Kent · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Thurnham
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Thurnham and the rest of Kent. Surveys run seven days a week.
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Flashings that have lifted or split
How it works
There isn’t much for you to do on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, like stains, drips or loose pieces, and we’ll get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes about 1–2 hours at most homes, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Older roofs in small places like Thurnham can have low, tight loft spaces, so it helps to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- We look at 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.
- We email a written report with photographs and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Find any records of previous roof work
Booking a survey
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, so phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the details.
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Pre-purchase roof survey in Thurnham: what you get
Older homes often have roofs that have been patched over the years. Slates slip when their nails corrode, lead valleys and flashings wear, and chimney pointing crumbles. Little of that is easy to judge from the pavement on a viewing. We look closely and record what we see, with photographs that show you exactly where. Each finding is explained in plain words, so you know what it means for the house you are buying. We survey gutters and downpipes, natural slate and flat-roofed extensions and dormers, and the problems we are asked to look at most are flashings that have lifted or split and gutters choked with leaves and moss.
Being in a small place like Thurnham makes no difference to the inspection itself: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed beforehand. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them as you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Visits can be booked on weekdays and at weekends.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Thurnham (ME14)
- Region
- Kent
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we are asked to look at in Thurnham
Buildings put up or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. Cement roof sheets, soffits and flue pipes are typical places to find it. We do not test for it or carry out asbestos surveys, but our report flags materials that could contain it so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before anything is disturbed.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Old water stains in the roof space
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
For landlords with property near Bearsted station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
What to check before booking
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Will the report include photos?
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Their track record with similar roofs
Nearby places to Thurnham
Other services in Thurnham
Before and after the survey
Nothing here needs a ladder. A few suggestions:
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Share the report with your solicitor
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
Your report arrives by email, with photos of what we found. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Each defect is explained in plain words, with recommendations prioritised by urgency where relevant.
Check the roof from the garden and the street after a storm. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Small repairs done quickly stop bigger problems later.
Buying a home or a new roof in Thurnham
About 2.6 miles south lies Stoneacre, a reminder of how long the area around Thurnham has been built on. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Many older homes in Kent have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles held by pegs through two holes, and tile-hanging on their upper walls. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
If you live in an older home near St Mary the Virgin Church, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Thurnham is about 3 miles north-east of Maidstone, in Kent. We cover Thurnham and the rest of Kent, as part of our work across London and the South East. We cover towns and villages across Kent, from the larger towns to small villages.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in ME14 are booked the same way as anywhere else. That includes homes and businesses on Thurnham Lane, Aldington Lane and Pilgrims Way and the roads around them. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Detling (1 mile north-west), Bearsted (1 mile south-west), Weavering (2 miles south-west), Grove Green (2 miles west) and Harbourland (2 miles west). Within a short drive, we also cover Maidstone (3 miles south-west), Sittingbourne (7 miles north-east), Gravesend (13 miles north-west), Tonbridge (15 miles south-west), Faversham (13 miles east) and Northfleet (14 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Thurnham
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to White Horse Wood and Black Horse Public House and the streets around them. The closest station to Thurnham is Bearsted station, about 1.1 miles south-west. A little further out are Allington Castle (3.3 miles west) and KIMS hospital (1.4 miles west). Not far away are Detling Hill.
Honest limits
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Natural slate
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Thurnham
We confirm the price for your survey before you book. This is what makes a difference:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
To find out what your survey will cost, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and some details. We will confirm the figure before booking.
What we need to know
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Why it’s worth a survey now in Thurnham
Lots of buyers go ahead anyway, but with their eyes open. The report shows what needs doing first, so you can plan work before small faults get bigger. For an older or listed building in a place like Thurnham, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can safely be seen and the package you choose.
Why book us in Thurnham
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- Over 20 years’ experience
- A photo-illustrated written report
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and two real surveys.
Questions from Thurnham
How do I find out if my home in Thurnham is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Will you come out to Thurnham?
Yes, Thurnham is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it isn’t a RICS home survey. It complements one rather than replacing it.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Light rain does not usually stop a survey, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so we will agree a new date if the weather is not suitable.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. Buyers use the findings to ask questions, ask for repairs before completion or ask for a price change. The outcome is between you and the seller.
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, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.