Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in West Ham, Greater London
Independent pre-purchase roof surveys in West Ham. We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
Pre-purchase roof survey in West Ham
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. That’s when the findings are most useful, while you are not yet committed. We survey seven days a week, which helps when a sale is moving quickly. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. We survey flat-roofed extensions and dormers, chimney stacks and natural slate, and common reasons people get in touch are standing water on a flat extension roof and blocked or leaking gutters.
Homes across London range from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war blocks and new developments, so a property in West Ham might be any of these. Whether you’re buying or have just had a roof replaced, the details that cause trouble depend on the age of the building. Slates, hidden valley gutters, parapets and flat roofs over back additions all need checking in their own way.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets, with a note and a photo for each point. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Location
- West Ham (E15, E13, E7)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in West Ham
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in West Ham?
Sometimes, yes. If West Ham has controlled parking where you are, a visitor permit is the easiest answer, and a driveway is even better.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in West Ham?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
How quickly will I get the report?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Let us know your exchange date and we’ll help you choose.
Is West Ham in your area?
Yes, we do. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in West Ham, and the service is the same as everywhere else we work.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We will talk about access as you book.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drone flights need calm, dry weather, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. If the conditions aren’t right, we’ll talk to you about another date.
How experienced are you?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
What a survey costs
Not every roof costs the same to survey, for these reasons:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The roof’s overall size
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
One thing that affects the price is the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, with VAT included. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
What we need to know
There is no need for technical words. It’s enough to tell us:
- Dates you’re working to, like exchange
- The address and postcode of the property
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- The kind of building and roof involved
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, so ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the details.
What we’re asked to look at in West Ham
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 carry out asbestos surveys, but we flag materials that might so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before anything is disturbed.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
Sutton House lies about 2.9 miles west, so building around West Ham goes back a long way. Buying a period property here means asking about the roof’s age and repairs, and about any listing or conservation area.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Which limits apply to the survey
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- What insurance they carry
- Will the report include photos?
Useful tips for West Ham property owners
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, and the Premium Survey includes an in-person consultation. Whichever package you choose, you can ask us what a finding means.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
What we do, step by step
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof; as a rough guide, the survey takes an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. You are welcome to ask questions while we’re there. In a London area like West Ham, the main things to sort out are parking and access: tell us 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 roof space and from the roof where it’s safe.
- You book once your offer is accepted and tell us the address and your timetable.
- We agree a time and how we will get in, including the loft.
- We look at the roof from ground level, from windows, from the roof space and from the roof where safe.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
Booking a survey
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.
Related advice
What else we do in West Ham
Buying a home or a new roof in West Ham
The flight restriction zone around London City Airport comes within about 1 mile of West Ham. If your survey includes the drone, the exact boundary is checked for the address first. Many homes in inner London are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, frequently with Welsh slate roofs. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that cannot be seen from the pavement. In a house like that, shared stacks, party-wall upstands and lead flashings all need looking at as far as they can be seen. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
Take an older house close to Church of All Saints: the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are. Controlled parking zones are common in London, so mention any permit rules for West Ham, along with any off-street space.
West Ham is about 2 miles west of East Ham, in Greater London. We visit West Ham as part of our work across Greater London. Our Greater London coverage includes West Ham.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in E15, E13 and E7 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Whether your property is on Plaistow Grove, Willis Road and Moorey Close or a nearby road, we can help. Close by, we survey roofs in Upton (1 mile north-east), Greengate (1 mile south-east), Maryland (1 mile north-west), Stratford (1 mile north-west) and Plaistow (1 mile south-east). Further out, we also cover London (5 miles south-west), City of Westminster (7 miles west), Marylebone (7 miles west), Kensington (9 miles west), St Pancras (6 miles west) and Shoreditch (4 miles west).
Near you in West Ham
Typical jobs here are in homes near West Ham Church School, The Earl Of Derby Public House and St Bonaventure's RC School, among other places. For rail, the closest station is West Ham station, roughly 0.5 miles south-west of the centre. A little further out are Greenwich Castle (3.9 miles south) and Passmore Edwards Museum (0.6 miles north). The countryside around West Ham includes Old Ford Island and Tower Hill.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too. Bigger roofs take more time.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. The report is emailed, so it can go straight to your client.
Honest limits
A survey is a proper look at the roof, but it can’t do everything. The main limits are:
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll point you to the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes