Kent · London and the South East
Roof Survey in Bicknor
A careful look at the roof at your property in Bicknor, and put it all in a written report with photos.
- Standing water on a flat roof
- Gutters that overflow in heavy rain
- Valley linings that have cracked or split
How a roof survey works in Bicknor
Across London and the South East, roofs differ widely. If your home is a Victorian terrace, it may have Welsh slate, a butterfly roof and parapet gutters, while many post-war homes have concrete interlocking tiles. Whatever yours has, the survey is adapted to it. Some older homes have clay tiles, and many have a flat-roofed extension as well. Every part gets the attention it needs. We’re often asked to look into crumbling chimney pointing or cracked flaunching and gaps in the roof where coverings have gone, across flat roofs, lead flashings and natural slate.
Village roofs frequently face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are frequently the first to give way.
Where we cannot see part of the roof, the report says so. That way, it is clear what was covered and what wasn’t.
- Place
- Bicknor (ME9)
- Region
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens on the day
After the inspection, everything we found is written up as a written report with photos, sent to you by email. As for time on site, it normally takes between one and two hours for most homes, depending on how many separate roofs there are. Cottages and farmhouses around Bicknor often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- You let us know the address, the type of roof and what’s worrying you.
- A visit is booked for a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- Outside, we inspect from ground level, windows and other safe vantage points, and from the roof where safe.
- We then look in the loft for damp, staining and the condition of the underlay.
- You receive the report with photos and recommendations, prioritised by urgency.
Before we arrive
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
Booking a survey
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price before booking.
Related advice
Should I look at the roof myself first?
You can learn a lot from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Share it with us as you book and it will help the survey.
Your questions about roof surveys in Bicknor
Can a landlord with a rental near Hollingbourne station book a roof survey?
Yes, landlords and letting agents book with us as well as owners. Just call 07833 053749 or email us and tell us about the building, including who will give access on the day.
Is my home in Bicknor 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.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning. Tell us about it as you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
What’s covered in a roof inspection?
Slates or tiles, ridges, hips, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are all checked, along with the loft where it is safe. The report includes photos and recommendations.
How much does a roof survey cost in Bicknor?
Roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. The final figure depends on the roof and the package you choose, and it is agreed before booking.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. Drone inspection is part of the Drone Roof Survey and the Premium Survey, where applicable.
Can you check whether my roof contains asbestos?
No. Asbestos was banned in UK construction in 1999, so older buildings may have it. Our report notes any materials that might, and recommends a specialist asbestos surveyor looks at them.
Different roofs, different checks
Flat roof coverings
Felt flat roofs frequently last around 15 to 20 years, EPDM rubber around 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30. We check how the covering is wearing.
Natural slate
From the loft, we check the underside of a slate roof. There may be old felt underlay, or none at all on very old roofs, and we note its condition.
Towns and villages near Bicknor
More services for Bicknor
Practical tips
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Tell us about any leaks or stains you’ve seen
- Move stored items away from the loft hatch
- Take photos of any leaks as they happen
- Hold on to the report for future surveys
The recommendations are prioritised by urgency where relevant. Some faults need dealing with soon, while others can wait for planned work. That helps you decide what to do first.
Have the roof surveyed every few years, and after major storms. Routine surveys pick up wear before it leaks. Compare each report with the last.
What we cannot see
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- An exact number of years the roof has left
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flat roofs
- Ridges, hips and valleys
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings
- Clay and concrete tiles
Local roofs in Bicknor
The wider area around Bicknor has a long history of building, with Leeds Castle about 3.7 miles south-west. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Across Kent, older roofs are frequently handmade clay or peg tiles, and tile-hanging on upper walls is a familiar sight. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
If you let a flat or house near Hollingbourne station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. The streets around a church such as Church of St James are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Bicknor is about 4 miles south-west of Sittingbourne, in Kent. We provide roof surveys for homes and businesses in Bicknor and nearby. Our area takes in places right across Kent, from the larger towns to small villages. For surveys nearby, see our Maidstone page.
Roof surveys in ME9 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you’re just outside Bicknor, we cover Hucking (1 mile west), Wormshill (1 mile south-east), Broad Street (2 miles south-west), Hollingbourne (2 miles south-west) and Eyhorne Street (3 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Maidstone (6 miles west), Ashford (14 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (4 miles north-east), Faversham (9 miles east), Minster (10 miles north-east) and Kings Hill (12 miles west).
Local landmarks in Bicknor
Bicknor’s nearest station is Hollingbourne station, roughly 2.8 miles south-west. A little further out are Leeds Castle (3.7 miles south-west) and KIMS hospital (4.9 miles west). For a walk, there’s Detling Hill.
Why act early in Bicknor
Leaks rarely show up right away. Insulation, plaster and timber can all be damp before you see a stain. From inside the loft space, we can often spot it sooner. For older village homes like those around Bicknor, the right replacement materials are not always easy to find quickly. That’s one more reason to find defects before they become urgent.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, how it can safely be seen and which survey you book.
Why us?
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- Drone and thermal imaging surveys available
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Package prices that include VAT
Read what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.