Greater London · London and the South East
Roof survey in Kensington, Greater London
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you decide what to do next. Roof surveys in Kensington.
- Gaps in the roof where coverings have gone
- Gutters that overflow in heavy rain
- Water stains on rafters and ceiling joists
Roof survey in Kensington: what you get
Our report is written in plain English, not jargon. Each defect is described with photographs and a recommendation, and where it’s relevant we say what’s urgent and what can wait. With the Standard Survey you also get moisture detection and a structural check. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, a drone where applicable and a same-day report. Reports are sent by email. We survey ridges, hips and valleys, lead flashings and natural slate, and the problems we are asked to look at most are blocked, sagging or leaking gutters and worn lead at chimneys and abutments.
London has Victorian and Edwardian terraces in almost every borough, many with Welsh slate roofs, shared chimney stacks and parapet or valley gutters. Slates can last a century or more, but the nails holding them corrode, and slates slip. In Kensington, as across London, that’s 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 proper look too.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Place
- Kensington (W11, W8, W14, SW7)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Kensington questions
I let a flat near Kensington Olympia station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. Just call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the details.
How do I find out if my home in Kensington is listed?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Only where it is safe to do so. Much of the survey is done from ground level, upper windows and the loft space. On Premium, a drone is used where it applies.
How soon is the report ready?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. Each report includes photographs.
What does a roof survey cost?
Prices start from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the exact price before booking, and it depends on the roof’s size, access and the package you choose. To get a price, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
How many surveys have you done?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years, across London and South East England.
How long does the visit take?
Allow roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, and longer for a large or complex roof. We’ll confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
Also near Kensington
Other services in Kensington
Local roofs in Kensington
With Leighton House about 0.1 miles south, Kensington 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. Close to the centre of London, a great many houses are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, many of them roofed in Welsh slate. Many have butterfly roofs draining to a central valley gutter, with parapet walls and gutters hidden behind them. If your home in Kensington is one of them, lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are part of the picture too. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as St Barnabas and St Philip's CofE Primary School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. For businesses in and around places such as Kensington Arcade, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks. Landlords with a home close to Kensington Olympia station may find that a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Kensington is about 5 miles west of London, in Greater London. Kensington is one of many places we visit across Greater London, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, from the larger towns to small villages.
All of W11, W8, W14 and SW7 is within our area for roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We offer roof surveys to properties on Kensington High Street, Edwardes Square and Somerset Square and the roads around them. Kensington sits on or near the A402 and B316, so getting to you is simple. Other places close to Kensington include Holland Park (1 mile north), Notting Hill (1 mile north), Shepherd's Bush (1 mile west), Notting Dale (1 mile north) and White City (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (5 miles east), Marylebone (3 miles north-east), St Pancras (4 miles north-east), Shoreditch (6 miles east), Walthamstow (10 miles north-east) and Hoxton (6 miles north-east). Being one of Greater London’s larger places, Kensington has homes, rented property and businesses of every kind.
Near you in Kensington
We work in homes and buildings around Holland Park, Scarsdale Tavern and Holland Park School, among other places. You will also find Kensington School (0.5 miles east) and Abdus Salam Library (1 mile east). There is a railway station in Kensington itself: Kensington Olympia station. A little further out are Kensington Arcade (within half a mile east) and London Museum (0.7 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include WWT London Wetland Centre and The Long Water.
Tips from our surveys
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- Keep the report with your property records
- Look for debris in the garden after high winds
- Find records of any re-roofing or repairs
- Take photos of any leaks as they happen
With the Standard Survey you get a follow-up consultation, while Premium includes a consultation in person. You can ask us about anything that is not clear.
Check the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. Watch for stains, damp timbers and daylight through the roof. Take photos of anything that changes.
Different roofs, different checks
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, but its nails often corrode first. Slipped, cracked and missing slates are all noted, and for clips that show past repairs.
Clay plain and peg tiles
Where tiles hang on walls or dormers, we check them too. Gaps in tile-hanging let water reach the wall behind.
What we cannot see
Before booking, it’s worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- A structural engineer’s report
- Walls, floors and services below the roof
- An exact number of years the roof has left
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Ridges, hips and valleys
- The roof space
- Flat roofs
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings
- Natural slate
What happens on the day
The visit typically starts outside and finishes in the loft: outside views come first, then the roof space if there’s safe access. In total, it takes an hour or two for most homes, depending on how many separate roofs there are. In a London conversion, the way into the loft space is often from a communal landing or the top flat. Where that is the case, access needs agreeing with whoever controls that landing. Otherwise, the visit in Kensington runs like any other.
- You tell us the address, the type of roof and what’s worrying you.
- We agree a date, including weekends if that suits you.
- 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.
How to prepare
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- Let us know about parking before the day
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Arrange a survey
Roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email to find out.
Related advice
What you can safely check yourself
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Leave it or get it looked at?
If you are planning to sell, a roof survey can help you prepare. You’ll know what a buyer’s survey might pick up, or at least know what to expect. In Kensington, as in much of London, water from a roof defect can reach a neighbour’s home as easily as yours: a blocked parapet gutter or slipped slate can let water into the flat below or the house next door. Finding it early keeps the work smaller.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, inc. VAT. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400. You will know the exact price before booking.
Why book with us
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
- Packages from £150, including VAT
- Surveys on any day of the week
- Photographs and a written report every time
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and two real surveys.