Greater London · London and the South East
Eltham Thermal Roof Survey
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you spend money on it. Thermal roof surveys in Eltham.
- Water that travels before it shows
- Gaps in loft insulation
- Damp where roofs meet walls and chimneys
About our thermal roof survey in Eltham
A thermal imaging roof survey uses a thermal camera to show differences in surface temperature across a roof. The patterns can suggest wet insulation, gaps in insulation or places where heat is getting out. The camera doesn’t see water itself, so we check what it shows with moisture readings. It comes as part of our Premium Survey, from £400. The report also notes the conditions on the day, since they affect what the camera can show. Common reasons to book are leaks far from where the stain appears and cold spots on ceilings under the roof, on pitched roof slopes, loft conversions and commercial roofs.
Many London roofs are hidden from the pavement: butterfly roofs behind parapets, dormer tops and flat roofs over back additions. Drone photos and thermal images can show parts of a roof that are hard to reach safely. The weather decides the day: both drones and thermal cameras need the right conditions. What a thermal image shows is temperature, so anything that looks like moisture is checked with a meter.
If any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. That way, it’s clear what was covered and what wasn’t.
- Location
- Eltham (SE9, SE12, DA15, BR7)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in Eltham
How do I find out if my home in Eltham is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Will parking be an issue for a roof survey in Eltham?
Parking in Eltham, as in most of London, takes a little planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day run more smoothly, so mention what’s available as you book.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We point out what can be seen, such as sagging or deflection, but we are not structural engineers and do not carry out calculations. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
Does the report include photographs?
Yes. The report includes photographs of what we found.
Do you use drones?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID.
Does someone need to be in?
Not always. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have completed more than 5,000 surveys, over more than 20 years, and 98% of clients are satisfied.
What a thermal roof survey doesn’t cover
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so there are some things a survey cannot cover:
- What’s inside walls or under coverings, without opening up
- Readings unaffected by sun, shade or reflections
- A formal energy assessment
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Commercial roofs
- Flat roofs
- Loft conversions
- Insulated roof spaces
- Pitched roof slopes
- Ceilings below the roof
Drones, thermal imaging and Eltham roofs
Eltham Palace, about 0.4 miles north-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Eltham. If your house is among the older ones, 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. The flight restriction zone around London City Airport comes within about 2 miles of Eltham. If the drone is used for your survey, we check the exact boundary for the address before flying.
Eltham is in London, so parking needs planning: tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space when booking. If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of Holy Trinity, steep roofs, tall chimneys and hidden valleys can be hard to see from ground level, and that is where a view from the air or with a thermal camera helps. Take a building like St Thomas More Catholic Comprehensive School: thermal images can show where wet insulation sits under a big flat roof.
Eltham is about 7 miles west of Dartford, in Greater London. From houses to flats and shops in Eltham, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. Our Greater London coverage includes Eltham. There’s also a page for London.
Surveys in SE9, SE12, DA15 and BR7 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include Eltham High Street, Tarnwood Park and Elmslie Court, all of which we cover. You will find Eltham on the A20 and B263, so it’s easy for us to get to. If you are just outside Eltham, we cover Middle Park (1 mile west), New Eltham (1 mile south-east), Well Hall (1 mile north), Coldharbour (1 mile south) and Avery Hill (1 mile north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover London (8 miles north-west), City of Westminster (10 miles north-west), Marylebone (10 miles north-west), Kensington (12 miles west), St Pancras (9 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (8 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Eltham
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Horn Park, Eltham Church of England Primary School and The Greyhound Public House. Eltham has its own railway station: Mottingham station. Well-known places in the area include Eltham Community Hospital (less than half a mile north) and Metropolitan Police Museum (2.1 miles east). Open spaces near Eltham include The Tarn and Summer Hill.
What we look for on each type of roof
Single-ply and EPDM roofs
On big single-ply roofs, the camera helps show where to take readings. That makes the survey more focused.
Parapets, valleys and junctions
When valley or parapet gutters overflow, water can get into walls and ceilings. Thermal images, checked with moisture readings, can help trace it.
Tips that help
Getting the most from a thermal roof survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Do not climb onto the roof to look for leaks yourself
- Keep the report to compare against after any repair
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Keep the heating on as usual before a heat loss survey
If the images suggest moisture that can’t be confirmed, we will say what would help next, such as electronic leak detection or opening up a small area.
Have small defects in the covering fixed early. Once water gets under a membrane, it can travel far before it appears inside.
More services for Eltham
What we do, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photographs, sent to you by email. On timing, most surveys take about one to two hours at most homes, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. In Eltham, as in much of London, lots of properties are flats or terraces without side access, so rear slopes are viewed from windows, the loft or, where a flight is allowed, by drone. If the building has a managing agent or access rules, let us know when you book.
- 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.
- Thermal images are taken to show differences in surface temperature.
- Any patterns of interest are checked with moisture readings where we can reach them.
- We write up the thermal images alongside ordinary photos and recommendations.
Before we arrive
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
Book a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from ground level or a window, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Read more
Checking the roof from ground level
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.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Prices for thermal roof surveys in Eltham
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- Height and safe access
- Roof area
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
All our prices include VAT. Prices start from £400, including VAT. You will know the exact price before booking.
What to let us know when you contact us
If you can, have these to hand when you get in touch:
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- When you need the report by
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.