Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in West Hendon
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for West Hendon and the rest of Greater London. Surveys run seven days a week.
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
Honest limits
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- A structural engineer’s report
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll recommend the right survey before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we look at
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in West Hendon
Buying a home is a big commitment, and the roof is one of the costliest parts to put right. Our pre-purchase roof survey gives you a proper look at it before you’re committed. We check the slates or tiles, the ridges and valleys, the flashings, the chimneys and the gutters, and the roof space where it’s safe to get in. You get a written report with photos. If you’re worried about sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes and bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
In a London terrace or conversion, the roof often joins the neighbours’ roofs and shares their stacks and gutters. For a purchase or a new roof in West Hendon, that shapes what can be checked: only the parts we’re given access to and can see safely are inspected. For a flat, the lease typically says who looks after the roof.
Where we can’t see part of the roof, the report says so. That way, it is clear what was covered and what wasn’t.
- Where
- West Hendon (NW9, NW4)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens on the day
Every roof is different; as a rough guide, the survey takes about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. You are welcome to ask questions while we are there. For a visit in West Hendon, 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. We then look at whatever is safely visible from ground level, windows, the loft and, where it’s safe, the roof itself.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Before we arrive
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Book a survey
Booking is simple: just call 07833 053749 or email us and give us a few details about the property and we will explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
Read more
When to book a survey in West Hendon
Gutter problems often look minor from the street. Water spilling over a gutter soaks brickwork and can rot fascias and rafter ends. Valley and parapet gutters can overflow inside the house. They’re part of what we check.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
For landlords with property near Hendon station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
What to check before booking
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Whether the price includes VAT
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- What insurance they carry
Roof by roof
Gutters and parapets
Hidden gutters behind parapets send water indoors when they block. We look at their linings and outlets from wherever is safe.
Clay and concrete tiles
Concrete interlocking tiles are common on post-war and newer homes. They wear slowly, but surfaces erode and edges crack, and low-pitched roofs need their laps to be right.
Also near West Hendon
What else we do in West Hendon
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in West Hendon
Is drone flying allowed in West Hendon?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. Across London there are restriction zones around Heathrow, London City and London Heliport, plus 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 cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain.
Is parking a problem for a survey in West Hendon?
Normally it’s manageable with a little notice. Let us know the parking rules on your street and we’ll work around them.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. The report sets out what we found, with photos, so you can raise them with the seller or their agent. We cannot promise how the seller will respond.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning. Let us know about it when you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
What’s the best way to book?
To book, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and let us know the address and what you’d like to know. We will confirm the price and find a day that suits.
How experienced are you?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, over more than 20 years, with 98% customer satisfaction.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
They do different things. A home survey looks at the whole property, and ours concentrates on the roof alone. Our survey complements a RICS survey and does not replace one.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in West Hendon
If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new.
Parking in West Hendon, as in most of London, takes a little planning: let us know about parking bays, permits or a driveway when you book. Heath House, about 3.2 miles south-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around West Hendon. Older homes in the area can come with listed status or conservation area rules, which affect re-roofing, so check with the council before you buy.
West Hendon is about 2 miles north of Neasden, in Greater London. We survey roofs in West Hendon and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and South East England. Across Greater London, we cover West Hendon. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
Surveys in NW9 and NW4 are booked the same way as anywhere else. We cover properties on Alpini Road, Catkin Road and Garrick Road. West Hendon is on the A5, so it’s easy for us to get to. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include The Hyde (1 mile south), Colindale (1 mile north), The Burroughs (1 mile north-east), Hendon (1 mile east) and Staples Corner (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include London (9 miles south-east), City of Westminster (6 miles south-east), Marylebone (6 miles south-east), Kensington (6 miles south), St Pancras (7 miles south-east) and Shoreditch (8 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in West Hendon
Around West Hendon, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Woodfield School, Moon Under Water pub and Brampton College, among other places. There is a railway station in West Hendon itself: Hendon station. Well-known places in the area include Brent Cross Shopping Centre (1.1 miles east) and Church Farmhouse Museum (1 mile north-east). Not far away are Masons Field and Parliament Hill.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
It helps to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Useful tips for West Hendon property owners
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Request records of any re-roofing
Once the home is yours, the report becomes a maintenance list. Deal with the urgent items first, and use the photos as a record of how the roof looked when you bought. Premium comes with a follow-up after 12 months.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.