Greater London · London and the South East
Thermal Roof Survey in Friern Barnet
Know where you stand with the roof before you decide what to do next. We carry out thermal roof surveys in Friern Barnet.
- Wet areas near outlets and upstands
- Water that travels before it shows
- Ceilings that feel colder in places
How the survey works
The visit has one job: to look at the roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Notes and photos go into the written report. It typically takes an hour or two for most houses, and more on a big or complicated roof. In a London conversion, the way into the roof space is frequently from a communal landing or the top flat. Where that’s the case, access needs agreeing with whoever controls that landing. Everything else is planned around the building, not the postcode.
- First we go over the roof, the problem you’ve noticed and the conditions forecast for the visit.
- We look at the roof from ground level, from windows and from the roof itself where it’s safe.
- We take thermal images of the roof to pick up temperature patterns.
- We check the patterns that stand out with moisture readings where there’s safe access.
- We write up the thermal images alongside ordinary photos and recommendations.
Before the survey
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
Booking a survey
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Thermal roof survey in Friern Barnet: what you get
Thermal imaging is a useful tool, but it has limits. Sun, shade, reflective surfaces and wind can all change what the camera shows. That’s why we check findings with moisture readings and a close visual inspection. Our report says plainly what the camera picked up and how sure we can be. If a finding cannot be confirmed, the report suggests a next step. Typical surveys look at heat escaping through the roof and damp that repairs haven’t cured, on flat roofs, pitched roof slopes and insulated roof spaces.
London airspace is busy and tightly controlled: there are flight restriction zones around Heathrow, London City and London Heliport, and restricted areas over Hyde Park, the City of London and the Isle of Dogs. Before a drone goes up in Friern Barnet, the address is checked against all of them, and where permission is needed, the flight waits for it.
The report is written in plain words, so you don’t need to be a roofer to follow it. Photographs show what each point refers to, and recommendations are put in order of urgency where relevant.
- Where
- Friern Barnet (N11, N12, N10, N20)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Useful tips for Friern Barnet property owners
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Let us know where and when you’ve seen damp or stains
- Take photos of stains as they appear, so we can compare
- Do not switch the heating off before the visit
- Ask us about the forecast if rain is expected
If you’re buying, the report gives you specific points to raise with the seller or agent. What you do with it is up to you, whether you ask for work before completion or discuss the price.
After repairs or a new covering, a later survey can confirm things are dry, when the conditions are suitable.
Can I check my roof myself?
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That part is for a survey.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Signs you need a thermal roof survey in Friern Barnet
Not every roof problem shows on the surface. Trapped moisture, missing insulation and hidden heat loss are three examples. A thermal camera adds another way of finding them.
We are often asked to look at:
- Water that travels before it shows
- Damp where roofs meet walls and chimneys
- Patches of heat loss across the roof
- Ceilings that feel colder in places
For a London address like Friern Barnet, it is useful to know about controlled parking before the day, along with any off-street space.
What to check before booking
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- Their report turnaround times
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
Towns and villages near Friern Barnet
Also in Friern Barnet
How we price thermal roof surveys
All our prices include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- The size of the roof
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. Our price is from £400, including VAT.
Helping us price your survey
There’s no need for technical words. It is enough to let us know:
- Anything about access we should know
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email when you are ready.
How the survey changes by roof type
Pitched slate and tile roofs
Inside the roof space, thermal images can help with damp around stacks, valleys and roof windows. Findings are checked with moisture readings.
GRP fibreglass roofs
GRP roofs are laid over timber boards, so trapped moisture can affect the deck. The camera can help show where to look.
Thermal roof surveys around Friern Barnet
About 2.7 miles south lies Heath Hall, a reminder of how long the area around Friern Barnet has been built on. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. Bay roofs, hip ridges and dormers from later loft conversions are the details that set these houses apart. 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.
Shop and office owners around Grand Arcade may find that big, flat commercial roofs are where photos from the air and thermal images help most. Take an older house close to St John's Church: thin or patchy insulation under an old roof often shows up clearly on a thermal image.
Friern Barnet is about 2 miles north-east of Finchley, in Greater London. Surveys in Friern Barnet work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Across Greater London, we cover Friern Barnet and the places around it. You can also see our page for London.
Every address in N11, N12, N10 and N20 is covered for thermal roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. If you need a thermal roof survey at a property on Martock Gardens, Shapwick Close and Radstock Close or anywhere close by, we can help. Friern Barnet is on the A406 and B550, which makes it simple to reach. We also cover the places around Friern Barnet: New Southgate (1 mile east), Brunswick Park (1 mile north), North Finchley (1 mile west), Arnos Grove (1 mile east) and Whetstone (1 mile north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (8 miles south), City of Westminster (7 miles south), Marylebone (7 miles south), Kensington (8 miles south), St Pancras (6 miles south) and Shoreditch (7 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Friern Barnet
In Friern Barnet, that means homes and buildings near Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum, Friary Park and Friern Barnet School, among other places. Friern Barnet has its own railway station: New Southgate station. Well-known places in the area include Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum (1.4 miles west) and Grand Arcade (1 mile west). Not far away are Highgate Hill and Darland's Lake.
Common questions in Friern Barnet
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Friern Barnet?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Friern Barnet?
Normally it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. Across London there are restriction zones around Heathrow, London City and London Heliport, plus restricted areas over Hyde Park, the City of London and the Isle of Dogs. Each address is checked against all of them before the drone goes up. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
How long is the visit?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof, but most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours at a house, including the thermal images, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial roof. The written report follows by email.
Does thermal imaging detect leaks directly?
The camera does not see water itself. Because wet insulation holds heat for longer, it can show as a different temperature, and moisture readings are used to check it.
What’s the best way to book?
It is easiest to ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. Give us the address and some details about the roof, and we’ll recommend the right survey. We survey seven days a week.
Do you cover Friern Barnet?
Yes. We survey roofs across London and South East England, and that includes Friern Barnet.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. We don’t sample or test for asbestos. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000.