Greater London · London and the South East
Thermal Roof Survey in Orpington
Thermal roof surveys in Orpington, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photographs.
- Leaks far from where the stain appears
- Ceilings that feel colder in places
- Damp around roof outlets and upstands
Checking the roof from the ground
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
How a thermal roof survey works in Orpington
Wet insulation under a flat roof covering holds heat for longer than dry. So a wet patch can show as a warmer or cooler area on the camera. This can give an idea of how far water has travelled beneath the membrane, which is hard to judge by eye. We then check those areas with moisture readings. If you’ve noticed moisture around outlets and upstands and cold areas below the roof, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
In London’s terraces and conversions, roofs are packed close together, which makes care around neighbours part of the job. We take care to focus on the roof we’ve been asked to look at. Mention access, height and anything unusual about the building as you book. Steep slopes, tall chimneys and rear additions are where the extra view helps most.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Place
- Orpington (BR5, BR6, BR7, DA14)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Tips:
- Photograph damp patches with the date
- Keep the report to compare against after any repair
- Keep a record of when stains appear
- Ask us about the forecast if rain is expected
The report explains the conditions on the day and how they affected the images. That way you know how much weight to give each finding.
Consider a repeat survey after major work on the roof, when the conditions are suitable.
How the survey changes by roof type
Felt and asphalt flat roofs
Felt and asphalt sit tight to the layers below, which often helps the camera pick up differences. We confirm any patterns with moisture readings.
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.
What a thermal roof survey does not cover
We only report whatever is safely visible on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- A formal energy assessment
- Readings unaffected by sun, shade or reflections
- The condition of timbers we cannot see
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you before booking. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Loft conversions
- Insulated roof spaces
- Ceilings below the roof
- Pitched roof slopes
- Commercial roofs
- Flat roofs
Signs you need a thermal roof survey in Orpington
Some owners book because the rooms under the roof feel cold. Gaps in loft insulation and poorly insulated roof areas can show up on the camera, especially when it is warm inside and cold outside.
Problems we come across often include:
- Patches of heat loss across the roof
- Missing or slipped insulation
- Water that travels before it shows
- Possible trapped moisture under a flat roof covering
Anyone responsible for a site like Perry Hall Primary School will know that thermal images can show where wet insulation sits under a big flat roof.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- What happens after the report arrives
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
Orpington: your questions answered
Is my home in Orpington listed or in a conservation area?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Is drone flying allowed in Orpington?
Normally it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. 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. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first, including zones around airports and prisons. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather, and the rest of the survey does not depend on the drone.
When does the report arrive?
The Premium Survey report comes the same day, the Standard within 24–48 hours and the Basic within 48 hours. Each one is emailed.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first, with the freeholder or managing agent. Let us know about it when you book and we will plan the survey around it.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We’re roof surveyors, not structural engineers. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we’ll recommend one.
Is thermal imaging good for finding leaks?
Thermal imaging can help, alongside other checks. What it shows depends on the weather and the roof. Where it can’t be pinned down, the report suggests a next step, such as electronic leak detection.
Will I get photos?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and the report uses them to show each finding alongside our recommendations.
What a thermal roof survey looks like in Orpington
Outer London has lots of Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. If your home in Orpington is one of them, bay roofs, hips and later dormers each have their own details. Steep or complicated roofs are frequently hard to see from ground level, which is where photos from the air and thermal images help. The wider area around Orpington has a long history of building, with Bromley Palace about 3.8 miles west. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
For a London address like Orpington, it is useful to know about controlled parking before the day, along with any off-street space. The streets around a church such as St Andrew's are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, older roofs can be steep and hard to see from the street, which is where photos from the air and thermal images help.
Orpington is about 12 miles south-east of London, in Greater London. In Orpington, as across Greater London, every roof gets the same careful survey. Orpington is one of the towns and villages in Greater London where we work. You can also see our page for London.
Here we cover the BR5, BR6, BR7 and DA14 postcode area for thermal roof surveys. We cover properties on High Street, Furzehill Square and Station Road. Orpington sits on or near the A224 and B258, which makes travel easy. We also cover the places around Orpington: Poverest (1 mile north), Derry Downs (1 mile east), St Mary Cray (1 mile north), St Paul's Cray (1 mile north) and Goddington (1 mile south). We also work in nearby towns such as London (12 miles north-west), City of Westminster (14 miles north-west), Marylebone (14 miles north-west), Kensington (15 miles north-west), St Pancras (14 miles north-west) and Shoreditch (13 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Orpington
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Priory School, Jubilee Country Park and Harris Academy Orpington, among other places. For rail, the closest station is St Mary Cray station, roughly 0.7 miles north. A little further out are Lullingstone Castle (4.4 miles south-east) and Orpington Hospital (1.5 miles south). Not far away are The Warren and Summer Hill.
What we do, step by step
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you want to find out. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen. The survey normally takes roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. In Orpington, visits are available on weekdays and at weekends. London parking is often by permit or pay-and-display, so it’s useful to know what’s near you, and to clear a path to the loft hatch. A back bedroom window can be the best vantage point for a rear addition, so we may ask to use one.
- First we discuss the roof, any damp and the forecast for the visit.
- We look over the roof from wherever it is safe.
- We take thermal images of the roof and of the loft where we can reach it.
- We take moisture readings where the images suggest a problem.
- The report pairs each thermal image with a photo and explains what it suggests.
Before we arrive
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Booking a survey
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. For a price or to book, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.