Medway · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Strood, Medway
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Strood, with photos and a written report.
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
FAQs for Strood
Is Strood in the area you cover?
Yes, Strood is within the area we cover. We work right across London and the South East. You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and some details, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Is the coastal weather around Strood hard on roofs?
Places near the sea get more wind and more salt in the air than inland, and both are hard on roofs. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We fly a sub-250g drone and we’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where it applies.
Are you insured?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it is not a RICS home survey. It complements one rather than replacing it.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
It is your choice, but the two do different jobs. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, and ours concentrates on the roof alone. Our survey complements a RICS survey and doesn’t replace one.
Do you need access inside the house?
Where we can, yes. From the roof space we can see staining, timbers and underlay. If we can’t get in, the report says so.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Strood
Tall, steep or hidden roofs are hard to judge from the street. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, plus a drone inspection where applicable, along with a same-day report. If airspace rules or the weather rule out a flight, we’ll say so and look from the ground, windows and the loft instead. If you’ve noticed gutters that overflow or drip at the joints and loose pots and cracked flaunching, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
In a town like Strood, older streets usually sit alongside post-war and newer estates. Older houses often have slate or clay tiles on timbers that have done decades of work, while many later ones have concrete interlocking tiles. For a purchase or a new roof in Strood, the type of roof decides where the checks focus, from fixings and underlay to ridges and valleys. Many older roofs also have felt underlay or none at all, which matters as much as the tiles.
It is not only a list of defects. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend, so you can decide what to do next.
- Location
- Strood (ME2, ME1, ME3)
- Wider area
- Medway
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Should I look at the roof myself first?
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
The survey, step by step
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you need to know. We then inspect everything that can be seen safely, from the ground, from windows, in the roof space and by drone where it applies. The survey usually takes about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. In Strood, parking is rarely complicated, though it helps to know about driveways or restrictions. We check the roof from the ground and from windows, then from the loft where there’s safe access, and from the roof itself where it’s safe.
- You book once your offer is accepted and tell us the address and your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- We check the roof from ground level, from windows, from the loft space and from the roof where safe.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
How to prepare
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Book a survey
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or send us an email, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Advice
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- Whether timbers meet design loads
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
Nearby places to Strood
Also in Strood
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Strood
Strood is within about 4 miles of the coast, where wind off 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. Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. Oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of the county’s older buildings too. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest.
If your house is among the older ones in the streets near St Francis' Church, 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 Strood station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. With Temple Manor about 0.5 miles south-east, the area around Strood has a long history. When you buy an older home, the roof’s age, past repairs and any listing all affect what you might spend later.
Strood is about 3 miles north-west of Chatham, in Medway. We visit Strood as part of our work across Medway. We cover towns and villages across Medway, from the larger towns to small villages. We also survey roofs in Maidstone.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: ME2, ME1 and ME3. That includes homes and businesses on Ash Road, Gun Lane and Pine Road. Being close to the A2 and A226, Strood is simple for us to get to. We also cover the places around Strood: Rochester (1 mile east), Borstal (1 mile south), Cuxton (2 miles south-west), Lower Bush (2 miles south-west) and Upper Bush (2 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Gillingham (4 miles east), Chatham (3 miles south-east), Rainham (6 miles east), Luton (3 miles south-east), Park Wood (6 miles south-east) and Lordswood (5 miles south-east). Strood is among the bigger towns we cover in Medway.
Around Strood
In Strood, that means homes and buildings near Rede Common, Temple School and Strood Academy. The closest station to Strood is Strood station, roughly 1 mile east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Rochester Castle (1 mile east) and Six Poor Travellers House (1.2 miles east). The countryside around Strood includes Rede Common and Gad's Hill.
Before and after the survey
Small things make a difference, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Some pointers:
- Ask the agent to check the loft hatch can be opened
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
Once the home is yours, the report becomes a maintenance list. Work through the urgent items before anything else, and use the photos as a record of how the roof looked when you bought. Premium comes with a follow-up after 12 months.
Look in the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. Watch for stains, damp timbers and chinks of daylight. Take photos so you can show whoever looks at it.
Different roofs, different checks
Natural slate
Older slate roofs often have bitumen felt under them, and very old ones may have none. From inside the loft space, we report what we can see of it.
Flat roofs
Many homes have a flat roof somewhere, frequently over an extension. Felt roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, rubber longer and GRP up to about 30. We look for signs of age and failure.
What a survey costs
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. That comes down to:
- How big the roof is
- House, block, shop or office
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how it can be reached and seen safely. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT.
Helping us price your survey
What helps most when you contact us:
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- The address and postcode of the property
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form whenever suits you.