Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in West Heath, Greater London
Wondering about the roof at a property in West Heath? You can book a pre-purchase roof survey in West Heath and across Greater London, with plain-English findings.
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in West Heath
Tall, steep or hidden roofs are hard to judge from the street. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, plus a drone inspection where it applies, and the report arrives the same day. Where a flight isn’t possible, because of airspace rules or the weather, we tell you and look from ground level, windows and the loft instead. If you’ve noticed gaps where slates or tiles have come loose and signs of past leaks inside the loft, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
London’s housing runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war estates and new blocks of flats, so a property in West Heath might be any of these. Whether the roof is old or newly laid, the problem areas depend on how and when the building went up. Slate roofs, butterfly valleys, parapet gutters and flat-roofed rear additions each have their own weak points.
Most points in the report come with a picture, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Where
- West Heath (DA7, DA16, SE2)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens if roof problems are left?
When a chain is moving fast, a roof survey can feel like one more delay. Weekend visits are available as well as weekdays, and a Premium report comes the same day, which helps it fit around your exchange date. Any roof job in West Heath means planning around parking, neighbours and access. That’s a good reason to find problems early, while there is time to plan, rather than in a rush after a leak.
Price depends partly on the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all with VAT included. The roof’s size, height and access matter as well.
Why book with us
- Packages from £150, inc. VAT
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Every finding written up with photos
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
Read what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in West Heath?
Flat roofs turn up on extensions, dormers, porches and garages. Felt flat roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, and ponding, blisters and splits are common signs of age. A buyer can easily miss them, because many can only be seen from an upstairs window.
Common reasons to book include:
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- A ridge or slope that dips
The streets around a church like St Andrew's are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Before you book anyone
- Will the report include photos?
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Is VAT included in the price?
How it works
You don’t need to do much on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we’ll get on with the inspection. The survey itself takes between one and two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. For a visit in West Heath, parking and access are the things to plan: 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 the ground, from windows, from inside the roof space and from the roof where it’s 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.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Preparing for the visit
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Tell us about parking before the day
Booking a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To send them or to book, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Read more
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in West Heath
Is my home in West Heath listed or in a conservation area?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Is drone flying allowed in West Heath?
Normally it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. The flight restriction zone around London City Airport comes within about 2 miles of West Heath. The exact boundary is checked for each address before any flight, and a roof inside it needs permission before we fly. 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. Strong wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying, and the rest of the survey doesn’t depend on the drone.
Do you need to go inside the property?
Where possible, yes. We look in the loft space where there is safe access, and views from upper windows help too. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
How long does the survey visit take?
On site, it typically takes an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it isn’t a RICS home survey. It complements one rather than replacing it.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. The report is most useful before exchange, while you can still ask questions and negotiate.
How many surveys have you done?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have completed over 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
What we look for on each type of roof
Flat roofs
Repeated coatings on a flat roof can mask what’s underneath. We record what we can see and say where a closer look is needed.
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead flashings seal the joints where a roof meets a wall or chimney. We check whether they’ve lifted, split or been replaced with mortar or bitumen.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around West Heath
In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. Hips, bay roofs and later loft conversions are typical of those semis, if your home is one of them. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest. With Danson House about 1.5 miles south, West Heath sits in an area with a long building history. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Parking in West Heath, as in most of London, takes a little planning: tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space when you book. If you own a rental within reach of Abbey Wood station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
West Heath is about 1 mile north-east of Welling, in Greater London. Wherever you are in West Heath, we can carry out pre-purchase roof surveys at your property. Across Greater London, we cover West Heath. You can also see our page for London.
We survey roofs across DA7, DA16 and SE2 for pre-purchase roof surveys. We cover properties on Hurst Lane, Hadlow Road and Denton Road and the roads around them. West Heath is on the A206, so it’s easy for us to get to. If you’re just outside West Heath, we cover Abbey Wood (1 mile north-west), Crook Log (1 mile south), Lessness Heath (1 mile north-east), Upton (1 mile south) and Bexleyheath (1 mile south-east). We also work in nearby towns like London (10 miles west), City of Westminster (12 miles west), Marylebone (12 miles west), Kensington (14 miles west), St Pancras (11 miles west) and Shoreditch (9 miles west).
What’s near West Heath
Around West Heath, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Co-op pub, Lesnes Abbey Woods and Welling School. The closest station to West Heath is Abbey Wood station, about 1 mile north of the centre. A little further out are Broadway Shopping Centre (1.7 miles south-east) and Bexley Hospital (1.4 miles south). Open spaces near West Heath include Crossness Nature Reserve.
Tips that help
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Some pointers:
- Let us know your exchange date as you book
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
After you move in, keep the report somewhere safe. Work through the urgent items before anything else, and use the photos as a record of how the roof looked when you bought. The Premium Survey includes a 12-month follow-up to see how things have changed.
Every so often, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Watch for stains, damp timbers and chinks of daylight. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
Before you book, it is worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes