Greater London · London and the South East
The Burroughs Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Pre-purchase roof surveys in The Burroughs from an independent, experienced roof surveyor. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys.
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Blocked or leaking gutters
Before and after the survey
There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. Here’s what helps most:
- Check we will be able to get into the roof space
- Let us know your timetable
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. They’ll see exactly what we found, and where, so each quote covers the same ground.
Don’t block the vents at the eaves. Poor ventilation lets condensation build up, wetting timbers and insulation. Keep insulation clear of eaves vents so air can move.
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in The Burroughs
Many older houses carry decades of roof repairs. Slates slip when their nails corrode, lead valleys and flashings wear, and chimney pointing crumbles. Most of it can’t be seen from the street. Our survey picks it out, with photos so you can see it for yourself. Each finding is explained in plain words, so you know what it means for the house you’re buying. We survey lead flashings and valleys, the roof space and natural slate, and common reasons people get in touch are blistered or split felt on a flat roof and blocked or leaking gutters.
London’s housing runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war estates and new blocks of flats, so a property in The Burroughs might be any of these. Whether the roof is old or newly laid, the problem areas depend on how and when the building went up. Slates, hidden valley gutters, parapets and flat roofs over back additions all need checking in their own way.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Location
- The Burroughs (NW4, NW9, NW11)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in The Burroughs
How do I find out if my home in The Burroughs is listed?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Is parking a problem for a survey in The Burroughs?
It can be, so it’s useful to tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space when booking. The visit is then planned around what’s available.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, if the freeholder or managing agent agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we’re allowed to reach.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
The sooner after your offer is accepted, the better. You need the report before you exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
How experienced are you?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys.
Do you need access inside the house?
Where we can, yes. Inside, the loft shows leaks, damp timbers and the underlay. If access is not possible, we note it in the report.
Do you cover The Burroughs for pre-purchase roof surveys?
Yes. We survey roofs in The Burroughs and the rest of Greater London. For a price, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Landlord and commercial surveys in The Burroughs
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps when budgeting.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, including offices, shops and units. Larger roofs take longer, so they’re priced to suit.
The Burroughs homes and their roofs
Outer London has plenty of Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest. The wider area around The Burroughs has a long history of building, with Heath Hall about 2.6 miles east. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
For landlords with property near Hendon station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. Parking in The Burroughs, as in most of London, takes a little planning: let us know about permits, visitor bays or off-street space when you book.
The Burroughs is about 2 miles south-east of Burnt Oak, in Greater London. Surveys in The Burroughs work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. Our area takes in places right across Greater London. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
We cover every part of NW4, NW9 and NW11 for pre-purchase roof surveys. Streets in the area include Bell Lane, Eaton Road and Lodge Road. The Burroughs is on the A41, so it is easy for us to get to. We also cover the places around The Burroughs: Hendon (1 mile south-east), Colindale (1 mile west), Brent Cross (1 mile south-east), West Hendon (1 mile south-west) and The Hyde (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include London (8 miles south-east), City of Westminster (6 miles south-east), Marylebone (6 miles south-east), Kensington (6 miles south), St Pancras (6 miles south-east) and Shoreditch (8 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in The Burroughs
In The Burroughs, that means homes and buildings near The Claddagh Ring pub, Brampton College and Kisharon College and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Hendon station, roughly 0.8 miles south-west. Well-known places in the area include Church Farmhouse Museum (within half a mile north) and Brent Cross Shopping Centre (0.8 miles south). The countryside around The Burroughs includes Parliament Hill and Darland's Lake.
Different roofs, different checks
Gutters and parapets
Parapet and box gutters are hidden behind walls and can overflow inside. We check their linings and outlets from wherever is safe.
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.
How the survey works
The visit usually starts outside and finishes in the loft: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the loft space where it can be reached. In total, it takes between one and two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Surveys in The Burroughs can be booked for any day of the week. London parking is frequently by permit or pay-and-display, so it’s useful to know what’s near you, 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.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed ahead of time.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from the ground and from vantage points.
- Inside, we check the loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
How to book
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Advice
When to book a survey in The Burroughs
Viewings rarely include a proper look at the roof. You see the rooms, not the slates, and a quick glance from the street misses a lot. Fresh decoration can also cover the marks an old leak left behind, so a closer look is worth having before you commit.
Common reasons to book include:
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near St Mary's Church, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
What to check before booking
- Are they insured for the work?
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- When you’ll get the report
Also near The Burroughs
What else we do in The Burroughs
Why it is worth a survey now in The Burroughs
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 with far less room to act on them. Behind a London parapet, a blocked gutter can sit full of water without anyone seeing it. When the stain finally shows, the damage underneath is often older than it looks.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Why book with us
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- Visits on any day of the week
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
- Every finding written up with photos
Read how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.