Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in West Ealing
Pre-purchase roof surveys around West Ealing, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
Pre-purchase roof survey in West Ealing
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. At that point you can still ask questions, because nothing is binding yet. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when the chain is moving fast. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. We’re often asked to look into a ridge or slope that dips and damp timbers or stains in the loft, across chimney stacks, the roof space and lead flashings and valleys.
In London, lots of houses have been split into flats, extended or fitted with a dormer loft conversion. Each change adds roof details, like flat roofs, new flashings and junctions with the original slopes. For a purchase in West Ealing, 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.
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.
- Place
- West Ealing (W7, W13, UB2)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Useful tips for West Ealing property owners
A little preparation and a few simple habits help, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Some pointers:
- Share the report with your solicitor
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, while Premium includes a consultation in person. Whichever package you choose, you can ask us what a finding means.
Do not 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.
What you can safely check yourself
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
The survey, step by step
You do not need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we will get on with the inspection. The survey itself takes roughly 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. From the street, a London terrace normally shows only its front slope or parapet, so a visit in West Ealing moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. Shared stairs or a basement flat? Let us know who holds the keys.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- Access to the house and the roof space is agreed beforehand.
- 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.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
How to book
When you are ready to go ahead, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
Advice
What a survey costs
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- How big the roof is
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. You’ll know the figure before booking.
Getting in touch
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- What made you get in touch
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
We confirm the exact price before booking, so you know the cost up front. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
West Ealing questions
Are there drone restrictions around West Ealing?
That depends on where the roof is and on 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. Every London address is checked against them before a flight. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions. A small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
Is parking a problem for a survey in West Ealing?
Usually it is manageable with a little notice. Let us know the parking rules on your street and we’ll work around them.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That way you can still act on what we find.
How long does the survey visit take?
The visit normally takes roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. We will confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
How experienced are you?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
It’s your choice, but the two do different jobs. A home survey looks at the whole property, and ours concentrates on the roof alone. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
Do I need to be at home?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We will talk about access when booking.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in West Ealing?
Chimneys take the worst of the weather and they’re frequently the least maintained part of a roof. 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 matters if work is needed.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Old water stains in the roof space
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
As a London address, West Ealing can be tricky for parking: tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space when you book.
Questions to ask before you book
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- When you will get the report
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney stacks
Leaning stacks, loose pots and eroded mortar are common findings. We photograph them so you can raise them before exchange.
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.
Nearby places to West Ealing
Other services in West Ealing
Local roofs and buyers in West Ealing
In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about. If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
With Pitzhanger Manor about 1.4 miles east, the area around West Ealing has a long history. When you buy an older home, the roof’s age, past repairs and any listing all affect what you might spend later. For an older house near a landmark such as St Mary's Cathedral, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
West Ealing is about 1 mile west of Ealing, in Greater London. Roofs in West Ealing get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Greater London. We cover towns and villages across Greater London. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
Surveys in W7, W13 and UB2 are booked the same way as anywhere else. We cover properties on Park Road, Green Lane and Dean's Road and the roads around them. You will find West Ealing on the A4001, which makes it straightforward to reach. If you’re just outside West Ealing, we cover Hanwell (1 mile east), Dormers Wells (1 mile north-west), Ealing (1 mile east), South Ealing (2 miles east) and Pitshanger (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover London (11 miles east), City of Westminster (8 miles east), Marylebone (8 miles east), Kensington (6 miles east), St Pancras (10 miles east) and Shoreditch (11 miles east).
Around West Ealing
Typical jobs here are in homes near Drayton Green, The Viaduct pub and Cuckoo Schools. West Ealing has its own railway station: Hanwell station. Well-known places in the area include Gunnersbury Park House - Large Mansion (2.4 miles east) and Treaty Centre (3 miles south). Open spaces near West Ealing include Long Wood and Middle Lake.