Greater London · London and the South East
Pentonville Roof Survey
Roof surveys around Pentonville, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Crumbling chimney pointing or cracked flaunching
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or broken
- Worn or blocked valleys
Roof survey in Pentonville: what you get
People book a roof survey for all sorts of reasons. Some have seen a mark on a ceiling or bits of tile in the garden, others want a check before selling or after years without one. Whatever the reason, the survey works the same way: a careful look, then a clear written report. We survey on weekdays and at weekends, so finding a time is rarely difficult. We are frequently asked to look into cracked mortar along the ridge and slipped, cracked or missing slates and tiles, across chimney stacks, the roof space and natural slate.
A London butterfly roof slopes down to a central valley gutter that drains to the back of the house. 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 Pentonville has one, it needs checking from somewhere that can actually see it.
The written findings come by email, easy to pass on to a roofer, an agent or an insurer. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24–48 hours for Standard and same day for Premium.
- Where
- Pentonville (N1, N1P, EC1V)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photographs included.
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as householders. A report with photos gives you a clear record of the roof, useful for planning maintenance.
What a survey costs
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. The main factors are:
- House, block, shop or office
- How big the roof is
- Height and safe access
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
Every price we give includes VAT. Prices start from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the price for your roof before you book.
Helping us price your survey
The more you let us know, the easier it is to price the survey. When you contact us, tell us:
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can ring 07833 053749 or email us to find out.
What this survey can’t tell you
We only report everything that’s safely in view on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- A full building survey of the property
- How the roof will behave in every kind of weather
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll tell you before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
What we look at
- Ridges, hips and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat roofs
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings
Also near Pentonville
What else we do in Pentonville
Pentonville: your questions answered
I let a flat near Essex Road station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. Just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us about the building.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Pentonville?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway when you book. The visit is then planned around what’s available.
Will the report say how many years my roof has left?
We don’t put a figure on it, because so much depends on the fixings, underlay and upkeep. What we do is explain the roof’s condition and what to deal with first.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones cannot fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. We’ll rearrange with you if the weather isn’t right.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Only where it’s safe to do so. Much of the survey is done from ground level, upper windows and the loft space. The Premium Survey adds a drone where it applies.
Is Pentonville in your area?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, Pentonville included.
Can you inspect a terraced or semi-detached roof?
Yes. We survey the parts of the roof you have access to. Where a defect looks to be on the neighbour’s side, the report says so.
What we are asked to look at in Pentonville
The underlay under the coverings matters too. Breathable membranes only appeared in the UK in the late 1990s, so many older roofs have bitumen felt underlay, and some very old roofs have no underlay at all. Felt that has torn or perished stops doing its job.
People typically book a survey after spotting one of these:
- Condensation or damp timbers in the loft
- Cracked mortar along the ridge
- Loose chimney pots
- Valley linings that have cracked or split
Take an older house close to Church of Saint Peter: its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Before booking anyone
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
DIY checks: what’s safe
You can learn a lot from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
It helps to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us as you book.
Roof surveys in Pentonville: local notes
Many homes in inner London are Victorian and Edwardian terraces, often with Welsh slate roofs. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that cannot be seen from the pavement. Lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are typical of these houses, if yours is one of them. Whatever the covering, it’s often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. About 1.4 miles south lies Dr Johnson's House, a reminder of how long the area around Pentonville has been built on. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
Living close to Barnard Park is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls. Take a building like St John Evangelist RC Primary School: long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Pentonville is about 1 mile north-east of St Pancras, in Greater London. From houses to flats and shops in Pentonville, we can survey the roof on a weekday or at the weekend. Pentonville is one of the places in Greater London where we work for roof surveys.
Surveys in N1, N1P and EC1V are booked the same way as anywhere else. We cover properties on City Road, Noel Road and Dewey Road. Being close to the A1200, Pentonville is simple for us to get to. We also cover the places around Pentonville: Angel (1 mile south-west), Islington (1 mile north), Clerkenwell (1 mile south), Barnsbury (1 mile north-west) and St Pancras (1 mile south-west). Further out, we also cover City of Westminster (3 miles south-west), Kensington (5 miles south-west), Walthamstow (5 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles west), Ruislip (13 miles west) and Brompton (4 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Pentonville
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Islington Green School, The Camden Head Public House and Pilsudski Institute of London, among other places. You’ll also find City of London Academy Islington (under half a mile east) and Barnard Park (within half a mile west). Pentonville’s nearest station is Essex Road station, about 0.5 miles north-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Museum of Funeral History (0.7 miles south-west) and Brunswick Centre (1.2 miles south-west). For a walk, there’s Ludgate Hill and St. James's Park Lake.
What happens on the day
The visit has one job: to see as much of the roof as can be seen safely and record it clearly. Notes and photos go into the written report. It normally takes between one and two hours at a typical home, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. From the street, a London terrace typically shows only its front slope or parapet, so a visit in Pentonville moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. If other people live in the building, tell us who can let us into the shared parts.
- We help you choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey.
- On the day, we start by hearing what you’ve noticed.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Extra checks are carried out where your package includes them.
- The report is emailed with findings and recommendations.
Before the survey
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
Getting a price
A quick phone call is usually the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form, and we’ll ask about the building and what you need. The price is agreed before a date is set.