Kent · London and the South East
Birling Storm Damage Roof Report
An independent record of roof damage after a storm across Birling, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Lead lifted at abutments
- Slates and tiles blown off the roof
- Damaged flat roof membrane
What affects the price in Birling
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. That comes down to:
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where it applies, from £400 with VAT included. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Helping us price your survey
A little information up front helps. It is useful to include:
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Anything about access we should know
- What made you get in touch
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
Photos help, if you have them. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine. To send them or to book, call 07833 053749 or email us.
How a storm damage roof report works in Birling
Many policies treat gusts of about 55 mph as storm conditions, but it varies by policy. Your policy document sets out its own definition. Whether the weather met it is for your insurer. Our part is recording the damage to your roof and its likely cause. Each area of damage is photographed, and the report is yours to pass on. Insurers decide claims on their own policy wording. If you are worried about flashings pulled away from walls or stacks and damaged pots on the stack, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Many homes in small places like Birling face open ground, where storms hit ridges, verges and chimneys hardest. Once water gets into older walls, it takes a long time to dry, which makes finding the cause quickly worthwhile. A record with photos is useful if you need to show the damage to anyone else.
The report does not just list problems. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend.
- Place
- Birling (ME19)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we cannot see
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- Negotiating a claim settlement
- Repair costs or quotes for the work
- Damage hidden under coverings or inside the structure, without opening up
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Flashings
- Ridges and hips
- Chimney stacks
- Flat roofs
- Slate and tile slopes
- Gutters and fascias
For landlords and managing agents
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with the freeholder or managing agent. Let us know about it as you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
How it works
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof; as a rough guide, the survey takes about 1–2 hours for a house, and more on a big or complicated roof. You’re welcome to ask questions while we’re there. In a hamlet or village like Birling, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- First we go through when the storm hit and what you’ve noticed.
- The roof is inspected from safe positions.
- Each area of damage is photographed and described.
- We note the likely cause and any signs of older wear.
- We send you the report by email for your insurer.
Before the survey
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Check pets are kept safely away
Book a survey
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form, let us know about the property and we will suggest the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Read more
Storm damage roof reports around Birling
Starkey Castle, about 3.9 miles north-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Birling. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Different coverings let water in at different points, which shapes where the search starts.
If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Church of All Saints, water on an older roof tends to find its way in at the lead, the valleys or the chimney. If you live near a park like Leybourne Lakes Country Park, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys.
Birling is about 6 miles south-west of Chatham, in Kent. In Birling, as across Kent, every roof gets the same careful survey. Across Kent, we cover Birling and the places around it. Maidstone is in our area too.
Surveys in ME19 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Local streets include Ryarsh Road, Masters Lane and Bull Road. We also cover Paddlesworth (1 mile north), Leybourne (1 mile south-east), Lunsford (1 mile east), Snodland (2 miles north-east) and Larkfield (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Maidstone (6 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (14 miles east), Dartford (12 miles north-west), Sevenoaks (10 miles west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (14 miles south-west) and Gravesend (8 miles north).
Local landmarks in Birling
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Holmesdale School, The Duke Of Wellington Public House and Leybourne Lakes Country Park and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is West Malling station, about 1.8 miles south of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Leybourne Castle (1.1 miles south-east) and Maidstone Hospital (4.5 miles south-east). For a walk, there is Blue Bell Hill and Burham Down.
Common roof problems in Birling
Flat roofs can be damaged too. Coverings can tear or peel back at the edges, and water can pond where outlets are blocked. We record what we find on flat and pitched roofs alike.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Stains appearing after strong winds
- Flat roof edges peeled back
- Ridge tiles that have come loose
- Loose or broken chimney pots and cowls
If you look after a building such as Ryarsh Primary School, a leak through a large roof is often found some distance from where the water shows inside.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- What insurance they carry
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
You can learn a lot from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
More services for Birling
FAQs for Birling
Is my home in Birling listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you cover smaller places like Birling?
Yes, Birling is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Will my insurer pay for an old roof?
Wear and tear is typically excluded from home insurance. Our report records storm damage and any older wear we see, so it’s clear what we found. Your insurer decides how its policy applies.
Will you go up on the roof?
Not unless it’s safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where applicable, a drone, and the report notes anything we couldn’t see.
Who handles emergency protection after a storm?
A roofer should handle temporary protection. Photograph the damage first if you can do so safely. Our report then records the roof.
How long will you be at the property?
It usually takes roughly 1–2 hours at a house, and longer if the damage is spread across a large roof. The report follows by email.
How do I book a survey in Birling?
Simply call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.