Greater London · London and the South East
Roof survey in Southgate, Greater London
Roof surveys in Southgate, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Flashings that have come away from the wall
- Worn or blocked valleys
- Crumbling chimney pointing or cracked flaunching
Practical tips
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Have details of recent roof work to hand
- Check we can open the loft hatch
- Mention any damp patches when booking
- File the report with your home documents
Keep the report with your property records. It gives you something to compare against later, and buyers may ask about the roof when you sell.
Check the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. Watch for stains, damp timbers and daylight through the roof. Photograph anything new.
Roof survey in Southgate
Many homes have several roofs, not just one. Rear extensions, dormers, porches and garages frequently 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. A flat roof typically wears out sooner than a pitched one, so they deserve a proper look. A felt roof often lasts around 15 to 20 years, and GRP up to about 30. If you are worried about gutters that overflow in heavy rain and debris building up in roof valleys, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces are found right across London, often with slate roofs, chimney stacks shared with neighbours and gutters hidden behind parapets. Slates can last a century or more, but the nails holding them corrode, and slates slip. Homes in Southgate are no exception. Shared chimney stacks and the lead around them are just as important to check.
Findings are set out part by part, from the coverings down to the gutters, with a note and a photo for each point. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Location
- Southgate (N14, N11, N21, N13)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Roof surveys in Southgate: local notes
With Bruce Castle about 3.2 miles south-east, Southgate sits in an area with a long building history. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead. Further from the centre, London’s housing takes in interwar semis with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles as well as slate-roofed terraces. Hips, bay roofs and later loft conversions are typical of those semis, if your home is one of them. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first.
For site and facilities teams at buildings like Ashmole Primary School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time. For landlords with property near New Southgate station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Southgate is about 3 miles south-east of Barnet, in Greater London. We survey roofs in Southgate across London and South East England. Our area takes in places right across Greater London, large and small. You can also see our page for London.
We cover every part of the N14, N11, N21 and N13 postcode area for roof surveys. We offer roof surveys to properties on High Street, Station Road and Blagden's Close. You will find Southgate on the A111 and A1004, so it is easy for us to get to. Other places close to Southgate include Osidge (1 mile north-west), Brunswick Park (1 mile west), Arnos Grove (1 mile south), New Southgate (1 mile south) and Oakwood (1 mile north). Further out, we also cover London (9 miles south), City of Westminster (8 miles south), Marylebone (8 miles south), Kensington (9 miles south), St Pancras (7 miles south) and Shoreditch (7 miles south).
Local landmarks in Southgate
In Southgate, that means homes and buildings near The New Crown pub, Grovelands Park and Ashmole Academy and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is New Southgate station, about 1 mile south-west. Well-known places in the area include Grand Arcade (2.1 miles south-west) and Greentrees Hospital (1.9 miles south-east). For a walk, there’s Highgate Hill and Barfield Allotments Nature Park.
Different roofs, different checks
Concrete interlocking tiles
Concrete interlocking tiles are common on post-war and newer homes. They last well, but their surface erodes slowly, and they can crack.
Flat roof coverings
Felt flat roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, EPDM rubber around 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30. We check how the covering is wearing.
Your questions about roof surveys in Southgate
How do I find out if my home in Southgate is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Are there drone restrictions around Southgate?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. Across London there are restriction zones around Heathrow, London City and London Heliport, plus 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. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or a downpour.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first. Tell us about it as you book and we will explain what’s needed.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. Inside the building and in the loft, we need someone to let us in.
Can you inspect a terraced or semi-detached roof?
Yes. We inspect what the owner gives us access to. If a problem seems to come from next door, we’ll say so.
What’s covered in a roof inspection?
Slates or tiles, ridges, hips, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are all checked, along with the loft where it’s safe. You get a written report with photos and recommendations.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have completed over 5,000 surveys across London and the South East.
When to book a survey in Southgate
Not every roof problem comes from outside. A badly ventilated loft collects condensation, and the damp gets into timbers and insulation. It can look like a leak, and it needs a different fix.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed something like this:
- Valley linings that have cracked or split
- Ridge tiles that have lifted or moved
- Leaning or weathered chimney stacks
- Blocked, sagging or leaking gutters
Shop and office owners around Grand Arcade may find that knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies.
What to check before booking
- When you will get the report
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Is VAT included in the price?
- What exactly goes into their report
What a roof survey doesn’t cover
We only report everything that’s safely in view on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- The condition of the rest of the building (that’s a RICS home survey)
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Whether the roof structure meets design loads
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Southgate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Ridges, hips and valleys
- Flat roofs
- Lead flashings
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
What a survey costs
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before booking. This is what makes a difference:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package you pick makes a difference too. We’ll give you the figure before anything is booked.
Getting in touch
You do not need to know any roofing terms. It is enough to tell us:
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
We survey roofs on any day of the week. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Towns and villages near Southgate
More services for Southgate
The survey, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photographs. As for time on site, most surveys take between one and two hours on an ordinary house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. For a visit in Southgate, parking and access are the things to plan: let us know about parking, the floor the property is on, any shared entrance and loft access. We then look at everything that’s safely in view from the ground, windows, the loft and, where it’s safe, the roof itself.
- We start with the property details and any concerns.
- 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.
- Inside, we check the roof space where there is safe access.
- You receive the report with photos and recommendations, prioritised by urgency.
How to prepare
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Book a survey
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or email us and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price before booking.