Greater London · London and the South East
The Burroughs Roof Survey
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in The Burroughs, with photos and a written report.
- Slipped, cracked or missing slates and tiles
- Ponding, splits or blisters on flat roofs
- Valley linings that have cracked or split
Why it’s worth a survey now in The Burroughs
Valley gutters and parapet gutters are out of sight until they overflow. An overflow there sends water indoors. We check them before they cause trouble. In The Burroughs, as across London, an overflowing gutter soaks the wall below. A small blockage left for a few winters becomes a damp problem.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where applicable, which starts from £400, with VAT included. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in The Burroughs
- PI and public liability insurance
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Clear package prices, including VAT
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.
Roof surveys for homes and businesses in The Burroughs
Most houses have more than one roof to look at. Flat roofs over extensions, garages and dormers are common in felt, EPDM rubber, GRP or asphalt. They’re included alongside the main roof, looking for ponding, splits, blisters and worn upstands. A flat roof normally 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’re worried about standing water on a flat roof and loose chimney pots, we can find out what’s behind it, on ridges, hips and valleys, lead flashings and the roof space alike.
Much of London’s housing is flats, in converted houses or purpose-built blocks, so roofs are often shared between several households. Landlords, managing agents and residents’ companies need to know what condition it’s in and what work is coming up. Leaks from a shared roof rarely affect just one home. A report gives everyone the same picture to plan from, with photos.
Most points in the report come with a picture, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. If something couldn’t be seen safely, the report is clear about it.
- Where
- The Burroughs (NW4, NW9, NW11)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from the ground
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
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. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
What happens on the day
We’ll ask a few questions first, like when any problem began and what work has been done before. Then the inspection itself takes about one to two hours for an ordinary house roof, and longer if there are extensions, dormers or several chimneys. In a London conversion, the way into the roof space is often from a communal landing or the top flat. If that applies to your building, it helps to agree access with the neighbours or the managing agent first. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- You get in touch with the address and anything you’ve noticed.
- We agree a date, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- We look at the roof from every safe vantage point, inside and out.
- We check the coverings, ridges, hips, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, and photograph what we find.
- Your report arrives by email, with recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Preparing for the visit
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Getting a price
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
What affects the price in The Burroughs
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
- Height and safe access
- Which survey package you book
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
Roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can be seen safely and the package you choose.
What to tell us when you get in touch
What helps most when you contact us:
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll explain the options and the price.
Common roof problems in The Burroughs
Chimneys stand exposed above the 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.
People typically book a survey when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Leaking gutter joints and downpipes
- Flashings that have come away from the wall
- Valley linings that have cracked or split
- Ponding, splits or blisters on flat roofs
If you run a business near Brent Cross Shopping Centre, a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions.
Questions to ask before you book
- Their report turnaround times
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- What they will not be able to tell you
Local roofs in The Burroughs
Outer London has plenty of Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, frequently with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look. With Heath Hall about 2.6 miles east, The Burroughs sits in an area with a long building history. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
Anyone responsible for a site like St Joseph's Catholic Primary School will know that a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time. Landlords with a home close to Hendon station may find that the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
The Burroughs is about 2 miles south-east of Burnt Oak, in Greater London. We survey roofs in The Burroughs and the rest of Greater London, as part of our work 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.
Postcode districts we cover here for roof surveys: NW4, NW9 and NW11. That includes homes and businesses on Bell Lane, Eaton Road and Lodge Road and the roads around them. Main roads around The Burroughs include the A41, so getting to you is simple. Other places close to The Burroughs include Hendon (1 mile south-east), Colindale (1 mile west), Brent Cross (1 mile south-east), West Hendon (1 mile south-west) and The Hyde (1 mile south-west). Further out, we also cover London (8 miles south-east), City of Westminster (6 miles south-east), Marylebone (6 miles south-east), Kensington (6 miles south), St Pancras (6 miles south-east) and Shoreditch (8 miles south-east).
Around The Burroughs
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Claddagh Ring pub, Brampton College and Kisharon College. The closest station to The Burroughs is Hendon station, roughly 0.8 miles south-west of the centre. A little further out are Church Farmhouse Museum (less than half a mile north) and Brent Cross Shopping Centre (0.8 miles south). Not far away are Parliament Hill and Darland's Lake.
Also near The Burroughs
Also in The Burroughs
What we can’t see
A survey is a close look at the roof, but it cannot do everything. The main limits are:
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- A structural engineer’s report
- How the roof will behave in every kind of weather
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer before you book. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Flat roofs
- Ridges, hips and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
Common questions in The Burroughs
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Hendon station?
Of course. Let us know whether a tenant or an agent will let us in, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Are there drone restrictions around The Burroughs?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions 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, including zones around airports and prisons. Strong wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying, and the rest of the survey doesn’t depend on the drone.
Do you work in The Burroughs?
Yes. We survey roofs across London and South East England, The Burroughs included.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Light rain doesn’t typically stop a survey, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so if conditions aren’t right we’ll arrange another day with you.
Do you carry out asbestos surveys?
No. Asbestos testing is not part of our service. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, like cement sheets or soffits on older buildings, we flag them so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before any work.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first. Let us know about it when booking and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you’ll need a RICS survey as well.