Greater London · London and the South East
Thermal Roof Survey in Downe
Thermal imaging to find moisture and heat loss patterns in a roof across Downe, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Damp around chimneys and parapets
- Damp around roof outlets and upstands
- Missing or slipped insulation
Thermal roof survey in Downe: what you get
Our Premium Survey, from £400, brings together a full roof inspection and thermal imaging. It also includes a drone inspection where it applies, a structural analysis and a same-day report. There’s an in-person consultation as well, plus a follow-up 12 months later. To book, just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’ve noticed. Larger commercial roofs are quoted for their size. Common reasons to book are ceilings that feel colder in places and leaks that are hard to trace, across commercial roofs, loft conversions and flat roofs.
Many London roofs are hidden from the pavement: butterfly roofs behind parapets, dormer tops and flat roofs over back additions. That’s 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.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Downe (BR6)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. Our suggestions:
- Remember the conditions on the day affect the results
- Make sure the loft can be reached safely
- Check outlets after heavy rain
- Heat the home normally on the days before
After the visit, we put the thermal images, photos and moisture readings into one report. We explain what each image may mean, alongside what we recommend. Premium reports are sent the same day.
Deal with small splits and lifted seams promptly. Once water gets under a membrane, it can travel far before it appears inside.
Downe questions
Can parking be tricky for a visit in Downe?
Parking in Downe, as in most of London, takes a little planning: a visitor permit or a bay close to the door helps a lot, so mention what’s available as you book.
Are there drone restrictions around Downe?
That depends on where the roof is and on the weather. Biggin Hill Airport is about 2 miles away, so we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before any flight. London’s airspace includes flight restriction zones around Heathrow, London City Airport and London Heliport, and restricted areas over Hyde Park, the City of London and the Isle of Dogs. Every London address is checked against them before a flight. Strong wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying, and the rest of the survey doesn’t depend on the drone.
What will the report tell me?
A written report with photos, explaining the condition of the roof, any defects and our recommendations, with the most urgent first where relevant. Standard adds moisture detection and a structural check; Premium adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable and structural analysis.
Are you structural engineers?
No. We are roof surveyors, not structural engineers, and it doesn’t include calculations. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we will recommend one.
What can thermal imaging tell me about my roof?
It records surface temperature across the roof. Unusual patterns can point to trapped water, gaps in insulation or heat escaping, which we then check with moisture readings.
Does thermal imaging detect leaks directly?
The camera does not see water itself. Wet insulation holds heat longer than dry, so it can stand out, and moisture readings are used to check it.
How soon will I get the report?
It depends on the package: the Basic Survey report arrives within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey the same day. Reports are sent by email.
More services for Downe
Leave it or get it looked at?
If a big flat roof may need replacing, knowing the wet areas first is useful. Images backed by moisture readings show where problems seem to be before you spend. Behind a London parapet, a blocked gutter can sit full of water without anyone seeing it. When the stain finally shows, the damage underneath is often older than it looks.
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package matters as well. We will give you the figure before anything is booked.
Why us?
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Packages from £150, inc. VAT
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- Surveys on any day of the week
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
Different roofs, different checks
Pitched slate and tile roofs
From inside the loft, the camera can help with damp around chimneys, valleys and roof windows. We check any patterns with moisture readings.
Single-ply and EPDM roofs
On big single-ply roofs, the camera helps show where to take readings. It focuses the survey on the areas that matter.
Honest limits
It helps to know what a survey will not do before booking:
- Insulation values or heat loss calculations
- The condition of timbers we can’t see
- A structural engineer’s assessment
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Commercial roofs
- Loft conversions
- Ceilings below the roof
- Flat roofs
- Insulated roof spaces
- Pitched roof slopes
What we do, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up as a report with photos, sent to you by email. On timing, it typically takes about 1–2 hours at a house, including the thermal images, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial roof. Surveys in Downe can be booked for any day of the week. It helps if you can point us to a visitor permit or a nearby bay, and to clear a path to the loft hatch. Upstairs rooms at the back are useful too, as they often give the best view of a rear addition.
- You tell us about the roof and any damp, leaks or cold rooms.
- The weather and surface conditions are recorded.
- A full inspection and thermal imaging are carried out together.
- We back up the thermal patterns with moisture readings.
- The Premium report reaches you the same day, and we go through it with you in person.
Before we arrive
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Find any records of previous roof work
Book a survey
We confirm the price for your survey before booking, so you know where you stand. Our price is from £400, including VAT. To book, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Read more
Flying and imaging in Downe
The wider area around Downe has a long history of building, with Down House about 0.6 miles south. If yours is one of the older homes, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof. Downe is about 2 miles from Biggin Hill Airport. Where the drone is part of the survey, the Drone Safety Map is checked for restrictions first.
For site and facilities teams at buildings like Downe Primary School, a drone or thermal camera can show a large roof in a single visit. Take an older house close to St Mary's Church: tall stacks and steep slopes are easier to judge with close-up aerial photos than from the pavement. Controlled parking zones are common in London, so mention any permit rules for Downe, along with any off-street space.
Downe is about 4 miles south-west of Orpington, in Greater London. We cover Downe and the rest of Greater London. We cover towns and villages across Greater London, large and small. We also survey roofs in London.
Surveys in BR6 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We cover properties on High Street, North End Lane and Belle Vue Road. We also cover the places around Downe: Farthing Street (1 mile north-west), Hazelwood (1 mile east), Luxted (1 mile south), Leaves Green (1 mile west) and Single Street (2 miles south). Further out, we also cover London (13 miles north-west), City of Westminster (15 miles north-west), Marylebone (15 miles north-west), St Pancras (15 miles north-west), Shoreditch (14 miles north-west) and Hoxton (15 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Downe
We work in homes and buildings around The Queens Head pub, Charles Darwin School and South Park and the streets around them. Downe’s nearest station is Chelsfield station, about 2.6 miles north-east. Nearby you will also find Crofton Roman Villa (2.7 miles north-east) and Princess Royal University Hospital (1.8 miles north). For a walk, there is Downe Bank Nature Reserve and Betsom's Hill.
What affects the cost of thermal roof surveys
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Which survey package you book
- How big the roof is
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Prices start from £400, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Booking your survey
We’ll normally ask about:
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- Where the property is, with the postcode
Our price is from £400, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, so call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the details.