What a Derby Roof Inspection Covers
A proper roof inspection is more than a glance from the pavement. We assess the covering (tiles or slate, condition, slippage, cracking), the ridge and verge mortar, the lead flashings at chimneys and abutments, the valleys, the guttering and roofline, and — through a loft inspection where accessible — the underside of the roof, the membrane, and any signs of leaks or condensation. You receive a written report with photographs and findings graded by priority: urgent, soon, and monitor.
This graded approach matters. It tells you not just what is wrong but what needs doing now versus what can wait, so you can budget sensibly rather than being pushed into everything at once. A good inspection is diagnostic, not a sales pitch — and our fee is credited against any repair work you subsequently book with us, so an honest inspection costs you effectively nothing if it leads to work.
Drone Surveys and Pre-Purchase Inspections
For steep, high or complex Derby roofs, a drone survey captures close-up detail of areas that would otherwise need scaffold to reach, at £150–£350. It is fast, safe and gives you high-resolution images of ridge lines, valleys and chimney tops without the cost of access. It is particularly useful on Derby's taller Victorian terraces and any roof where the problem is suspected but not visible from ground or loft.
The pre-purchase survey is a distinct and valuable service. Before you exchange on a Derby property, an independent roof inspection tells you what you are buying — whether the roof has years of life left or is a five-figure liability the seller hasn't mentioned. At £200–£450 it is a fraction of what a roof problem discovered after completion costs, and it gives you either peace of mind or a concrete negotiating point on price. Buyers' surveyors flag roofs but rarely climb them; a specialist roof survey goes further.
What a Derby Survey Looks For by Property Era
What we look for depends on the property. On Derby's post-war concrete-tile estates — Mackworth, Sinfin, Chaddesden — the priority checks are ridge and verge mortar condition (the estate-wide failure point) and whether the felt underlay has perished. On the Victorian and Edwardian slate terraces of Normanton, Peartree and Friar Gate, it is the extent of nail sickness — how many slates are slipping and whether the fixings are failing across the whole roof or just locally.
On the interwar semis of Allestree and Littleover, 1930s roofs are old enough that original felt, if never replaced, is a key check. And on any Derby property under tree cover, valley and gutter condition and the moss load on north-facing slopes. A survey that knows the local stock looks for the right things rather than working through a generic checklist — and that is what turns an inspection into genuinely useful information.
