Greater London · London and the South East
West Kensington Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
An experienced roof surveyor for pre-purchase roof surveys in West Kensington. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys.
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Old water stains in the loft space
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in West Kensington
Survey packages start from £150, inc. VAT. The price for your roof depends on:
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where it applies, which starts from £400, including VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you want to find out.
Getting in touch
These details help when you contact us:
- What’s prompted the survey
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or email us when you are ready.
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in West Kensington
A full home survey looks at the whole property, so the roof is one item among many. 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. The two sit side by side if you want the fullest picture. If you are worried about chimney mortar that has eroded and roof slopes that look uneven or sagging, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on clay and concrete tiles, gutters and downpipes and lead flashings and valleys alike.
Homes across London range from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war blocks and new developments, so a property in West Kensington 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.
The report is written in plain words, so you don’t need to be a roofer to follow it. Each point is backed by a photo where possible, and recommendations are put by urgency where it matters.
- Where
- West Kensington (W14, SW6, SW5)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips from our surveys
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
We email the report to you, with photos of each finding. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Each defect is explained in plain words, with recommendations prioritised by urgency where relevant.
Look in the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. Damp patches, daylight through the roof or water stains on timbers are worth noting. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
West Kensington homes and their roofs
Many homes in inner London are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, frequently with Welsh slate roofs. From the street you may see only a parapet, with a butterfly roof and a valley gutter behind it draining to the back. Shared chimney stacks, party-wall upstands and lead work come with this kind of house. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most. West Kensington is inside, or right on the edge of, the flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea. Where the drone is part of the survey, we ask the heliport for permission first, and only fly if it’s given.
For a London address like West Kensington, it is useful to know about controlled parking before the day, along with any off-street space. For landlords with property near Kensington Olympia station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
West Kensington is about 1 mile south of Kensington, in Greater London. If you’re in West Kensington, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. Our Greater London coverage includes West Kensington and the places around it.
Surveys in W14, SW6 and SW5 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Local streets include Sun Road, Star Road and Field Road, and we cover them all. Other places close to West Kensington include North End (1 mile west), Brook Green (1 mile north-west), Fulham (1 mile south), Hammersmith (1 mile west) and Brackenbury Village (1 mile north-west). We also work in nearby towns such as London (5 miles east), City of Westminster (3 miles north-east), Marylebone (3 miles north-east), St Pancras (5 miles north-east), Shoreditch (6 miles north-east) and Walthamstow (10 miles north-east).
Landmarks near West Kensington
Typical jobs here are in homes near Avonmore Primary School, Gwendwr Garden and Seven Stars pub and the streets around them. West Kensington’s nearest station is Kensington Olympia station, about 0.5 miles north of the centre. A little further out are Chelsea Stadium Tour And Museum (1 mile south-east) and Fulham Hospital (0.6 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Campden Hill and The Long Water.
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
Standing water, blisters, splits and tired upstands all point to wear. Blocked outlets are checked as well.
Honest limits
In fairness, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- A structural engineer’s report
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll suggest the right survey. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in West Kensington
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
Towns and villages near West Kensington
Also in West Kensington
Common questions in West Kensington
Are there drone restrictions around West Kensington?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. West Kensington is inside, or right on the edge of, the flight restriction zone around London Heliport in Battersea. Before any flight there, we ask the heliport for permission, and the flight only goes ahead if it is given. 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. Each address is checked against all of them before the drone goes up. High wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying.
How do I find out if my home in West Kensington is listed?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. You might ask for work to be done, ask questions or ask for a change to the price. The outcome is between you and the seller, so we can’t promise any saving.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day. Just say which days work for you.
What if it rains on the day?
A survey can typically go ahead in light rain. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so if conditions are not right we will arrange another day with you.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Where it is safe, yes. Much of the inspection is done from ground level, from windows and from the roof space. On Premium, a drone is used where it applies.
Common roof problems in West Kensington
Flat roofs turn up on extensions, dormers, porches and garages. Felt flat roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, and standing water, blisters and splits are typical signs of ageing. A buyer can easily miss them, especially when they’re only visible from an upper floor.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
If you live in an older home near St Cuthbert's, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
What to check before booking
- Whether VAT is added on top
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- How soon the report will arrive
- Are they insured for the work?
What happens on the day
The visit has one job: to see as much of the roof as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It normally takes between one and two hours for most houses, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. In converted houses and mansion blocks, the loft hatch is often on a shared landing. If that applies to your building, it helps to agree access with the neighbours or the managing agent first. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- Once your offer is accepted, you let us know the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed ahead of time.
- 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 is safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
How to prepare
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Booking a survey
When you are ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.