Kent · London and the South East
Roof Survey in Cowden
Roof surveys in Cowden, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. You get a clear report with photos.
- Ponding, splits or blisters on flat roofs
- Worn lead at chimneys and abutments
- Worn or blocked valleys
How the survey works
On the day, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you’d like to know. After that, we check everything we can see safely. The survey typically takes roughly 1–2 hours for an ordinary house roof, and longer if there are extensions, dormers or several chimneys. Around Cowden, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so it’s useful to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- You let us know the address, the type of roof and what’s worrying you.
- We agree a date, including weekends if that suits you.
- We look at the roof from every safe vantage point outside.
- Inside, we check the loft space where there is safe access.
- We email a written report with photos and recommendations.
Before we arrive
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Tell us where we can park nearby
Arrange a survey
You can call us seven days a week. For a price or to book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
About our roof survey in Cowden
Most houses have more than one roof to look at. Rear extensions, dormers, porches and garages often have flat roofs in felt, EPDM rubber, GRP or asphalt. We check them as well as the main pitched roof, looking for ponding, splits, blisters and worn upstands. Flat roofs often need attention long before the main roof, so they deserve a careful look. A felt roof often lasts around 15 to 20 years, and GRP up to about 30. We survey lead flashings, clay and concrete tiles and flat roofs, and people most often book us about debris building up in roof valleys and water stains on rafters and ceiling joists.
In a village or hamlet like Cowden, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
The report records the roof as we found it on the day. It is useful right away, and a good reference for later, for example when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Place
- Cowden (TN8)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Cowden: your questions answered
Will you come out to Cowden?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We survey roofs across London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
How do I find out if my home in Cowden is listed?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys.
How long does the visit take?
On site, it usually takes about one to two hours at a typical home, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Report times depend on the package.
Do you carry out asbestos surveys?
No. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. We flag materials that could contain it, and recommends a specialist asbestos surveyor looks at them.
Do I need to be at home?
Someone needs to let us in if we’re looking inside or in the loft. We will talk about access as you book.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning, with the freeholder or managing agent. Let us know about it when you book and we will plan the survey around it.
What affects the cost of roof surveys
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. The main factors are:
- Which survey package you book
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Building height and the viewpoints available
Price depends partly on the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, with VAT included. The roof’s size, height and access matter as well.
Getting in touch
The more you tell us, the easier it is to price the survey. When you contact us, let us know:
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so ring 07833 053749 or email us with the details.
What else we do in Cowden
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney stacks
Water that gets into a stack can show as damp in the rooms below. We look for the likely route in.
Natural slate
Many Victorian and Edwardian houses have slate roofs. Widespread slipping normally points to corroded nails, and we say how widespread it looks.
Before and after the survey
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Gather any paperwork for past roof work
- Watch for slipped slates after bad weather
- Ask about a flat roof on an extension or garage too
- Clear the loft hatch area before we arrive
We email the report to you. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Findings are explained in plain words.
Have the roof surveyed every few years, and after major storms. Regular checks catch problems while they’re small. Compare each report with the last.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
A lot can be seen 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.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Cowden
Older houses across Kent often have handmade clay or peg tiles, and many have tile-hung walls. You will also find oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses among the county’s older buildings. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. With Bassetts Manor about 1.7 miles south, Cowden sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Church of St Mary Magdalene, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first. If you own a rental within reach of Cowden station, knowing the condition of the roof, chimneys and gutters helps you plan work rather than react to complaints.
Cowden is about 5 miles east of East Grinstead, in Kent. We carry out roof surveys for homes and businesses in Cowden and the surrounding area. We cover towns and villages across Kent. We also survey roofs in Crawley.
Here we cover the TN8 postcode area for roof surveys. Whether your property is on High Street, Church Street and Chantlers Mead or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Other places close to Cowden include Stick Hill (2 miles north), Hammerwood (2 miles west), Marsh Green (3 miles north-west), Ashurst Wood (4 miles south-west) and Dormansland (4 miles west). Further out, we also cover Sevenoaks (10 miles north-east), Royal Tunbridge Wells (8 miles east), Tonbridge (9 miles north-east), Paddock Wood (13 miles east), Southborough (7 miles east) and Edenbridge (4 miles north).
Local landmarks in Cowden
Around Cowden, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Crown Inn. For rail, the closest station is Cowden station, roughly 1 mile north-east of the centre. A little further out are Queen Victoria Hospital (4 miles west) and Bolebroke Castle (1.8 miles south).
Honest limits
It is useful to know what a survey won’t do before booking:
- A full building survey of the property
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll recommend the right survey. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Cowden
- Flat roofs
- Ridges, hips and valleys
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Lead flashings