and Longfield Chalk Bank and the streets around them. The closest station to Southfleet is Longfield station, about 1.5 miles south-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Gravesham Community Hospital (2.7 miles north-east) and Bluewater (2.9 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Sawyers Lake.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Small roof defects let water in slowly. By the time a stain shows, timber or plaster may already be damp. Finding the cause at the survey stage means you know about it from day one. Around Southfleet, older homes frequently have old roof timbers, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it is left.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Southfleet
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- An independent view of the roof
- 98% customer satisfaction
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or our case studies.
What we cannot see
It helps to know what a survey will not do before you book:
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will suggest the right survey. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- The roof space
Southfleet: your questions answered
Is the coastal weather around Southfleet hard on roofs?
Often, yes. Within about 4 miles of the sea, as Southfleet is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Southfleet?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
How long will you be at the property?
The visit typically takes between one and two hours at a typical home, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. We’ll confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
Do you need to go inside the property?
Ideally, yes. The loft tells us a lot about the roof, and views from upper windows help too. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
Does someone need to be in?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. Access is agreed with you when you book.
Are you insured?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. You’ll have photos and a written description of each defect, which you can share with the seller or agent. We cannot promise how the seller will respond.
Also near Southfleet
What else we do in Southfleet
What we look for on each type of roof
Gutters and parapets
Some older terraces have a butterfly roof with a central valley gutter. If the home you’re buying has one, that gutter and its outlet get a careful look.
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, but the nails holding it corrode long before that. Slipped or missing slates are a sign of ‘nail fatigue’, and we note how widespread it looks.