Greater London · London and the South East
Chelsea Thermal Roof Survey
Thermal roof surveys in Chelsea, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Patches of heat loss across the roof
- Water that travels before it shows
- Areas of a flat roof that may hold water
Thermal roof surveys for homes and businesses in Chelsea
What a thermal camera can show depends a lot on the weather. A sunny day before the survey, a dry roof surface and little wind all help. Rain, wind and cloud can all make the patterns weaker. We will discuss the weather with you when booking, and our report notes the conditions and how they affected what we saw. We survey flat roofs, loft conversions and commercial roofs, and people most frequently book us about areas losing heat at the eaves and junctions and damp around chimneys and parapets.
London’s roofs are frequently hard to see from the street: butterfly roofs behind parapets, dormer tops and flat roofs over back additions. That is where a view from the air or a thermal camera helps, by showing what can’t be reached safely. The weather decides the day: both drones and thermal cameras need the right conditions. Thermal images show surface temperature, not water itself, so findings are checked with moisture readings.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Place
- Chelsea (SW3, SW10, SW1X, SW1W)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Useful tips for Chelsea property owners
There is plenty you can do without going near the roof. Here’s what helps most:
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Tell us where and when you’ve seen damp or stains
- Keep the heating on as usual before a heat loss survey
- Do not climb onto the roof to look for leaks yourself
You can pass the report to a roofer so they can see where the problem areas seem to be. Because the images are paired with photos, it’s easy to find each area on the roof.
After repairs or a new covering, a later survey can confirm things are dry, when the conditions are suitable.
Towns and villages near Chelsea
Also in Chelsea
Why get it checked now?
A damp patch that keeps coming back typically has a cause that hasn’t been found. Thermal imaging with moisture readings can help narrow it down, instead of trying repair after repair. Many older London roofs have only old felt under the slates, or no underlay at all, so once the slates or flashings let water past, little stops it reaching ceilings. Left alone, that means wet timbers and plaster, which is a far bigger job than the roof fault itself.
Prices start from £400, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we can help you choose.
What you get with us
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- 98% of customers satisfied
- Surveys on any day of the week
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or two real surveys.
The survey, step by step
There isn’t much for you to do on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we’ll get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes an hour or two on an ordinary house, and more on a big or complicated roof. From the street, a London terrace normally shows only its front slope or parapet, so a visit in Chelsea moves between viewpoints: the pavement, upstairs windows, the loft and any safe spot at the back. Shared stairs or a basement flat? Let us know who holds the keys.
- First we go over the roof, the problem you’ve noticed and the conditions forecast for the visit.
- The roof is inspected visually from safe viewpoints.
- We take thermal images of the roof to pick up temperature patterns.
- We check the patterns that stand out with moisture readings where there is safe access.
- The report sets out the images, what they suggest and what we recommend.
How to prepare
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
Booking a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form whenever suits you.
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Landlord and commercial surveys in Chelsea
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey shows what needs attention, so you can plan the work around your tenants.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, and the report can go to both. Access is agreed with the tenant ahead of time.
Airspace, weather and Chelsea roofs
Welsh slate on Victorian and Edwardian terraces is a familiar sight across inner London. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that can’t be seen from the pavement. Lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are typical of these houses, if yours is one of them. Many roofs like these can’t be judged properly from the pavement, and that’s where a view from above or a thermal image earns its place. Historic houses like Carlyle's House, about 0.4 miles south-west, show how far back building in the area around Chelsea goes. If your house is among the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you look after a building such as Oratory Roman Catholic Primary School, a view from above covers a wide roof far faster than walking it. If you live in an older home near Former Welsh Congregational Church, tall stacks and steep slopes are easier to judge with close-up aerial photos than from the pavement. A roof leak in a hotel or guest house around Chelsea means lost rooms as well as repairs, so it pays to find faults before guests do.
Chelsea is about 2 miles south-east of Kensington, in Greater London. Roofs in Chelsea get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Greater London. Chelsea is one of the places in Greater London we cover for thermal roof surveys.
Postcode districts we cover here for thermal roof surveys: SW3, SW10, SW1X and SW1W. Whether your property is on Markham Square, Wellington Square and Tedworth Square or a nearby road, we can survey it. With the B302 and B304 close by, Chelsea is simple for us to get to. Neighbouring places we cover for thermal roof surveys include Brompton (1 mile north), South Kensington (1 mile west), Little Chelsea (1 mile south-west), Belgravia (1 mile north-east) and World's End (1 mile south-west). Further out, we also cover London (3 miles east), St Pancras (3 miles north-east), Shoreditch (5 miles north-east), Walthamstow (9 miles north-east), Hoxton (5 miles north-east) and Whitechapel (5 miles north-east).
Landmarks near Chelsea
In Chelsea, that means homes and buildings near Burton’s Court, St Thomas More RC Language College and Markham Arms Public House, among other places. Nearby too are Natural History Museum Library and Archives (0.7 miles north-west) and Hellenic College of London (0.5 miles north). For rail, the closest station is London Victoria station, about 1 mile north-east. A little further out are Baynard's Castle (3.2 miles north-east) and Harrods (0.7 miles north). The countryside around Chelsea includes Campden Hill and Battersea Park Lake.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Keep a simple record: dates of leaks, photos from the ground and any work done on the roof. Share it with us as you book.
What we look for on each type of roof
Pitched slate and tile roofs
Even on pitched roofs, the camera can point to heat loss and some damp. The report explains what the images can tell you and what they cannot.
Felt and asphalt flat roofs
Water under felt or asphalt can stay hidden for years. The camera can give clues to where it is sitting, given suitable conditions on the day.
Your questions about thermal roof surveys in Chelsea
Is my home in Chelsea listed or in a conservation area?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Chelsea?
Normally it’s manageable with a little notice. Let us know what parking is available nearby, and the visit is planned around it.
How much does a thermal roof survey cost?
It comes with our Premium Survey, which starts from £400. That also includes a full inspection, a drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and a same-day report.
When does the report arrive?
Report times are set by the package. Basic is within 48 hours, Standard is 24–48 hours and Premium is the same day. If you have a deadline, such as an exchange date, tell us when booking.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. We check the parts we are given access to, and the report makes that clear.
Do you cover Chelsea for thermal roof surveys?
Yes. We survey roofs in Chelsea and the rest of Greater London. To book, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. This is a survey of the roof only, so it’s not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.