Medway · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Walderslade
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Walderslade. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
Pre-purchase roof survey in Walderslade: what you get
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 and written recommendations you can act on. The two sit side by side if you want the fullest picture. If you are worried about ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof and gutters that overflow or drip at the joints, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on lead flashings and valleys, natural slate and clay and concrete tiles alike.
Around Walderslade, you will mostly find houses and bungalows of different ages. Older roofs may still have their original slates or clay tiles, with fixings and underlay that have done a long stint. Whether you are buying or have just had the roof replaced, that hidden layer is worth knowing about. Older roofs often have bitumen felt under the coverings, as breathable membranes only arrived in the late 1990s.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Place
- Walderslade (ME5)
- Wider area
- Medway
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Walderslade: local notes
Walderslade is within about 5 miles of the coast, and being near the sea means more wind and salt than a roof inland would face. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof, which is worth knowing before you buy or pay for new work. 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. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
Landlords with a home close to Chatham station may find that a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. Starkey Castle, about 3.3 miles north-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Walderslade. When you buy an older home, the roof’s age, past repairs and any listing all affect what you might spend later. If you live in an older home near St William's Church, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Walderslade is about 1 mile south of Chatham, in Medway. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Walderslade can all book pre-purchase roof surveys, with a written report and photographs every time. Our area takes in places right across Medway, from the larger towns to small villages.
Every address in ME5 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Farm Road, York Avenue and Walsham Road or anywhere close by, we can help. With the A2045 close by, Walderslade is easy for us to reach. We also cover Blue Bell Hill (1 mile west), Lordswood (1 mile east), Kit's Coty (1 mile south-west), Chatham (1 mile north) and Lidsing (2 miles east). We also work in nearby towns such as Gillingham (3 miles north-east), Rochester (4 miles north), Rainham (4 miles north-east), Strood (4 miles north-west), Park Wood (3 miles east) and Twydall (4 miles north-east).
Landmarks near Walderslade
Around Walderslade, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Westfield Wood, Greenacre Academy and Walderslade Girls' School and the streets around them. The closest station to Walderslade is Chatham station, about 3.1 miles north of the centre. A little further out are Allington Castle (3 miles south) and Pentagon Shopping Centre (3.3 miles north). Not far away are Blue Bell Hill and Burham Down.
What you can safely check yourself
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
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 it applies.
FAQs for Walderslade
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Walderslade, take more of a battering?
Places near the sea get more wind and more salt in the air than inland, and both are hard on roofs. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Is Walderslade within the area you cover?
Yes, Walderslade is covered. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey seven days a week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
They do different things. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
What insurance do you have?
Professional indemnity and public liability insurance cover our surveys. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
How long does the survey visit take?
On site, it usually takes between one and two hours for most houses, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. Report times depend on the package, from the same day for Premium to within 48 hours for Basic.
What’s the best way to book?
To book, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price and agree a day with you.
What we do, step by step
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, about the roof’s history, any leaks and past repairs. The inspection then takes between one and two hours for most houses, rising to roughly 3–4 hours on a commercial building. A visit to a smaller place like Walderslade is no different on the day: outside, inside and from any safe vantage point, in that order. It is useful to show us anything you’ve already noticed.
- Once your offer is accepted, you let us know the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the roof space is agreed beforehand.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- You get a written report with photographs and recommendations before you exchange.
Before we arrive
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Booking a survey
We confirm the price for the job before you book, so you know where you stand. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
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Also near Walderslade
Also in Walderslade
Tips from our surveys
Getting the most from a pre-purchase roof survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Let us know your timetable
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, while Premium includes a consultation in person. If anything in the report isn’t clear, ask us.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
What we look for on each type of roof
Natural slate
On a slate roof, the underlay may be old bitumen felt, or there may be none at all on very old roofs. Where we can see it from the loft, we say what condition it’s in.
Flat roofs
Flat roofs on extensions, dormers and garages are easy to forget about. Felt roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, rubber longer and GRP up to about 30. We check how the covering is wearing.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Walderslade
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work with less disruption.
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, with the most urgent items set out first.
Honest limits
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you before booking. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Walderslade
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes