Greater London · London and the South East
St Paul's Cray Roof Survey
A roof condition survey for homes and buildings for St Paul's Cray and the rest of Greater London. Surveys run on any day of the week.
- Water stains on rafters and ceiling joists
- Loose chimney pots
- Standing water on a flat roof
Before and after the survey
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Tips:
- Hold on to the report for future surveys
- Keep a record of damp patches and dates
- Clear the loft hatch area before we arrive
- Gather any paperwork for past roof work
Your report arrives by email. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Each finding is set out in plain English.
Have gutters and valleys cleared regularly, particularly after autumn. Use a gutter contractor rather than climbing a ladder yourself. Most overflow damage starts with a blocked gutter.
How a roof survey works in St Paul's Cray
There are three levels of survey: a Basic Survey from £150, a Standard Survey from £250 and a Premium Survey from £400, all with VAT included. The Basic Survey gives a visual inspection, photographs and written recommendations. The higher packages add more checks, with moisture detection and a structural check, and on Premium, thermal imaging and a drone where it applies. Every package includes a written report. Typical surveys look at gutters that overflow in heavy rain and crumbling chimney pointing or cracked flaunching, across lead flashings, ridges, hips and valleys and flat roofs.
London has Victorian and Edwardian terraces in almost every borough, many with Welsh slate roofs, shared chimney stacks and parapet or valley gutters. Good slates can last over a hundred years, yet the nails often give out first and let slates slip. Homes in St Paul's Cray are no exception. Lead flashings and shared chimney stacks on these houses need a close look too.
Pictures do a lot of the work in our reports, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Place
- St Paul's Cray (BR5, BR7)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Why act early in St Paul's Cray
Without a survey, you’re guessing at what the roof needs. That can lead to the wrong work being done, or miss the fault that matters. We tell you what’s really needed. London’s older roofs frequently have bitumen felt underlay or none at all, so a slipped slate can soon mean water inside. Left alone, that means wet timbers and plaster, which is a far bigger job than the roof fault itself.
One thing that affects the price is the package: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 or Premium from £400, all with VAT included. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Why book with us
- Plain-English reports with photos
- Prices that include VAT
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- An independent look at the roof
Read our cost guide and what we found on two real jobs.
Places near St Paul's Cray
What else we do in St Paul's Cray
Surveys for landlords and agents in St Paul's Cray
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work around your tenants.
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords. Bigger roofs take more time, so they’re priced to suit.
Roof surveys in St Paul's Cray: local notes
If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
Landlords with a home close to St Mary Cray station may find that a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let. If you live near a park such as Chislehurst Common, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls.
St Paul's Cray is about 1 mile north of Orpington, in Greater London. Roofs in St Paul's Cray get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Greater London. Across Greater London, we cover St Paul's Cray. There’s also a page for London.
We work across the BR5 and BR7 postcode area for roof surveys. Whether your property is on Main Road, Murray Road and Rushet Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. Other places close to St Paul's Cray include St Mary Cray (1 mile south), Poverest (1 mile south), Derry Downs (1 mile south), Orpington (1 mile south) and Kevington (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover London (11 miles north-west), City of Westminster (14 miles north-west), Marylebone (14 miles north-west), Kensington (15 miles north-west), St Pancras (13 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (12 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in St Paul's Cray
In St Paul's Cray, that means homes and buildings near Kemnal Technology College, The Blue Anchor Public House and Walsingham School and the streets around them. There’s a railway station in St Paul's Cray itself: St Mary Cray station. Well-known places in the area include Lullingstone Castle (4.8 miles south-east) and London Borough of Bromley Museum (1.5 miles south). For a walk, there’s The Warren and Summer Hill.
Common roof problems in St Paul's Cray
Flashings seal the joints where a roof meets a wall or chimney. Lead can crack, lift or slip with age, and mortar fillets crack away from the wall. Missing lead is not unusual either, as thieves target it.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Worn lead at chimneys and abutments
- Cracked mortar along the ridge
- Condensation or damp timbers in the loft
- Standing water on a flat roof
Bromley Palace, about 3.7 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around St Paul's Cray. Older homes in the area may have roofs that need matching materials when work is done.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- When you will get the report
- Whether the price includes VAT
- Will the report include photos?
- What insurance they carry
How it works
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. Then the inspection itself takes an hour or two for most homes, depending on how many separate roofs there are. In St Paul's Cray, visits are available on weekdays and at weekends. It helps if you can point us to a visitor permit or a nearby bay. Upstairs rooms at the back are useful too, as they frequently give the best view of a rear addition.
- You pick the package that suits your roof.
- On the day, we start by hearing what you’ve noticed.
- Coverings, ridges, hips, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Moisture detection, a structural check, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- You get a written report with photos and clear recommendations.
How to prepare
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
Book a survey
For a price for roof surveys in St Paul's Cray, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. The address, the type of property and what you want to find out help us give you an accurate price.
Read more
Your questions about roof surveys in St Paul's Cray
How do I find out if my home in St Paul's Cray is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Is parking a problem for a survey in St Paul's Cray?
It depends on the street. If St Paul's Cray has controlled parking where you are, a visitor permit is the easiest answer.
How much is a survey?
Roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. The final figure depends on the roof and the package you choose, and it’s agreed before booking.
Can you inspect a terraced or semi-detached roof?
Yes, the part you own or can give access to. Next door’s roof is only inspected as far as we can see it. Shared stacks and upstands are looked at from your property.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, so it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It can sit alongside a RICS survey if you want both.
How do I arrange a roof survey in St Paul's Cray?
Just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day, weekday or weekend.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
When the roof and the conditions make it safe, yes. We also use views from the ground, windows and the roof space.
How we price roof surveys
Our packages start from £150, inc. VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- How big the roof is
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
To find out what your survey will cost, call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and a few details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
What we need to know
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. Just let us know:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.