Greater London · London and the South East
St John's Wood Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat around St John's Wood, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Old water stains in the loft space
Pre-purchase roof survey in St John's Wood: 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 proper look at it before you’re committed. We check the coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, plus the loft where there is safe access. You get a written report with photos. If you are worried about loose pots and cracked flaunching and bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Many London homes have been converted into flats, extended at the back or given a loft conversion with a dormer. Every alteration brings new junctions, flashings and flat-roof areas to look at. If you’re buying a flat or house in St John's Wood, or have just had new roofing work done, those junctions are frequently where problems start. Dormer cheeks, lead work and new flat roofs are worth checking closely, as faults there are easy to miss.
Where we cannot see part of the roof, the report says so. That way, it is clear what was covered and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Where
- St John's Wood (NW8, NW6, NW3)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Why act early in St John's Wood
A seller may honestly not know the state of the roof. Their answers on the property forms only cover what they know about. Our survey shows you the roof as it is today. Work on a London roof is rarely simple to arrange, with parking, neighbours and access all to think about. Knowing what’s needed early gives you time to plan it calmly, rather than in a rush after a leak.
Every price we give includes VAT. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the price for your survey before you book.
Why book us in St John's Wood
- Surveys seven days a week
- An independent view of the roof
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Packages from £150, including VAT
Read what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan.
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed ahead of time. Surveys run on any day of the week, which can make access easier.
How it works
We don’t take risks to get a closer look. Everything that can be seen safely is inspected, and anything we cannot see is noted in the report. Most visits take about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. London terraces rarely offer a view of the whole roof from one spot, so a visit in St John's Wood moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. Shared stairs or a basement flat? Let us know who holds the keys.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- We agree a time and how we’ll get in, including the loft.
- The roof is inspected from every safe viewpoint, inside and out.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Getting ready for the survey
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Let us know where we can park nearby
Booking a survey
We survey roofs on any day of the week. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
St John's Wood homes and their roofs
Inner London’s Victorian and Edwardian terraces often have Welsh slate roofs. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that can’t be seen from the pavement. If your home in St John's Wood is one of them, lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are part of the picture too. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new. If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
Winfield House lies about 0.6 miles south-east, so building around St John's Wood goes back a long way. If you’re buying an older home nearby, it’s worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing. The streets around a church such as Church of All Souls are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming. For landlords with property near South Hampstead station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
St John's Wood is about 1 mile south of Hampstead, in Greater London. We cover St John's Wood and the rest of Greater London. We cover towns and villages across Greater London.
Here we cover the NW8, NW6 and NW3 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Whether your property is on The Lane, Hall Road and Hill Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. With the A5205 close by, St John's Wood is simple for us to get to. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in South Hampstead (1 mile north), Swiss Cottage (1 mile north), Primrose Hill (1 mile north-east), Lisson Grove (1 mile south) and Haverstock (1 mile north-east). We also work in nearby towns such as London (4 miles south-east), Kensington (3 miles south-west), St Pancras (3 miles east), Shoreditch (4 miles east), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east) and Hoxton (4 miles east).
Local landmarks in St John's Wood
Typical jobs here are in homes near Cecil Sharp House, Primrose Hill and Arnold House School. Also close by are Quintin Kynaston Community Academy (within half a mile north-west) and Cafe Med pub (within half a mile north-west). St John's Wood has its own railway station: South Hampstead station. A little further out are Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth (under half a mile south) and Montfichet's Tower (3.5 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include The Long Water and Primrose Hill.
Practical tips
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
You may want to pass the report to your solicitor or conveyancer so questions can go to the seller’s solicitor. It can prompt questions about past roof work and any paperwork for it, especially where we’ve found patch repairs.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, especially after autumn. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.
Towns and villages near St John's Wood
More services for St John's Wood
St John's Wood questions
Is my home in St John's Wood listed or in a conservation area?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in St John's Wood?
It can be, so it’s useful to tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space when booking. That way the visit can be planned around it.
Does someone need to be in?
Not always. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Is your roof survey a RICS survey?
No. It is a roof survey by an experienced roof surveyor, with a written report and photographs. It doesn’t cover the rest of the property, which a RICS survey does.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
On site, it typically takes about one to two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Do you test for asbestos?
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.
What’s the best way to book?
The quickest way is to ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email. Let us know the address and a little about the roof, and we will recommend the right survey. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
What affects the price in St John's Wood
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. That comes down to:
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Height and safe access
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
To find out what your survey will cost, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and some details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Booking your survey
A little information up front helps. Please include:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- What made you get in touch
- The kind of building and roof involved
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Different roofs, different checks
Gutters and parapets
A butterfly roof drains to a central valley gutter, usually to the back of the house. If the home you’re buying has one, that gutter and its outlet get a careful look.
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings close the gaps at chimneys, walls and abutments. We check whether they’ve lifted, split or been replaced with mortar or bitumen.