Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in St Giles
Know where you stand with the roof before you spend money on it. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in St Giles, with photos and a clear written report.
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Flashings that have lifted or split
When you need someone else
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- The condition of the rest of the house (that is a RICS home survey)
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in St Giles
A RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey covers the whole building, so the roof is one item among many. Our survey is not 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. Typical surveys look at a ridge or slope that dips and ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof, across gutters and downpipes, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and the roof space.
London terraces and converted houses often share a roof line, chimney stacks and gutters with the house next door. For a purchase or a new roof in St Giles, that shapes what can be checked: we inspect what we are given access to and can see safely, which may not include a neighbour’s side. For a flat, the lease usually says who looks after the roof.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Where
- St Giles (W1F, W1D, W1T)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Pre-purchase roof surveys around St Giles
Welsh slate on Victorian and Edwardian terraces is a familiar sight across inner London. Many have butterfly roofs draining to a central valley gutter, with parapet walls and gutters hidden behind them. In a house like that, shared stacks, party-wall upstands and lead flashings all need looking at as far as they can be seen. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most. The wider area around St Giles has a long history of building, with Benjamin Franklin House about 0.5 miles south. 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 Tottenham Court Road station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. The streets around a church such as Soho Baptist Chapel are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are. Parking in St Giles, as in most of London, takes a little planning: let us know about parking bays, permits or a driveway when you book.
St Giles is about 1 mile east of City of Westminster, in Greater London. We visit St Giles as part of our work across Greater London, for homes and businesses alike. St Giles is one of the places in Greater London where we work.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in W1F, W1D and W1T are booked the same way as anywhere else. We cover properties on Duck Lane, Drury Lane and Bridle Lane and the roads around them. Main roads around St Giles include the A301 and A400. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Seven Dials (1 mile south), West End (1 mile south-west), Soho (1 mile south-west), Covent Garden (1 mile south-east) and Chinatown (1 mile south-west). Further out, we also cover Kensington (3 miles west), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (13 miles west), Stockwell (3 miles south) and Orpington (13 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in St Giles
In St Giles, that means homes and buildings near LSE Shaw Library, The Crown pub and Mercers' School and the streets around them. You will also find London Nautical School (1 mile south-east) and St Anne's Churchyard (less than half a mile south-west). St Giles has its own railway station: Tottenham Court Road station. A little further out are Montfichet's Tower (1.1 miles east) and Kingly Court (0.5 miles west). Open spaces near St Giles include Barnsbury Wood and Ludgate Hill.
Surveys for landlords and agents in St Giles
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, putting the urgent items at the top.
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed beforehand. Surveys run on any day of the week, which can make access easier.
What we look for on each type of roof
Flat roofs
Repeated coatings on a flat roof can mask what’s underneath. We say when the covering would need opening up to know more.
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings are a common source of leaks, so they get close attention in a pre-purchase survey. We photograph any that need work.
The survey, step by step
Where it is relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement. All in, the survey typically takes an hour or two on an ordinary house, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. In converted houses and mansion blocks, the loft hatch is frequently on a shared landing. Where that’s the case, access needs agreeing with whoever controls that landing. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- We agree a time and how we’ll get in, including the loft.
- We inspect the roof from the ground, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it’s safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- We email a written report with photographs and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Before the survey
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Find any records of previous roof work
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 ring 07833 053749 or send us an email when you are ready.
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Common questions in St Giles
Is parking a problem for a survey in St Giles?
In much of London, parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day run more smoothly.
Are there drone restrictions around St Giles?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. The flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea comes within about 2 miles of St Giles. The exact boundary is checked for each address before any flight, and a roof inside it needs permission before we fly. Across London there are restriction zones around Heathrow, London City and London Heliport, plus 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, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain does not usually stop a survey, and it can even help show where water is getting in. High wind or heavy rain can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so we’ll agree a new date if the weather isn’t suitable.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. The report sets out what we found, with photos, so you can raise them with the seller or their agent. We cannot promise how the seller will respond.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so the building owner or managing agent needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we are given access to.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It’s a dedicated roof survey, with a written report and photographs. It does not cover the rest of the property, which a RICS survey does.
How soon is the report ready?
It depends on the package: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Let us know your timetable when you book.
What happens if roof problems are left?
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, whatever anyone remembers. Work on a London roof is rarely simple to arrange, with parking, neighbours and access all to think about. That’s a good reason to find problems early, while there is time to plan.
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package matters as well. We will give you the figure before anything is booked.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in St Giles
- Visits on any day of the week
- 98% of clients satisfied
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Plain-English reports with photos
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or two real surveys.
Towns and villages near St Giles
Other services in St Giles
DIY checks: what’s safe
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.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.