See the roof work you’re paying for
Most people never see the top of their own roof, even after paying for repairs. We photograph it before the work starts and after it’s finished, so you have a record of both.
What we check
- Replaced slates or tiles, and how they sit alongside the old ones
- Re-bedded or re-pointed ridge and hip tiles
- New lead flashing, valleys and gulleys
- Chimney work: repointing, new flaunching, replaced pots
- Gutters and fascias that were part of the job
- Broken slates, offcuts or debris left on the roof or in the gutters
- Neighbouring areas of the roof disturbed during the work
What you get
- Before photos of the areas to be worked on
- After photos taken from the same angles, for a direct comparison
- With the annotated report: a PDF with labelled photos and the location of any visible concerns
- A visual record for your files, an insurer, a landlord or a future buyer
When to book
- Before accepting a roofing quote, to see the problem for yourself
- When the roofer says the job is finished, before you pay the final invoice
- When the work is being paid for by an insurer, landlord or management company
- When a leak has come back after a repair
- If you’re a roofer who wants independent photos to show a customer
Why check roof work at all?
Roof repairs are one of the few jobs where you pay for work you never see. The roofer goes up, comes down, and tells you it’s done. Most roofers do good, honest work, but without photos you have only their word for it, and they have only yours if a dispute comes up later.
Photos from above help both sides. Before the job, they show what was actually wrong, so the quote and the scope match the problem. After the job, they show what was done: new slates in place, lead dressed into the right joints, ridge tiles bedded, gutters cleared of debris.
That record matters most when someone else is paying or relying on the work: an insurer, a landlord, a block manager, or a buyer a few years from now. It also helps if a leak comes back, because you can see exactly what was repaired and what wasn’t.
How does a before-and-after check work?
It’s two short visits.
- Before: once you have a quote, we photograph the areas the roofer plans to work on, plus the surrounding roof, so the starting condition is on record.
- After: when the roofer says the job is finished, we come back and photograph the same areas from the same angles.
You then have matching images to compare. If you’ve chosen the Annotated Report (£200), we label the photos in a PDF and mark the location of any visible concerns, with a note of anything we couldn’t see. For a single small repair, a Targeted Roof Inspection (£75) per visit is often enough. to confirm: how two-visit before/after jobs are priced
The best time for the after check is before you pay the final invoice, while the roofer can still deal with anything quickly. Compare packages on our pricing page.
Do you work with roofers?
Yes, in two ways. First, we don’t do repairs ourselves, so when an inspection finds a problem we can’t sell you the fix. If a client asks for a recommendation, we have referred them to Tom Duggan Roofing, who replaced the failed lead gulley on our Milehouse Road leak job. You’re always free to use any roofer you like, and we’ll photograph their work in exactly the same way.
Second, roofers can book us directly. Before a job, drone photos help you plan access and price accurately without putting up scaffolding to look. After a job, independent photos give your customer something to see, which is reassuring when they can’t get up there themselves. That’s particularly useful for insurance work, for landlords who live away from Plymouth, and for clients who were let down by someone else before.
Read more about what we’ve found on our recent inspections page.
What if the after photos show a problem?
First, don’t panic. Our photos describe what’s visible; they’re not a verdict on the roofer’s workmanship. Something that looks odd from above, like a slate that sits slightly differently or a patch of fresh mortar, may be perfectly normal for the type of repair.
The sensible next step is to share the images with your roofer and ask them to explain or put it right. Most good roofers would rather know about a loose slate now than get a call when the ceiling stains. Clear photos make that conversation quick and factual, rather than “I think something’s wrong up there”.
If the leak you were paying to fix is still there, our roof leak investigation looks at the wider area to see whether the source was somewhere else all along. If you’re a landlord or agent managing work across several properties, see inspections for landlords and agents.
What a drone cannot tell you
We provide a visual record, not a workmanship inspection or a structural survey. We can show what’s visible on the surface of the roof before and after the work; we can’t see under new slates, check the underlay, battens or fixings, or confirm the work meets any particular standard or warranty. Judging the quality of the repair is for a qualified roofer or surveyor. We only fly in dry, reasonably calm weather, so a booking can move if the wind picks up or it rains. We fly within UK Civil Aviation Authority rules; a few locations need extra permission or can’t be flown at all, and we’ll tell you before booking if yours is one of them. to confirm: CAA Operator ID and pilot qualifications to show here
Questions
Are you independent from the roofer?
We don’t do repairs, so we have no work to sell you after an inspection. In the interest of honesty: when clients ask, we have recommended Tom Duggan Roofing, who replaced the gulley on our Milehouse Road job. If you want a fully separate check, you can use any roofer you like and we’ll photograph their work the same way, describing only what’s visible.
Can you tell me whether the work was done properly?
We can show you what was done and point out anything visibly wrong, such as a slipped slate, lead not dressed into a joint, or debris left in a gutter. We can’t see under the new coverings or certify the workmanship. If the photos raise a question, ask your roofer first; if you’re still unsure, a chartered surveyor can give a formal opinion.
Can my roofer book the check instead of me?
Yes. Some roofers like to send customers independent drone photos of the finished job, especially on insurance work or for landlords who live away. We’ll agree with whoever books who receives the photos. If you’re the homeowner, it’s worth asking your roofer whether they’d be happy for an after check before work starts, so it’s expected.
Will before-and-after photos help with an insurance claim?
They can help show the condition of the roof and what was repaired, which is the kind of evidence insurers often ask for. We can’t tell you whether your insurer will accept them or what your policy covers, so check with your insurer or broker first. The annotated report at £200 is easiest to submit because the photos are labelled.
Tell us about your roof
Send the address area and what you are worried about. We reply within one working day with options and a fixed price.
Prefer to talk it through? Book a free 15-minute call and we will help you choose the right inspection.