Kent · London and the South East
Swingfield Minnis Roof Survey
Find out the condition of the roof at your property in Swingfield Minnis. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Ponding, splits or blisters on flat roofs
- Leaking gutter joints and downpipes
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or broken
What you can safely check yourself
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
About our roof survey in Swingfield Minnis
Across London and South East England, roofs differ widely. A Victorian or Edwardian terrace may have slate, a central valley gutter and parapet walls, and many post-war homes have concrete interlocking tiles instead. We adapt the survey to the roof in front of us. Older tiled homes may have clay plain tiles, and many homes have a flat-roofed extension too. Each part is checked in the way that suits it. We survey flat roofs, clay and concrete tiles and the roof space, and people most often book us about ponding, splits or blisters on flat roofs and water stains on rafters and ceiling joists.
Some older homes in villages like Swingfield Minnis are listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Older materials such as clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
Most points in the report come with a picture, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Where
- Swingfield Minnis (CT15)
- Region
- Kent
- Cost
- 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
Tips that help
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Some pointers:
- Include dormers, porches and garages when booking
- Have details of recent roof work to hand
- Leave roof access to professionals
- Let us know about past leaks
Keep the report with your property records. It gives you something to compare against later, and it can help when you sell.
After a storm, check the roof from the garden and the street. Fragments of slate or tile on the ground mean something has shifted. Prompt repairs stop small problems growing.
Your questions about roof surveys in Swingfield Minnis
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Swingfield Minnis?
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.
Is the coastal weather around Swingfield Minnis hard on roofs?
Places near the sea get more wind and more salt in the air than inland, and both are hard on roofs. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Can you tell me how long my roof will last?
Not as a figure. We describe the condition of each part of the roof and how it’s wearing, and we say what needs attention and how urgently.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it helps and it is safe, yes. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. Our report notes any materials that might, and recommends a specialist asbestos surveyor looks at them.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We’ll talk about access when booking.
Does a roof survey replace a structural engineer?
No. If we see signs that need an engineer, like serious sagging, we will say so. Our survey isn’t a structural engineer’s report.
How it works
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof; as a rough guide, the survey takes an hour or two at a typical home, or half a day or so for a commercial building. If you have questions on the day, just ask. Older roofs in small places like Swingfield Minnis can have low, tight loft spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it is safe.
- You get in touch with the address and anything you’ve noticed.
- We arrange a day that suits you, including weekends.
- The roof is inspected from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- We check the coverings, ridges, hips, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, and photograph what we find.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations.
How to prepare
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Booking a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or send us an email when you’re ready.
Advice
When you need someone else
A survey is a careful look at the roof, but it cannot do everything. Its limits include:
- A full building survey of the property
- Confirmation of asbestos in soffits or cement sheets
- A promise that the roof will not leak in future
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Swingfield Minnis
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Flat roofs
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Ridges, hips and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
When to book a survey in Swingfield Minnis
A chimney stack takes more weather than almost any other part of a roof. Mortar crumbles, the flaunching around the pots cracks and stacks can lean. Damp on a chimney breast inside frequently starts at the top of the stack.
Look out for signs like these:
- Standing water on a flat roof
- Cracked mortar along the ridge
- Gutters that overflow in heavy rain
- Valley linings that have cracked or split
If you own a rental within reach of Shepherds Well station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Questions to ask before booking
- Whether the price includes VAT
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- What insurance they carry
- What follow-up you get after the report
Different roofs, different checks
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, yet the nails holding it often fail long before the slate. Slipped, cracked and missing slates are all noted, and for clips that show past repairs.
Lead flashings and valleys
Many older houses have lead in their valleys and hidden gutters. Worn or split lead lets water straight in, and lead is a target for theft.
Also near Swingfield Minnis
What else we do in Swingfield Minnis
Roof surveys in Swingfield Minnis: local notes
Swingfield Minnis is within about 4 miles of the coast, where wind off the sea can be strong. A small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, so the weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead. With Acrise Place about 1.5 miles south-west, Swingfield Minnis 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.
Anyone responsible for a site like Selsted Church of England Primary School will know that its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Swingfield Minnis is about 4 miles north of Folkestone, in Kent. Bookings from Swingfield Minnis are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Swingfield Minnis is one of the towns and villages in Kent we cover for roof surveys. There’s also a page for Canterbury.
We work across the CT15 postcode area for roof surveys. Whether your property is on Canterbury Road and Hoad Road or a nearby road, we can help. You’ll find Swingfield Minnis on the A260, which makes it simple to reach. If you’re just outside Swingfield Minnis, we cover Selsted (1 mile north), Densole (1 mile south), Wootton (2 miles north), Hawkinge (2 miles south) and Old Hawkinge (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Ashford (13 miles west), Canterbury (10 miles north), Dover (6 miles east), Folkestone (4 miles south), Whitstable (15 miles north) and Deal (11 miles north-east).
Landmarks near Swingfield Minnis
For rail, the closest station is Shepherds Well station, about 4.1 miles north-east of the centre. A little further out are Elham Valley Countryside Centre And Railway Museum (3.9 miles south-west) and Royal Victoria Hospital (4.1 miles south). Not far away are Cheriton Hill.