Drone roof inspections in Saltash

A town shaped by two bridges

Saltash grew up on a steep hillside above the Tamar. Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge brought the railway across in 1859, and the Tamar road bridge followed in 1961, the first major suspension bridge built in Britain after the war. Building it meant demolishing most of the north side of Lower Fore Street and much of the old waterside, and once it opened Saltash grew quickly as a commuter town for Plymouth.

That gives Saltash two quite different kinds of roof. Around Fore Street and the Waterside are older terraces and cottages, typically with slate roofs, chimney stacks and lead details, often on steep plots where scaffolding is hard to put up. Further out are whole areas of 1960s bungalows and later estates, at places such as Burraton, Latchbrook and Pillmere, mostly roofed in concrete tiles. The older roofs tend to suffer from slipped slates and tired flashing; the newer ones from cracked ridge and verge mortar and blocked gutters. Our full roof visual inspection covers either.

Wind off the Tamar and the view from above

Many Saltash homes are built for the view across the Tamar and the Hamoaze, which means they also face the weather. Rain and gales coming up the estuary hit exposed ridges, verges and chimney stacks first. The town's steep streets also make roofs hard to see from the ground: often you can only see the front slope, and only from across the road, while the rear slope, valleys and chimney backs stay out of sight.

Bungalows are a particular case. The roof looks close enough to check from a ladder, but walking on concrete tiles cracks them, and the valleys and back slopes stay hidden. A drone looks down on the whole roof, including the slopes, ridges and gutters you can't see from the street. After a storm, a targeted check of one ridge or chimney costs £75. If you're a landlord or letting agent with properties on both sides of the river, see inspections for landlords and agents.

Cornwall Council, listed buildings and flying near the river

Saltash is in Cornwall, so planning, listed building and conservation questions go to Cornwall Council rather than Plymouth City Council. The inspection itself needs no consent, because the drone never touches the roof. If repairs are needed on a listed building, or would change how a building looks in a conservation area, check with the council before work starts. Clear photos of the existing roof help, and they let your roofer agree a like-for-like repair from the start.

The Tamar estuary is a busy place, with the two bridges, the main railway line, and Ministry of Defence sites on the Plymouth bank, including Devonport Naval Base downriver. We check airspace and any restrictions before every flight, plan our take-off point on your property or a safe open space, and keep clear of roads, the railway and the bridges. If something prevents a safe flight at your address, we'll tell you before you book, not when we arrive.

Typical jobs in Saltash

• Checking slipped slates and flashing on older terraces near Fore Street
• Ridge and verge mortar checks on 1960s bungalows
• Storm checks on exposed homes overlooking the Tamar
• Whole-roof photos for buyers before they exchange

Questions from Saltash homeowners