Greater London · London and the South East
Roof survey in Smithfield, Greater London
Not sure what state the roof is in? We carry out roof surveys in Smithfield and across Greater London, with plain-English findings.
- Leaning or weathered chimney stacks
- Debris building up in roof valleys
- Lifted, split or missing lead flashings
Checking the roof from the ground
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Roof survey in Smithfield: what you get
The report is written for you, in plain language. Every issue comes with photos and a written recommendation, and where it’s relevant we say what’s urgent and what can wait. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, a drone where applicable and a same-day report. Each report is emailed to you. If you’ve noticed leaking gutter joints and downpipes and ponding, splits or blisters on flat roofs, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
London has a great many flats in converted houses and purpose-built blocks, where the roof is normally a shared part of the building. Whoever looks after the building needs a clear picture of the roof, chimneys and gutters, in Smithfield as anywhere. Leaks from a shared roof rarely affect just one home. A report gives everyone the same picture to plan from, with photographs.
The report doesn’t just list problems. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend.
- Where
- Smithfield (EC1V, EC1P, EC1R)
- Region
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Honest limits
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- The condition of the rest of the building (that’s a RICS home survey)
- A promise that the roof will not leak in future
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll point you to the right survey before booking. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- Flat roofs
- Ridges, hips and valleys
- The roof space
- Lead flashings
Roof surveys around Smithfield
Smithfield is about 1 mile from the restricted area over the City of London, where drone flights need permission from NATS. If your survey includes the drone, the address is checked against it before any flight. Dr Johnson's House, about 0.3 miles south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Smithfield. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof.
For businesses in and around places like Gabriel's Wharf, a written record of the roof’s condition helps you plan maintenance rather than react to leaks. For an older house near a landmark like St Bartholomew-the-Less, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine. Take a building like Charterhouse Square School: a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Smithfield is about 1 mile north of London, in Greater London. In Smithfield, as across Greater London, every roof gets the same careful survey. Smithfield is one of the places in Greater London where we work.
All of EC1V, EC1P and EC1R is within our area for roof surveys. We offer roof surveys to properties on Oat Lane, Shoe Lane and Long Lane. Smithfield is on the A1 and A4, so it is easy for us to get to. We also cover the places around Smithfield: Farringdon (1 mile north), Blackfriars (1 mile south), Holborn (1 mile west), Temple Bar (1 mile south-west) and Clerkenwell (1 mile north). We also work in nearby towns like Kensington (4 miles west), Walthamstow (6 miles north-east), Hampstead (4 miles north-west), Ruislip (14 miles west), Brompton (3 miles south-west) and Stockwell (4 miles south).
Near you in Smithfield
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to London Nautical School, Barts Health Archives and St Alban's Church of England Primary School, among other places. Also close by are St Mary-at-Hill (1 mile south-east), Oriole pub (less than half a mile south-west) and Postman's Park (less than half a mile south-east). There’s a railway station in Smithfield itself: Farringdon station. Well-known places in the area include Montfichet's Tower (under half a mile south) and Postal Museum (less than half a mile south-east). Green spaces nearby include Ludgate Hill and St. James's Park Lake.
Roof by roof
Natural slate
Slate is one of the most durable roof coverings, but its nails often corrode first. We check for slipped, cracked and missing slates.
Lead flashings and valleys
Flashings and valleys are where many leaks start. That’s why we look at them closely.
Places near Smithfield
Other services in Smithfield
Landlord and commercial surveys in Smithfield
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. Recommendations are set out with the most urgent first where relevant.
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, including offices, shops and units. Bigger roofs take more time.
What affects the cost of roof surveys
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. The main factors are:
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- How big the roof is
- Basic, Standard or Premium
We offer three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, all with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you’d like to know.
Getting in touch
If you can, have these to hand when you contact us:
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
We confirm the price for your roof before booking, so you know where you stand. Our price is from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
What happens on the day
Where it is relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. All in, the survey usually takes about one to two hours on an ordinary house, and more on a big or complicated roof. Many London properties are flats or terraces with no side access, so rear slopes are viewed from windows, the loft or, where a flight is allowed, by drone. Mention any building rules, key holders or managing agents when you book.
- You get in touch with the address and anything you’ve noticed.
- A visit is booked for a weekday or a weekend.
- We inspect from ground level, from windows, from the roof space and from the roof where safe.
- Every part of the roof is checked and photographed.
- We email a report with photographs and recommendations.
Before we arrive
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Leave side gates unlocked
Arrange a survey
If you’re buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply call 07833 053749 or email us whenever suits you.
Advice
Common questions in Smithfield
I let a flat near Farringdon station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, that’s a common request. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Is drone flying allowed in Smithfield?
That depends on where the roof is and on the weather. The restricted area over the City of London, where drone flights need permission from NATS, is about 1 mile from Smithfield. We check whether the address falls inside it, and if it does we apply for permission, which is not always given. 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. Strong wind or a downpour also stops a small drone flying, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
Is a roof survey the same as a structural survey?
No. If we see signs that need an engineer, like serious sagging, we’ll say so. Our survey isn’t a structural engineer’s report.
Can you tell me how long my roof will last?
Not as an exact number, 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.
Can you look at a roof that’s joined to next door?
Yes, we can. 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.
How experienced are you?
We have been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have completed over 5,000 surveys.
Do you go up on the roof?
Only when it is safe. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft, and Premium includes a drone where it applies.