Greater London · London and the South East
Farthing Street Thermal Roof Survey
Wondering about the roof at a property in Farthing Street? We carry out thermal roof surveys in Farthing Street and across Greater London, with plain-English findings.
- Areas losing heat at the eaves and junctions
- Moisture around outlets and upstands
- Water getting in at parapets and stacks
How a thermal roof survey works in Farthing Street
Thermal imaging can also show where a roof is losing heat. Missing or slipped insulation and gaps at the eaves often show up as temperature differences. The difference shows most clearly when it is warm inside and cold outside. The report shows the images and explains what they may mean. It is not an energy rating or a heat loss calculation. We survey commercial roofs, flat roofs and loft conversions, and people most often book us about possible trapped moisture under a flat roof covering and gaps in loft insulation.
Many London roofs are hidden from the pavement: 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 cannot be reached safely. Weather on the day decides whether it goes ahead, in Farthing Street as anywhere. What a thermal image shows is temperature, so anything that looks like moisture is checked with a meter.
It isn’t only a list of defects. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, so you can decide what to do next.
- Where
- Farthing Street (BR6)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Airspace, weather and Farthing Street roofs
Alongside Victorian and Edwardian terraces, outer London has a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs of clay or concrete tiles. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. Steep or complicated roofs are frequently hard to see from the ground, which is where aerial photos and thermal images help. About 1 mile south lies Down House, a reminder of how long the area around Farthing Street has been built on. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you live in an older home near St Mary's Church, older roofs can be steep and hard to see from the street, which is where close-up aerial shots and thermal images help. As a London address, Farthing Street can be tricky for parking: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day easier.
Farthing Street is about 4 miles south-west of Orpington, in Greater London. We provide thermal roof surveys for homes and businesses in Farthing Street and nearby. Our area takes in places right across Greater London. There’s also a page for London.
Here we cover the BR6 postcode area for thermal roof surveys. Local streets include Farthing Street, New Road Hill and Orange Court Lane. Nearby, we also carry out thermal roof surveys in Downe (1 mile south-east), Leaves Green (1 mile south-west), Hazelwood (1 mile south-east), Keston (1 mile north-west) and Farnborough (1 mile north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover London (12 miles north-west), City of Westminster (15 miles north-west), Marylebone (15 miles north-west), Kensington (15 miles north-west), St Pancras (14 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (14 miles north-west).
Around Farthing Street
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Darrick Wood School, South Park and The Queens Head pub and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Orpington station, roughly 2.6 miles north-east. A little further out are Princess Royal University Hospital (1.4 miles north) and Crofton Roman Villa (2.5 miles north-east). For a walk, there is Betsom's Hill and West Kent Golf Course nature reserve.
For landlords and managing agents
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords. Bigger roofs take more time, and they’re priced for the size.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Farthing Street and across Greater London can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
What we are asked to look at in Farthing Street
Building owners and managing agents use thermal surveys to plan work on larger flat roofs. Patterns can point to wet areas and show which parts look sound, so moisture readings can be targeted.
Look out for signs like these:
- Moisture around outlets and upstands
- Water that travels before it shows
- Areas losing heat at the eaves and junctions
- Damp around chimneys and parapets
If you look after a building like Downe Primary School, big roofs are where aerial photos and thermal images show the most at once.
Questions to ask before booking
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Will the report include photos?
Towns and villages near Farthing Street
Also in Farthing Street
Why act early in Farthing Street
Heat lost through a roof costs money every winter. Thermal images can show where insulation is missing or has slipped, so improvements can go where they’re needed. Many older London roofs have only old felt under the slates, or no underlay at all, so a slipped slate can soon mean water inside. Left alone, that means wet timbers and plaster, which is a far bigger job than the roof fault itself.
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why book with us
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- An independent view of the roof
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
Tips from our surveys
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Make sure the loft can be reached safely
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Remember the conditions on the day affect the results
- Note where damp appears and after what weather
Where a pattern can’t be confirmed, the report says what could help, like electronic leak detection or opening up a small area.
Consider a repeat survey after major work on the roof, when the conditions are suitable.
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 about 1–2 hours for a house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. In converted houses and mansion blocks, the loft hatch is often on a shared landing. Where that’s the case, access needs agreeing with whoever controls that landing. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- We start with the roof, its history and any signs of damp or heat loss.
- The weather and surface conditions are recorded.
- A full inspection and thermal imaging are carried out together.
- Moisture readings are used to check what the camera shows.
- You get the report the same day, with an in-person consultation to follow.
Preparing for the visit
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
Booking a survey
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Farthing Street: your questions answered
Is parking a problem for a survey in Farthing Street?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway when you book. The visit is then planned around what’s available.
Is drone flying allowed in Farthing Street?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. 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 a downpour also stops a small drone flying, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
Will I get photos?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and the report uses them to show each finding.
Is it the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We check the roof, not the whole building, so it’s not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It can sit alongside a RICS survey if you want both.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning, with whoever owns or manages the building. Tell us about it as you book and we will explain what’s needed.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only when it is safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where applicable, a drone.
Will the camera show exactly where the water is?
Thermal imaging shows temperature rather than water. Because wet insulation holds heat for longer, it can show as a different temperature, but we check each finding with moisture readings.
When you need someone else
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- Readings unaffected by sun, shade or reflections
- Structural calculations, which need a structural engineer
- Proving moisture from the images alone
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we check
- Pitched roof slopes
- Loft conversions
- Insulated roof spaces
- Commercial roofs
- Ceilings below the roof
- Flat roofs