Kent · London and the South East
Shipbourne Storm Damage Roof Report
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Shipbourne, and put it all in a written report with photos.
- Gaps where slates or tiles have gone
- Damaged ridges and hips
- Torn or lifted flat roof coverings
What you can safely check yourself
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date.
It helps to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry.
Storm damage roof report in Shipbourne
The Financial Ombudsman asks three questions when it looks at storm complaints: whether there were storm conditions around the date, whether the damage fits a storm, and whether the storm was the main cause. Our report focuses on the second and third points. Weather records for the date are for you or your insurer to check. We are frequently asked to look into damaged ridges and hips and loose or torn flashings, on gutters and fascias, slate and tile slopes and flat roofs.
Many homes in small places like Shipbourne face open ground, so storms hit ridges, verges and chimneys hard. 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.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Location
- Shipbourne (TN11)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Storm damage roof reports in Shipbourne: local notes
Historic houses such as Ightham Mote, about 1.1 miles north-west, show how far back building in the area around Shipbourne goes. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters. Many older homes in Kent have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles held by pegs through two holes, and tile-hanging on their upper walls. You will also find oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses among the county’s older buildings. Knowing the roof type helps narrow down where water may be getting in.
If you live near a park like Ivy Hatch Nature Reserve, or anywhere with mature trees, autumn leaves can block gutters and valleys, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls. Take a building like Shipbourne School: water through a big roof can travel a long way before it drips, so the search covers more than the obvious spot.
Shipbourne is about 3 miles north of Tonbridge, in Kent. We carry out storm damage roof reports for householders, landlords and businesses in Shipbourne and the surrounding area. Shipbourne is one of the towns and villages in Kent where we work. You can also see our page for Maidstone.
Here we cover the TN11 postcode area for storm damage roof reports. If you need a storm damage roof report at a property on Upper Green Road, Upper Green Lane and Back Lane or anywhere close by, we can help. If you are just outside Shipbourne, we cover Budds (1 mile west), Yopps Green (1 mile north), Sheet Hill (2 miles north), Ivy Hatch (2 miles north) and Coldharbour (2 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (11 miles east), Dartford (14 miles north), Sevenoaks (5 miles north-west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (8 miles south), Gravesend (13 miles north) and Tonbridge (3 miles south).
Near you in Shipbourne
We work in homes and buildings around Ivy Hatch Nature Reserve, Hugh Christie Technology College and The Chaser Public House and the streets around them. Shipbourne’s nearest station is Borough Green & Wrotham station, about 3.3 miles north of the centre. A little further out are Ightham Court (3.3 miles north) and Hadlow Tower museum (2.8 miles south-east). Not far away are Barden Lake.
Different roofs, different checks
Slate roofs
Broken slates and slates that have slid out of place are common after a storm. We photograph and describe each one.
Chimney stacks
Flashings around stacks can lift in strong winds. Loose flashings are recorded.
Shipbourne: your questions answered
Is Shipbourne in the area you cover?
Yes, Shipbourne is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Is my home in Shipbourne listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Will you check the loft?
Usually, if there’s one and it can be reached safely. From inside, the underside of the roof often shows damp, staining or daylight that can’t be seen from outside.
How long will you be at the property?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof; most visits take about 1–2 hours at most homes, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. The written report follows by email.
Do I need to be at home?
Someone needs to let us in if we’re looking inside or in the loft. We’ll talk about access when booking.
Should I go up on the roof to take photos?
Only from the ground or from windows. Don’t use a ladder or go onto the roof. With binoculars, you can see a lot from the ground, and we will record the rest.
How many surveys have you done?
We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys, across 20+ years of surveying roofs, and 98% of customers are satisfied.
How it works
We photograph the roof as we go, so you can see in the report what we found and where. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available. A typical visit takes roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, depending on how much of the roof was hit. Around Shipbourne, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so it is useful to know whether there’s a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- We start with the details: when the storm hit and what damage you can see.
- The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows and from the roof space where it’s safe.
- We photograph and record every area of damage we can see.
- The likely cause is recorded, along with any evidence of older wear.
- You get a written report you can pass to your insurer.
Before we arrive
- Let us know about parking near the property
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
- Leave a clear route to the loft
How to book
A quick phone call is usually the easiest start: call 07833 053749 or send us an email, and we will ask about the building and what you need. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Advice
Useful tips for Shipbourne property owners
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Note the date and time you first saw the damage
- Hold on to fallen pieces of the roof where you can
- Keep invoices for temporary repairs
- Photograph damage inside the house too
Questions about the findings are always welcome. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Keep records of roof work and surveys. They help show the roof was in good order before a storm.
Signs you need a storm damage roof report in Shipbourne
Flat roofs can be damaged too. Wind can lift edges and tear coverings, and blocked outlets can leave water ponding after heavy rain. Our report covers flat and pitched roofs.
Look out for signs like these:
- Lead lifted at abutments
- Gaps where slates or tiles have gone
- Roofs hit by falling trees
- Broken or displaced guttering
If you let a flat or house near Borough Green & Wrotham station, a clear finding on where water gets in helps you brief a roofer right away.
What to check before booking
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
Also near Shipbourne
What else we do in Shipbourne
Leave it or get it looked at?
Before temporary repairs, photograph the damage from ground level if it’s safe. That keeps a record of how it looked. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Shipbourne, driving rain gets into any weakness, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where it applies, which starts from £400, with VAT included. We can help you choose the package that fits what you’d like to know.
Why book with us
- An independent view of the roof
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- 98% of clients satisfied
Take a look at our cost guide or two real surveys.