Greater London · London and the South East
West Barnes Roof Survey
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in West Barnes, with photographs and a written report.
- Loose ridge or hip tiles
- Worn lead at chimneys and abutments
- Ponding, splits or blisters on flat roofs
What we are asked to look at in West Barnes
Wherever a roof meets a wall, a chimney or another roof, a flashing keeps water out. Over time lead flashings split, lift or work loose, and mortar fillets crack away from the wall. Lead is also a target for theft.
People normally book a survey after spotting one of these:
- Leaking gutter joints and downpipes
- Torn or sagging underlay
- Slipped, cracked or missing slates and tiles
- Ponding, splits or blisters on flat roofs
Shop and office owners around Bentall Centre may find that a dated report on the roof is useful for planning and for any lease discussions.
Before you book anyone
- What happens after the report arrives
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
Roof surveys for homes and businesses in West Barnes
Most houses have more than one roof to look at. Rear extensions, dormers, porches and garages often 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 usually wears out sooner than a pitched one. A felt roof often lasts around 15 to 20 years, and GRP up to about 30. We’re often asked to look into slates or tiles that have slipped or broken and lifted, split or missing lead flashings, across ridges, hips and valleys, flat roofs and chimney stacks.
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 West Barnes are no exception. Shared chimney stacks and the lead around them are just as important to check.
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.
- Place
- West Barnes (KT3, SW20)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Questions from West Barnes
Is drone flying allowed in West Barnes?
That depends on where the roof is and on the weather. 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. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions, including zones around airports and prisons. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in West Barnes?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do you give a life expectancy for the roof?
We don’t put a figure on it, since the fixings, underlay and maintenance all play a part. What we do is explain the roof’s condition and what to deal with first.
What’s the best way to book?
Just phone 07833 053749 or email us. We’ll ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It’s a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
How long does a roof survey take?
It normally takes roughly 1–2 hours for a house, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Does a roof survey replace a structural engineer?
No. If we see signs that need an engineer, such as serious sagging, we’ll say so. We don’t provide structural calculations.
Tips that help
Nothing here needs a ladder. Our suggestions:
- Watch for slipped slates after bad weather
- Hold on to the report for future surveys
- Don’t climb onto the roof yourself
- Have details of recent roof work to hand
Any roofer you ask to quote can work from the report. The photos show what we found and where, which makes quotes easier to compare.
Check the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. Look for water marks, damp wood and chinks of light. Photograph anything new.
Towns and villages near West Barnes
Also in West Barnes
What a survey costs
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- How big the roof is
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
We offer three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all including VAT. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
What to let us know when you contact us
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- The address and postcode of the property
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- When you need the report by
Getting a price is simple: just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and give us some details about the property and we will explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Roof surveys around West Barnes
The wider area around West Barnes has a long history of building, with Southside House about 1.1 miles north. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs. Alongside Victorian and Edwardian terraces, outer London has a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs of clay or concrete tiles. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first.
Anyone responsible for a site like Sacred Heart 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 Motspur Park station may find that a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
West Barnes is about 2 miles south-west of Wimbledon, in Greater London. Wherever you are in West Barnes, we can come and survey your property. West Barnes is one of the towns and villages in Greater London where we work for roof surveys. We also survey roofs in London.
All of KT3 and SW20 is covered for roof surveys. Whether your property is on Queens Road, Blakes Lane and Egmont Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. Close by, we survey roofs in Raynes Park (1 mile north-east), Motspur Park (1 mile north-west), Bushey Mead (1 mile north-east), Cannon Hill (1 mile east) and New Malden (1 mile west). Further out, we also cover London (9 miles north-east), City of Westminster (9 miles north-east), Marylebone (9 miles north-east), Kensington (7 miles north), St Pancras (10 miles north-east) and Shoreditch (11 miles north-east).
Around West Barnes
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Beverley Park, The Fountain pub and Ursuline Preparatory School and the streets around them. There is a railway station in West Barnes itself: Motspur Park station. Nearby you’ll also find Bentall Centre (2.9 miles west) and Chessington Castle Hill (3.7 miles south-west). For a walk, there is Kingston Hill Road area and Derwent Floodwash.
What we look for on each type of roof
Clay plain and peg tiles
Handmade and machine-made clay tiles are long-lasting. We check for cracked, slipped and missing tiles.
Chimney stacks
Each chimney’s pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked. Leaning stacks and loose pots are recorded.
What happens if roof problems are left?
Hidden gutters and valleys can fail without warning. When they do, water comes straight into the house. We look at them before they cause trouble. A hidden valley or parapet gutter on a London house can hold water for weeks before anyone notices. When the stain finally shows, the damage underneath is frequently older than it looks.
Every price we give includes VAT. Prices start from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the exact price before you book.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in West Barnes
- 20+ years’ experience
- Clear package prices, with VAT included
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Photographs and a written report every time
What happens on the day
Every visit follows the same pattern: we listen to what’s been worrying you, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find and make notes for the report. Most visits take an hour or two for most homes, depending on how many separate roofs there are. Surveys in West Barnes can be booked for any day of the week. London parking is often by permit or pay-and-display, so it is useful to know what’s near you, and to clear a path to the loft hatch. A back bedroom window can be the best vantage point for a rear addition, so we may ask to use one.
- You get in touch with the address and anything you’ve noticed.
- We agree a date, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- The roof is inspected from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it’s safe.
- We check the coverings, ridges, hips, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, and photograph what we find.
- We email a written report with photos and recommendations.
How to prepare
- Tell us about parking before the day
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Arrange 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. Otherwise, simply call 07833 053749 or drop us an email whenever suits you.