Roof Inspections In Dartford
Would you like to know what's really going on up there before you spend money?
Roof and loft inspections with photos and a plain written report, for buyers, owners and landlords
A roof inspection in Dartford tells you what state your roof is in before the roof tells you by dripping on the landing. Most people book one for one of three reasons. They're buying a house, a storm has just gone through, or they own a new build that's nearing the end of a ten-year warranty such as NHBC Buildmark. We go up on the roof, into the loft and along the gutters. You get photos of everything we saw and a written report saying what's fine, what needs watching and what needs doing. If the roof is sound, we'll say so. We'd rather tell you that than sell you work you don't need.
Book A Roof Inspection
A roofer rings you back to arrange a visit.
What an inspection actually gets you
A roof you can't see is easy to ignore. An inspection gives you something specific to act on, or a good reason to leave it alone.
01
Evidence you can show someone
Photos with a written note of each defect are what an insurer, a seller's agent or a builder will want to see. Saying the roof leaks gets you nowhere. Three cracked tiles above the bathroom, with a photo, gets a response.
02
A view from the loft
Plenty of problems only show from inside: daylight through the felt, damp rafter ends, water stains on the boarding, missing insulation, signs of pests. We check the loft as well as the outside wherever there's safe access.
03
Priorities, not a shopping list
Every roof has something wrong with it. The report separates what needs fixing now from what can wait a year or five, so you can budget sensibly instead of panicking at a long list of faults.
04
Something to negotiate with
Buying? A roofer's report with costs attached can be used to agree a lower price, or to ask the seller to fix things before completion. A general survey that describes the roof as fair can't do that for you.
05
No obligation attached
The report is yours to keep. Use it to get quotes from other roofers if you like. We'd sooner be the firm that told you the truth than the one that talked you into a job.
06
Small faults found early
A slipped tile or a cracked ridge joint costs little to fix this month. Left through a winter, it lets water into battens, felt and ceilings. Most of the expensive roofs we see started out as cheap ones.
1,000+
Roofs repaired, renewed and rebuilt
10 yrs
Written guarantee on every re-roof
5★
The only rating anyone has left us
£0
For the survey and the written quote
New builds, storms and buyers in Dartford
Dartford has had a lot of houses built in the last twenty-five years. George Wimpey built 1,134 at The Bridge alone, and there's Ingress Park at Greenhithe and the Ebbsfleet estates beyond. New-build warranties such as NHBC Buildmark run for ten years from completion, so many of those homes are now outside cover or close to it. Dry-fix ridge and verge systems from that era can loosen as they age. An inspection before your cover runs out gives you a dated record of the roof while you still have options.
Then there's the wind. Storm Eunice in February 2022 closed the QEII Bridge and brought London its first ever red weather warning, and Henk, Isha and Jocelyn shut the bridge again in January 2024. When the crossing next door is closed for wind, Dartford's roofs are taking the same gusts. Rainfall here is low, around half the national average, so storm damage can sit unnoticed until the next heavy shower finds it. A check after a big blow costs far less than the ceiling it might save.
"After a named storm, the roofs we're asked to check usually have less wrong with them than the owners feared, plus one or two things they'd never have spotted from the ground."
How we inspect a Dartford roof
- 1
Tell us why you're asking
Buying, after a storm, a warranty about to end, or simply years since anyone looked? The reason shapes what we focus on, so mention it when you book and send any survey or photos you already have.
- 2
Agree the scope and the fee
We confirm in writing what the inspection covers, how we'll get access and what the report costs. If you're also asking us to quote for repairs, the survey itself is free.
- 3
Start from the ground
A first walk round shows the line of the ridge, any sag in the slopes, the state of the chimney and gutters, and how your roof meets the houses either side of it.
- 4
Up on the roof
From ladders and roof ladders, or with a camera pole where climbing isn't safe, we look closely at the coverings, ridges, verges, valleys, flashings, stacks and any flat sections of the roof.
- 5
Into the loft
Inside, we check the underlay, battens and rafters for water, condensation or daylight. We also look at ventilation and insulation, because the two together decide whether the roof stays dry from the inside.
- 6
Write it up
Soon after the visit you get a report with photos, a description of each issue, how urgent it is and a rough cost to put it right. Plain words throughout, nothing you'd need to look up.
- 7
Talk it through
We'll go through the report with you by phone if anything is unclear. If you want us to do any of the work, that's quoted separately. If you'd rather use someone else, that's fine too.
10
Years' cover on a new roof
1,000+
Roofing jobs finished
Paperwork in your hand on the last day. Not posted out "in due course".
What the 10 year guarantee on a re-roof actually covers
Re-roof a house in Dartford with us and you get 10 years of cover on the workmanship. It's a written document. It has your address on it, lists what was done, and is dated the day the roof is signed off. If water gets in because something was fitted wrong - a batten, a fixing, a lap, a flashing - a roofer comes back and puts it right. You don't pay for that.
Why are we happy to promise ten years? Because of how the roof goes on. Every tile or slate is mechanically fixed to BS 5534, the current British Standard. Ridges and hips are fixed too, not just sat in mortar. A breathable membrane goes down first. Where a roof meets a wall, a chimney or the house next door, it gets proper lead or a tested dry system. Shortcuts there are what make a guarantee expensive, so we don't take them.
