Kent · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in The Valley, Kent
Pre-purchase roof surveys around The Valley, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
Pre-purchase roof survey in The Valley
The roof is one of the most expensive parts of a home to repair, and one of the hardest for a buyer to see. Our pre-purchase roof survey gives you a proper look at it before you’re committed. We look at the slates or tiles, the ridges and valleys, the flashings, the chimneys and the gutters, plus the loft where there is safe access. You get a written report with photos. Typical surveys look at damp timbers or stains in the loft and blocked or leaking gutters, on lead flashings and valleys, clay and concrete tiles and the roof space.
For a small place like The Valley, the visit is planned like any other: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed ahead of time. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at as you book. Whether you are buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Visits can be booked on any day of the week.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Location
- The Valley (ME13)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
The Valley questions
Is The Valley in the area you cover?
Yes, The Valley is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos.
How do I find out if my home in The Valley is listed?
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.
Does someone need to be in?
Not always. If we only need the outside, we can agree that in advance, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so we need permission from the freeholder or managing agent. We inspect only the parts we are allowed to reach.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
They do different things. A home survey looks at the whole property, and ours concentrates on the roof alone. Our survey complements a RICS survey and does not replace one.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. You need the report before you exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
Do you need access inside the house?
Where we can, yes. Inside, the loft shows leaks, damp timbers and the underlay. If access isn’t possible, we note it in the report.
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
Prices start from £150, inc. VAT, for a Basic Survey. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, both including VAT. You will know the price for your survey before booking.
Helping us price your survey
What helps most when you contact us:
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
Booking is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or email us and give us a few details about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
Nearby places to The Valley
What else we do in The Valley
Before and after the survey
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Let us know your exchange date when booking
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Check we’ll be able to get into the roof space
We email the report to you, with photos of each finding. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Each defect is explained in plain words, and recommendations are ranked by urgency where that helps.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney stacks
A stack stands exposed above the roof line. We check the pots, the flaunching, the pointing and the flashings, as far as we can see them safely.
Gutters and parapets
A butterfly roof drains to a central valley gutter, usually to the back of the house. If yours does, we check that gutter and where it drains.
How the survey works
We check the roof from outside and, where it is relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the loft space too. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement. The whole visit usually 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. In a hamlet or village like The Valley, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- Once your offer is accepted, you let us know the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed ahead of time.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- Inside, we check the roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
How to book
Unsure which package suits your roof? It is easiest to phone 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will explain the options and the price.
Related advice
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in The Valley
If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. Belmont House and Gardens, about 2.1 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around The Valley. 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.
If you live in an older home near Church of St Lawrence, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them. Landlords with a home close to Charing station may find that the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
The Valley is about 6 miles south-west of Faversham, in Kent. Roofs in The Valley get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Kent. Our area takes in places right across Kent, large and small. We also survey roofs in Maidstone.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: ME13. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Stalisfield Green (1 mile south), Stalisfield (1 mile south), Eastling (2 miles north), Throwley Forstal (2 miles east) and Throwley (2 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (12 miles west), Ashford (8 miles south), Canterbury (12 miles east), Sittingbourne (7 miles north-west), Whitstable (12 miles north-east) and Faversham (6 miles north-east).
What’s near The Valley
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Spuckles and Kennelling Woods and The Plough Inn. The nearest railway station is Charing station, about 3.2 miles south. Nearby you will also find Newnham Castle (2.3 miles north).
When you need someone else
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
What we look at
- Natural slate
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
DIY checks: what’s safe
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Do not go up yourself.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level, and those are details a survey looks at closely.