Greater London · London and the South East
Roof Survey in Bow Common
Know where you stand with the roof before you decide what to do next. We carry out roof surveys in Bow Common, with photographs and a clear written report.
- Ridge tiles that have lifted or moved
- Leaning or weathered chimney stacks
- Torn or sagging underlay
Bow Common: your questions answered
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Bow Common?
That depends on where the roof is and on the weather. The flight restriction zone around London City Airport comes within about 1 mile of Bow Common. The exact boundary is checked for each address before any flight, and a roof inside it needs permission before we fly. The restricted area over the Isle of Dogs, where drone flights need permission from NATS, is about 2 miles from Bow Common. If a roof falls inside it, we apply for permission before flying, and the flight only goes ahead if it’s granted. 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. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather.
Is parking a problem for a survey in Bow Common?
Usually it’s manageable with a little notice. Let us know the parking rules on your street and we will work around them.
Do you give a life expectancy for the roof?
Not as a figure. We describe the condition of each part of the roof and how it’s wearing, with recommendations ranked by urgency.
How experienced are you?
We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys, across 20+ years of surveying roofs.
Do you work in Bow Common?
Yes. We cover Bow Common and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work across London and South East England. To book, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It can sit alongside a RICS survey if you want both.
How much does a roof survey cost in Bow Common?
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Our three packages are Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, inc. VAT.
Roof survey in Bow Common
Everything we check, we check safely: from ground level, from windows, from the roof space and from the roof where conditions allow. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging and, where applicable, a drone, which helps with tall or steep roofs. All we need from you is access to the property and the loft. Each defect we find is photographed and explained. If you’ve noticed leaking gutter joints and downpipes and standing water on a flat roof, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces are found right across London, often with slate roofs, chimney stacks shared with neighbours and gutters hidden behind parapets. Slates can last a century or more, but the nails holding them corrode, and slates slip. In Bow Common, as across London, that is why a roof needs a proper look rather than a glance from the street. Lead flashings and shared chimney stacks on these houses need a close look too.
What you get is a clear record of the roof on the day we saw it. That makes it useful now and a handy reference later, such as when you want to compare after future work.
- Location
- Bow Common (E14, E3, E1)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Roof surveys around Bow Common
The restricted area over the Isle of Dogs, where drone flights need permission from NATS, is about 2 miles from Bow Common. Where the drone is part of the survey, we check whether the address falls inside it before flying. Inner London’s Victorian and Edwardian terraces often have Welsh slate roofs. Many have butterfly roofs draining to a central valley gutter, with parapet walls and gutters hidden behind them. If your home in Bow Common is one of them, lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are part of the picture too. Whatever the covering, it’s frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
If you own a rental within reach of Limehouse station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant. Homes near green spaces such as Bartlett Park can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
Bow Common is about 2 miles east of Whitechapel, in Greater London. Surveys in Bow Common work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful look at whatever is safely visible, photos and a clear written report. Across Greater London, we cover Bow Common and the places around it.
Roof surveys in E14, E3 and E1 are booked the same way as anywhere else. We offer roof surveys to properties on Market Way, Knapp Road and Thomas Road and the roads around them. Neighbouring places we cover for roof surveys include Limehouse (1 mile west), Bromley (1 mile north-east), Mile End (1 mile north-west), Poplar (1 mile south) and Canary Wharf (1 mile south). Within a short drive, we also cover London (3 miles south-west), City of Westminster (6 miles west), Marylebone (5 miles west), Kensington (8 miles west), St Pancras (4 miles west) and Walthamstow (5 miles north).
Near you in Bow Common
Typical jobs here are in homes near Stebon Primary School, The Widow's Son pub and Bartlett Park, among other places. Bow Common’s nearest station is Limehouse station, roughly 0.8 miles south-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Tower of London (2.4 miles west) and St Clement's Hospital (0.6 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Tower Hill and Hollow Pond.
Common roof problems in Bow Common
Every roof takes years of rain, wind, sun and frost. Wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces, and rain finds any gap it can. Small faults that start this way grow over time.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Loose chimney pots
- Gutters that overflow in heavy rain
- Flashings that have come away from the wall
- Slipped, cracked or missing slates and tiles
Anyone responsible for a site like St Paul's Way Trust School will know that large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Why get it checked now?
A small roof defect typically gets bigger. A single gap lets water onto the timbers underneath, and damp timber slowly weakens. Finding it early keeps the work smaller. In Bow Common, as in much of London, water from a roof defect can reach a neighbour’s home as easily as yours: failed flashings and blocked valley gutters can send water into more than one home. Finding it early keeps the work smaller.
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Our price is from £150, including VAT.
What you get with us
- A written report with photos
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- 20+ years’ experience
Take a look at our cost guide and our case studies.
What affects the price in Bow Common
To price your survey, we check:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Roof area
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, all inc. VAT. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Getting in touch
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- When you need the report by
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form whenever suits you.
How the survey works
Before we start, tell us why you’ve booked: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. That way we can focus on what matters to you. The visit typically takes roughly 1–2 hours at a typical home, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. In converted houses and mansion blocks, the loft hatch is often on a shared landing. If that applies to your building, it’s useful to agree access with the neighbours or the managing agent first. Otherwise, the visit in Bow Common runs like any other.
- You get in touch with the address and anything you’ve noticed.
- We arrange a day that suits you, including weekends.
- The roof is inspected from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it’s safe.
- We check the coverings, ridges, hips, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, and photograph what we find.
- We email a report with photos and recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- Tell us where we can park nearby
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Booking a survey
Once you know what you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
Related advice
Can I check my roof myself?
A lot can be seen from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
Honest limits
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- A promise that the roof will not leak in future
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Ridges, hips and valleys
- Lead flashings
- Flat roofs
- Chimney stacks