Surrey · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in West End, Surrey
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you spend money on it. Pre-purchase roof surveys in West End, with photos and a clear written report.
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in West End
A RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey covers the whole building, and the roof is only one part of it. We don’t offer a RICS home survey, and ours is not a substitute for one. What it adds is a closer look at the roof alone, with photos and written recommendations you can act on. You can have both. If you are worried about flashings that have lifted or split and cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on clay and concrete tiles, lead flashings and valleys and gutters and downpipes alike.
Older buildings in small places like West End may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials a new roof may use, so check with the council and Historic England’s list. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it’s worth knowing which applies, as well as what condition the roof is in. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
After the visit, you get a written report with photographs, emailed to you. It sets out the condition of the roof, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Place
- West End (KT10, KT12)
- Wider area
- Surrey
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
Every roof is different, but as a rough guide the survey takes between one and two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. If you have questions on the day, just ask. In a small place like West End, access is normally the main thing to plan. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed in advance.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from ground level and from 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 the survey
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Getting a price
To book 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.
Related advice
Nearby places to West End
More services for West End
Different roofs, different checks
Gutters and parapets
Hidden gutters behind parapets send water indoors when they block. Where we can see them safely, we check the linings and outlets.
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings close the gaps at chimneys, walls and abutments. We check whether they’ve lifted, split or been replaced with mortar or bitumen.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in West End
How do I find out if my home in West End is listed?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do you cover smaller places like West End?
Yes. West End is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route as you book.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
How long will you be at the property?
It normally takes between one and two hours for most houses, and longer for a large or complex roof. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, like cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That gives you time to use the findings, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you as you book.
Practical tips
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Let us know your timetable
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
With Standard, you get a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey includes an in-person consultation. Whichever package you choose, you can ask us what a finding means.
Keep the loft ventilated. Condensation in a roof space can look like a leak and can damage timbers over time. Avoid packing insulation into the eaves so tightly that air cannot flow.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in West End
If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. In Surrey, older roofs are often handmade clay tile, with tile-hanging on many upper walls. Some old buildings in Surrey and Sussex have Horsham stone slab roofs. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
The Homewood, about 1 mile south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around West End. Buying a period property here means asking about the roof’s age and repairs, and about any listing or conservation area. Take an older house close to St George's: ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
West End is about 1 mile south-west of Esher, in Surrey. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in West End for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings, with a written report and photographs every time. Our area takes in places right across Surrey. We also survey roofs in Guildford.
Every address in KT10 and KT12 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover properties on Esher Road, Garson Road and Lammas Lane. West End sits on or near the A244 and A307. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Esher (1 mile north-east), Lower Green (1 mile north-east), Claygate (2 miles east), Hinchley Wood (2 miles north-east) and Weston Green (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover Guildford (12 miles south-west), Woking (9 miles west), Camberley (15 miles west), Epsom (5 miles east), Redhill (13 miles south-east) and Ewell (5 miles east).
Near you in West End
We work in homes and buildings around Esher Church School, Claremont Park and Esher Church of England High School and the streets around them. The closest station to West End is Hersham station, roughly 1.1 miles north-west. A little further out are Elmbridge Museum (0.9 miles north-east) and No. 2 New Zealand General Hospital (2.6 miles north-west). The countryside around West End includes Claremont Lake and Jubilee Wood.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in West End
The fixings and underlay often fail before good slates or tiles do. Good slate can last well over a century, but corroded nails let slates slip. That kind of wear is common on older roofs.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
Landlords with a home close to Hersham station may find that a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- How soon the report will arrive
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Will the report include photos?
- What the survey won’t cover
What a survey costs
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. The main factors are:
- Which survey package you book
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- Height and safe access
Price depends partly on the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all with VAT included. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Getting in touch
What helps most when you contact us:
- The address and postcode of the property
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
Once you know what you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day.
When you need someone else
No survey can tell you everything, and it’s better to know them up front. Keep these in mind:
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll point you to the right survey before booking. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes