Greater London · London and the South East
Upminster Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Upminster and the rest of Greater London. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Upminster
A RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey covers the whole building, so the roof is one item among many. Our survey isn’t a RICS survey, and it doesn’t replace one. It adds a focused look at the roof on its own, with photos of what we find and written recommendations. You can have both. We survey the roof space, natural slate and chimney stacks, and people most often book us about blocked or leaking gutters and signs of past leaks inside the loft.
In London, plenty of houses have been split into flats, extended or fitted with a dormer loft conversion. Every alteration brings new junctions, flashings and flat-roof areas to look at. For a purchase in Upminster, or for new roofing work there, those junctions deserve a close look. Lead work around dormers and new flat roofs is easy to get wrong and easy to miss.
The report records the roof as we found it on the day. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, for instance when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Location
- Upminster (RM14, RM11)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Upminster homes and their roofs
Where the drone is part of the survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. The wider area around Upminster has a long history of building, with Hare Hall about 2.6 miles north-west. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
For landlords with property near Upminster station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer. For a London address like Upminster, it is useful to know about controlled parking before the day, along with any off-street space.
Upminster is about 2 miles east of Hornchurch, in Greater London. We provide pre-purchase roof surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Upminster. We cover towns and villages across Greater London, large and small. You can also see our page for London.
We work across the RM14 and RM11 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on Station Road, Latham Place and Deyncourt Gardens. If you are just outside Upminster, we cover Upminster Bridge (1 mile west), Cranham (1 mile east), Emerson Park (1 mile north-west), Hornchurch (2 miles west) and Puddle Dock (2 miles east). Further out, we also cover Shoreditch (14 miles west), Walthamstow (12 miles west), Hoxton (15 miles west), Whitechapel (14 miles west), Orpington (14 miles south-west) and Highbury (15 miles west).
What’s near Upminster
Typical jobs here are in homes near Eastbrook School, St. Andrew's Park and The Crumpled Horn pub and the streets around them. Upminster has its own railway station: Upminster station. Well-known places in the area include Upminster Tithe Barn Museum of Nostalgia (0.5 miles north) and The Mercury Mall (3.2 miles north-west). For a walk, there’s Cranham Marsh.
What happens on the day
We work from the outside in: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the loft space where it can be reached. All told, expect about 1–2 hours at most homes, and longer for a large or complex roof. For a visit in Upminster, parking and access are the things to plan: let us know about permits, visitor bays or off-street space, which floor the property is on and how to get into the loft. On the day, the roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from inside the loft space and from the roof where it is safe.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you’re buying.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Before we arrive
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
Book a survey
We confirm the price for your survey before booking, so you know where you stand. Prices start from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Related advice
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Upminster
Are there drone restrictions around Upminster?
Normally it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. London’s airspace includes flight restriction zones around Heathrow, London City Airport and London Heliport, and restricted areas over Hyde Park, the City of London and the Isle of Dogs. Each address is checked against all of them before the drone goes up. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather, and the rest of the survey doesn’t depend on the drone.
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Upminster?
It can be, so it is useful to let us know about permits, visitor bays or off-street space when booking. The visit is then planned around what’s available.
How experienced are you?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, across 20+ years of surveying roofs, with 98% customer satisfaction.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. A home survey may recommend further investigation of the roof, and that is where a roof survey helps. It isn’t a replacement for a RICS survey.
Does someone need to be in?
That depends on the survey. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access; we will agree the details when you book.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Only where it’s safe. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the roof space.
Will you need to get into the loft?
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.
For landlords and managing agents
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Upminster. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed ahead of time. We survey on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney stacks
A stack stands exposed above the roof line. The pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings are all checked.
Natural slate
Many older homes in London and South East England have slate roofs. We look for slates that have slid, cracked or gone, plus the metal clips that show earlier patching.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Upminster?
Chimneys take the worst of the weather. Mortar erodes, the flaunching around the pots cracks and the flashings work loose. On terraced and semi-detached homes, a stack may be shared with next door, which can affect how any work is arranged.
Look out for signs like these:
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
For an older house near a landmark like Church of St Laurence, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs frequently have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Their track record with similar roofs
- What exactly goes into their report
Why it’s worth a survey now in Upminster
After exchange, any roof defect is yours to deal with. Before then, you can still ask questions, ask for work to be done or reconsider. Finding out later gives you the same facts, but with far less room to act on them. Any roof job in Upminster means planning around parking, neighbours and access. Knowing what’s needed early gives you time to plan it calmly, rather than in a rush after a leak.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Prices start from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
What you get with us
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Surveys seven days a week
- Package prices that include VAT
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
Places near Upminster
More services for Upminster
Practical tips
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. The photos show the defects and where they are, so each quote covers the same ground.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, particularly after autumn. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.