Greater London · London and the South East
Roof survey in Bow, Greater London
A roof condition survey for homes and buildings for Bow and the rest of Greater London. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- Lifted, split or missing lead flashings
- Condensation or damp timbers in the loft
- Crumbling chimney pointing or cracked flaunching
Roof survey in Bow
Good roofs last decades, but their parts wear at different rates. Slate frequently lasts a century or more, and tiles commonly half a century, but the fixings and underlay beneath them often give out sooner. We tell you which parts are ageing and which are sound. That lets you plan work in good time rather than after a leak. Common reasons to book are blocked, sagging or leaking gutters and worn or blocked valleys, across chimney stacks, the roof space and ridges, hips and valleys.
Many London terraces have a butterfly roof, with two slopes meeting in a central valley gutter that drains to the rear. From the street you see only a parapet wall, so blocked outlets and split linings go unnoticed until water comes through a ceiling. If your home in Bow has one, it needs checking from somewhere that can actually see it.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Location
- Bow (E3)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey changes by roof type
Lead flashings and valleys
Most leaks begin at a joint rather than the middle of a slope. That is why we check them closely.
Flat roof coverings
A felt roof frequently lasts around 15 to 20 years, while EPDM rubber often lasts 30 to 50 years and GRP up to about 30. We look at how the covering is wearing.
What you can safely check yourself
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
Bow homes and their roofs
Historic houses like Sutton House, about 1.6 miles north-west, show how far back building in the area around Bow goes. 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. Many homes in inner London are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, frequently with Welsh slate roofs. A butterfly roof with a central valley gutter, tucked behind a parapet wall, is common on these houses. Shared chimney stacks, party-wall upstands and lead work come with this kind of house. Whatever the covering, it is frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
Trees in and around Grove Hall Park shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, so outlets and downpipes are worth watching. For landlords with property near Hackney Wick station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Bow is about 1 mile south-east of Hackney, in Greater London. Roofs in Bow get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Greater London. Across Greater London, we cover Bow.
All of E3 is covered for roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We cover properties on Trellis Square, Sheffield Square and Bromley High Street. Bow is on the B142, so it is easy for us to get to. We also cover the places around Bow: Donnybrook Quarter (1 mile north), Old Ford (1 mile north-east), Mile End (1 mile south), Fish Island (1 mile north) and Bromley (1 mile south-east). Within a short drive, we also cover London (4 miles south-west), City of Westminster (6 miles west), Marylebone (5 miles west), Kensington (8 miles west), St Pancras (4 miles west) and Walthamstow (4 miles north).
Near you in Bow
We work in homes and buildings around Lord Tredegar Public House, Grove Hall Park and Mulberry UTC. The nearest railway station is Hackney Wick station, roughly 0.9 miles north of the centre. A little further out are V&A East (0.9 miles north-east) and St Clement's Hospital (less than half a mile south). Not far away are Hollow Pond and Old Ford Island.
Honest limits
We only report whatever is safely visible on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- A full building survey of the property
- An exact number of years the roof has left
- A structural engineer’s report
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll suggest the right survey before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we look at
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings
- The roof space
- Ridges, hips and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Flat roofs
- Natural slate
Prices for roof surveys in Bow
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Roof area
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all inc. VAT. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
What we need to know
We’ll typically ask about:
- What made you get in touch
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
For a price for roof surveys in Bow, ring 07833 053749 or email us. A few details about the property and the roof help us give you an accurate price.
What we are asked to look at in Bow
Flashings seal the joints where a roof meets a wall or chimney. Over time lead flashings split, lift or work loose, and mortar fillets crack. Missing lead is not unusual either, as thieves target it.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Valley linings that have cracked or split
- Gutters that overflow in heavy rain
- Gaps in the roof where coverings have gone
- Water stains on rafters and ceiling joists
Shop and office owners around Westfield Stratford City may find that a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions.
Before booking anyone
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- What exactly goes into their report
- Is VAT included in the price?
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
Questions from Bow
Is drone flying allowed in Bow?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. Bow is about 2 miles from the edge of the flight restriction zone around London City Airport. 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. Each address is checked against all of them before the drone goes up. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Bow?
Parking in Bow, as in most of London, takes a little planning: a visitor permit or a bay close to the door helps a lot.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. We check the roof, not the whole building, so it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
Does a roof survey replace a structural engineer?
No. Where we see something that needs a structural engineer, the report says so. Our survey isn’t a structural engineer’s report.
Does someone need to be in?
Someone needs to let us in if we’re looking inside or in the loft. We’ll talk about access when you book.
Can you inspect a terraced or semi-detached roof?
Yes, we inspect your part of the roof. Next door’s roof is only inspected as far as we can see it. Shared stacks and upstands are looked at from your property.
Is Bow in your area?
Yes. Bow is part of the area we cover, and the service is the same as everywhere else we work.
Nearby places to Bow
More services for Bow
How it works
We do not take risks to get a closer look. Everything that can safely be seen is inspected, and if part of the roof cannot be seen, the report says so. Most visits take about 1–2 hours for most houses, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. In a London area like Bow, the main things to sort out are parking and access: let us know about parking, the floor the property is on, any shared entrance and loft access. On the day, the roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from inside the loft space and from the roof where it is safe.
- We start by hearing what you’d like checked and why.
- We agree a date, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- We check the roof from every safe vantage point, inside and out.
- We check the coverings, ridges, hips, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, and photograph what we find.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Let us know where we can park nearby
Arrange a survey
When you are ready to go ahead, ring 07833 053749 or email us. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.