Tiles, slates and membranes also carry the maker's own warranty. Those vary by product, and your paperwork tells you which ones apply. If a job is too unusual to guarantee in the normal way, you'll hear that at quote stage.
What to look for in a roofer doing your roof inspection
They actually go up
A general homebuyer survey usually looks at the roof from the ground and the loft hatch. That's useful but limited. A roofer's inspection should get much closer: on the roof where it's safe, along the gutters, inside the loft. Ask how they'll access your roof and what they'll do about the parts they can't reach safely. If the plan is a look from the pavement, you're paying for an opinion, not an inspection.
Photos of every problem
An honest roofer photographs what they find. That protects you, because you can see the cracked tile or split lead for yourself, and it protects them, because nobody can argue later about what was there. Be cautious of anyone who climbs down with bad news and no pictures. Kent Police have reported a scam in New Ash Green where a cold caller lifted tiles, left a gaping hole and leaned on a pensioner until £1,500 was handed over.
A report that isn't a sales pitch
The point of an inspection is to find out the truth, not to land a re-roof. A good report separates urgent work from routine maintenance, and both from things that are simply old but sound. If every item ends with full replacement recommended, get a second opinion. A roofer who's comfortable telling you your roof has another ten years left in it is one worth keeping.
Four ways to get a roof checked
These cover very different amounts of ground. Which one you need depends on the roof, the access and what you're trying to find out.
| Comparison point | Visual from the ground | Roofer on ladder and in loft | Drone survey | Full scaffold inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it sees | Obvious slips, sags and gaps | Coverings, details and the roof from inside | The whole roof surface from above | Every tile, joint and fixing up close |
| What it misses | Cracks, perished felt, anything in the loft | Areas unsafe to reach on foot | The loft, and fixings hidden under tiles | Little, if the loft is checked too |
| Typical cost | Often free | Free with a quote; report £150-£350 | Varies by provider | Highest, with scaffold hire on top |
| Time on site | Minutes | One to two hours | Usually under an hour | Scaffold days plus the inspection |
| Paperwork | Usually none | Photos and a written report | Photos or video; reports vary | A detailed report is possible |
| Best for | A first look before calling anyone | Buyers, storm checks, warranties ending | Tall, steep or fragile roofs | Heritage roofs, or before major work |
Inspections before you buy
A standard survey on a Dartford terrace will often describe the roof covering as serviceable from ground level. Fair enough, but that doesn't tell you whether the ridge is loose, whether the valley shared with next door has been patched, or whether the loft has daylight showing through. If the roof is old, doesn't match its neighbours or shows obvious repairs, a roofer's inspection before you exchange is money well spent.
If the report flags a lot of wear, our re-roofing page explains what a full replacement involves and the 10-year guarantee that comes with one.
Re-roofing in Dartford
What a roof inspection costs
If you're asking us to quote for work, the survey is free. A written condition report with photos, the kind you'd use for a house purchase, an insurance claim or a warranty query, is typically £150 to £350. Larger roofs, awkward access or a need for scaffold push it higher, and we'll tell you the figure before booking.
Roof inspection questions
Does a roof inspection need any permission from the council?
No. Looking at a roof needs neither planning permission nor building regulations approval. If the report leads to work, that's where permissions can come in. Like-for-like repairs usually need nothing from Dartford Borough Council. Re-covering more than a quarter of the building's envelope, or more than half the roof, normally needs building control approval, and listed buildings or conservation areas may need consent as well.
My new build is nine years old. Should I get the roof checked?
It's a good time to. Warranties like NHBC Buildmark run for ten years from completion, and a dated report with photos is useful if anything needs raising before the cover ends. What can and can't be claimed depends on your policy and which year you're in, so read the warranty documents alongside our report.
Will my insurer accept your report after storm damage?
We can't speak for any insurer. What we can give you is a report with dated photos, a description of the damage and an honest view on whether it's storm damage or long-term wear, which is what claim handlers generally ask for. Insurers often turn down claims they put down to gradual deterioration, so we'll be straight with you about which we think it is.
Do you need to get into my loft?
Ideally, yes. A lot of what matters, like damp rafters, failed felt and condensation, only shows from inside. We need a safe hatch, a light if there is one, and somewhere to stand. If the loft is boarded and full of storage, we'll look where we can and note in the report what we couldn't see.
How long does an inspection take?
On a typical Dartford terrace or semi, an hour or two on site. Bigger houses, bungalows with several slopes, or roofs with dormers and flat sections take longer. The written report follows once we've been through the photos. If something urgent turns up, like a tile about to drop, we'll tell you there and then.
Can you inspect the roof on a block of flats or a leasehold house?
We can, but you'll need permission from whoever owns or manages the roof, usually the freeholder or managing agent. Over a quarter of homes in Dartford's town wards are flats, and in most of them the roof isn't the individual owner's to repair. We're happy to send the report to the managing agent directly if that helps.
Related: Roof repairs · Emergency roof repairs · Re-roofing
Reviews from Dartford homeowners
Every review left for us so far has been five stars. We're adding them here as they come in.
Reviews only tell you so much anyway. When a roofer comes out to Dartford, ask to see photos of a recent job on a house like yours. A good roofer will have plenty and won't mind you asking.
Find out where your roof stands
Tell us why you want it checked and when suits you. We'll confirm the price in writing first, then send photos and a plain report after the visit.