Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Telegraph Hill, Greater London
A careful look at the roof at your property in Telegraph Hill, with photos and a written report.
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
Pre-purchase roof survey in Telegraph Hill: what you get
The roof is one of the most expensive parts of a home to repair, and one of the hardest for a buyer to see. A pre-purchase roof survey looks at it closely before you’re tied in. We check the coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, and the loft space where it is safe to get in. You get a photo-illustrated written report. We survey clay and concrete tiles, gutters and downpipes and lead flashings and valleys, and people most frequently book us about flashings that have lifted or split and ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof.
In London, a good many houses have been split into flats, extended or fitted with a dormer loft conversion. Each change adds roof details, such as flat roofs, new flashings and junctions with the original slopes. For a purchase in Telegraph Hill, or for new roofing work there, those junctions deserve a careful look. Lead work around dormers and new flat roofs is easy to get wrong and easy to miss.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent, whichever applies.
- Location
- Telegraph Hill (SE4, SE15, SE14)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. A few suggestions:
- Share the report with your solicitor
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
With Standard, you get a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey includes an in-person consultation. Whichever package you choose, you can ask us what a finding means.
Every so often, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Watch for stains, damp timbers and chinks of daylight. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
Also in Telegraph Hill
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Telegraph Hill: local notes
Historic houses such as Queen's House, about 2 miles north-east, show how far back building in the area around Telegraph Hill goes. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Close to the centre of London, a great many houses are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, many of them roofed in Welsh slate. A butterfly roof with a central valley gutter, tucked behind a parapet wall, is common on these houses. In a house like that, shared stacks, party-wall upstands and lead flashings all need looking at as far as they can be seen. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest.
Take an older house close to St Catherine's Hatcham: the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are. For landlords with property near Brockley station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. Parking in Telegraph Hill, as in most of London, takes a little planning: tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space as you book.
Telegraph Hill is about 1 mile south-west of New Cross, in Greater London. Telegraph Hill gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a proper look at what can be seen safely, photos and a clear written report. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages.
Every address in SE4, SE15 and SE14 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Whether your property is on Mona Road, Pepys Road and Kitto Road or a nearby road, we can help. We also cover Nunhead (1 mile south-west), New Cross (1 mile north-east), Peckham (1 mile north-west), St Johns (1 mile east) and Brockley (1 mile south-east). Further out, we also cover London (3 miles north-west), City of Westminster (6 miles north-west), Marylebone (6 miles north-west), Kensington (7 miles west), St Pancras (5 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (4 miles north).
Local landmarks in Telegraph Hill
In Telegraph Hill, that means homes and buildings near Fordham Park and The Brockley Barge pub and the streets around them. Telegraph Hill has its own railway station: Brockley station. A little further out are Southwark Adult Education Institute (0.6 miles north-west) and Lewisham Shopping Centre (1.4 miles east). Open spaces near Telegraph Hill include St. James's Park Lake and New Cross Gate Cutting.
What this survey can’t tell you
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Telegraph Hill
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Telegraph Hill?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Telegraph Hill?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. 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. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions. A small drone can’t fly safely in high wind or heavy rain, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
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 as you book.
What insurance do you have?
We’re covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it is not a RICS home survey. It works alongside a home survey.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. You need the report before you exchange, while you can still ask questions and negotiate.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
For landlords and managing agents
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in. Surveys run seven days a week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and a fall can be serious. That’s where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Don’t go up yourself.
The survey, step by step
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect what can be seen safely, and if part of the roof cannot be seen, the report says so. The survey normally takes roughly 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Surveys in Telegraph Hill can be booked for any day of the week. It helps if you can point us to a visitor permit or a nearby bay, and to clear a path to the loft hatch. Upstairs rooms at the back are useful too, as they often give the best view of a rear addition.
- You book once your offer is accepted and let us know 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.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Preparing for the visit
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
How to book
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Advice
Why get it checked now?
After exchange, any roof defect is yours to deal with. Before it, you still have choices. A survey after you’ve moved in tells you the same things, but too late to use them in the purchase. Blocked gutters and hoppers on London houses overflow and soak brickwork. A small blockage left for a few winters becomes a damp problem.
For a price for your roof in Telegraph Hill, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Why book us in Telegraph Hill
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Surveys on weekdays and at weekends