Kent · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Swanley, Kent
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Swanley from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- A ridge or slope that dips
Swanley: your questions answered
Is Swanley in the area you cover?
Yes. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and Swanley is part of that. Just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and let us know about the property.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Swanley?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys run on any day of the week. To find a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. It may be present in buildings built or refurbished before 2000.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so we need permission from the freeholder or managing agent. We inspect only the parts we are allowed to reach.
Do you use drones?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It’s included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where it applies, the Premium Survey.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Swanley
Buying a flat brings its own roof questions. Depending on the lease, roof repairs may fall to the building owner or a management company, with costs frequently passed on through the service charge. We check as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report gives you clear points to raise with your solicitor or the managing agent. Where the building has a flat roof, it is checked as far as access allows. If you are worried about gutters choked with leaves and moss and signs of past leaks inside the loft, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Smaller places like Swanley often have bungalows and cottages as well as houses, many of them extended or given dormers over the years. Even on a low roof, dormers, valleys and flat-roofed additions need a careful look. The same goes for a purchase or a new roof around Swanley. Snags and wear both tend to show at dormer lead work and along flat-roof edges.
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.
- Place
- Swanley (BR8)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Other services in Swanley
How the survey changes by roof type
Natural slate
On a slate roof, the underlay may be old bitumen felt, or there may be none at all on very old roofs. Where we can see it from the loft, we say what condition it is in.
Clay and concrete tiles
Tiled roofs often last half a century or longer. We check for slipped, cracked and missing tiles, and for mismatched replacements that point to past repairs.
What we do, step by step
You do not need to do much on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we will take it from there. A typical survey takes between one and two hours for most houses, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. In a smaller place like Swanley, parking is seldom the issue; lanes, gates and long drives are worth mentioning. On bungalows and lower roofs, much can be seen from the ground, with the loft showing the underside.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- Access to the house and the roof space is agreed in advance.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from ground level and from vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Before the survey
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Jot down any questions you want answered
Getting a price
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
What we are asked to look at in Swanley
Many roofs have had quick fixes over the years. Bitumen over flashings, mortar fillets in place of lead and odd replacement tiles can point to a problem that keeps coming back. We note what we see so you can ask about it.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
Landlords with a home close to Swanley station may find that it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Before you book anyone
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Whether VAT is added on top
- How soon the report will arrive
Checking the roof from ground level
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Share it with us as you book, as it helps us focus the survey.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
Before and after the survey
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Tips:
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Ask for loft access on the day
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
If you want quotes for the work, roofers can work from the report. The photos show the defects and where they are, which makes quotes easier to compare.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.
Why it’s worth a survey now in Swanley
A slow leak can go unnoticed for months. By the time a stain shows, timber or plaster may already be damp. Finding the cause at the survey stage lets you deal with it as soon as you move in. With lower homes, common in places like Swanley, there is little between a roof defect and the ceiling, so a small leak can mark a ceiling within a few storms. Finding the cause first saves a second job inside.
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: its size, its height, how many sections it has and how it can be reached and seen safely. Our price is from £150, including VAT.
What you get with us
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- A written report with photos
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
Read how roof surveys are priced and two real surveys.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Swanley: local notes
Older houses across Kent often have handmade clay or peg tiles, and many have tile-hung walls. Kent’s older buildings take in oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses as well. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest. Lullingstone Castle, about 2.9 miles south, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Swanley. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
For an older house near a landmark such as St Mary the Virgin, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Swanley is about 3 miles east of Orpington, in Kent. Anywhere in Swanley, we can come and survey your property. Our area takes in places right across Kent, large and small. You can also see our page for London.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in BR8 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Whether your property is on London Road, Station Road and High Street or anywhere close by, we can survey it. With the A20 and B258 close by, Swanley is simple for us to get to for pre-purchase roof surveys. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Crockenhill (1 mile south-west), Kevington (2 miles south-west), Derry Downs (3 miles west), St Mary Cray (3 miles west) and St Paul's Cray (3 miles west). Larger places within reach include Dartford (4 miles north-east), Sevenoaks (8 miles south), Gravesend (9 miles east), Tonbridge (14 miles south), Northfleet (8 miles east) and Kings Hill (13 miles south-east).
Around Swanley
Typical jobs here are in homes near Orchards Academy, among other places. There’s a railway station in Swanley itself: Swanley station. A little further out are London Borough of Bromley Museum (3.2 miles south-west) and Queen Mary's Hospital (3.4 miles north-west). Open spaces near Swanley include The Warren and Summer Hill.