Pre-purchase Roof Survey — areas covered
A Homebuyer or L3 report will usually say the roof 'appears in fair condition' — that's rarely enough to negotiate with. Buyers in your area book us to turn that vague line into a written condition rating, a defect list with photos, and a realistic remedial cost bracket you can put in front of the seller.
Pre-purchase survey across 10 nearby areas
What's included
- Executive summary with overall condition rating (Sound / Serviceable / Failing)
- Elevation-by-elevation photo evidence, captioned
- Prioritised defect list — urgent, 12-month, 5-year
- Realistic remedial cost bracket (not a quote, but a bracket you can budget against)
- Estimated remaining service life of the current covering
- Notes on any conservation-area or listed-building considerations
Who it is for
- Buyers whose Homebuyer/L3 report flagged the roof but didn't quantify the risk
- Cash buyers with no lender-mandated survey but who want independent eyes
- Buy-to-let landlords sizing up a {area} property for portfolio purchase
- Buyers of Victorian, Edwardian or 1930s stock where the original roof may still be in place
What we check
- External roof covering — slipped, cracked or missing tiles/slates
- Ridge, hip and verge bedding condition and any dry-fix retrofit
- Chimney stack — masonry, flashings, pot condition, flaunching
- Valleys — lead condition, tingle count, evidence of past patching
- Flat roof coverings (extensions, dormers, bays) — pooling, blistering, seams
- Fascia, soffit, guttering — rot, sagging, blocked outlets
- Roof space — timber condition, evidence of past leaks, insulation, ventilation
- Underfelt / breathable membrane condition where visible
- Party walls, parapets and any shared abutment detailing
- Solar panel and Velux flashings if fitted
How the survey runs
- You send us the address, the estate agent's link and any existing surveyor's report
- We book access with the vendor's agent — usually within 3-5 working days
- On-site: external inspection from ladders or drone, plus roof-space inspection where accessible
- Detailed photo capture of every elevation, chimney, valley, flashing and abutment
- Report drafted and issued within 48 hours of the visit
- Follow-up call included — we walk you through the findings and answer questions
Typical findings
- Multiple tingles (lead clips) across a slate roof — usually means the nails have gone
- Cement flaunching cracked around chimney pots and mortar failure to the stack
- Sand pouring from the eaves in an older property — bedding mortar has failed
- Sagging ridge line — often points at rafter or purlin issues, not just tiles
- Any flat roof over 15 years old with visible pooling, especially over habitable rooms
- New paint on ceiling under a chimney breast — commonly hides an active leak
Common questions
Isn't this the same as a Homebuyer report?
No. A RICS Homebuyer report is a whole-property assessment done from the ground — the surveyor rarely goes on the roof. Our survey is a roof-only specialist inspection, on the covering, in the loft, with the ladder or drone, producing a report you can actually price against for your area property.
How much does a pre-purchase roof survey in your area cost?
For a standard 3-4 bed your area property in your postcode it's typically £285-£395 as a flat fee. Larger detached homes, complex roofs or listed properties can go up to £495. We quote once we've seen the estate agent's photos, not on the phone.
How quickly can you turn the report around?
Standard turnaround for your area is 48 hours from the site visit. If you're up against a contract deadline in your postcode we can expedite to 24 hours for an additional fee — flag it when you book.
Will you go on the roof or just look from the ground?
Where safely accessible, yes — from ladders. Where the pitch or height makes that unsafe, we deploy a drone (we're CAA-registered). Either way you get up-close photos of every elevation, not a 'looks OK from the pavement' report.
Can I use your report to renegotiate the price?
Yes — that's a large share of why your area buyers commission it. The report includes a remedial cost bracket you can put in front of the vendor's agent. It carries more weight than a general surveyor's note because it's from a working roofer with 10+ years in your postcode.
Do you inspect chimneys and flat roof extensions too?
Yes. Chimneys, dormers, flat roof extensions, porches and any bay roofs are all covered as standard. Solar panel and Velux flashings are included where fitted. Nothing on the roof is excluded from the fee.
What if the survey reveals major issues — will you push us to book work with you?
No. The report is the deliverable; you're free to use it however you want. If you buy and later want the remedial work done, you're welcome to come back to us, but there's no obligation and no follow-up sales calls.