BS8's Independent Surveyors
From the Georgian grandeur of Clifton to the waterside villas of Hotwells.
1. Get Quote
Submit the form. We calculate the exact travel rate from our NP4 HQ (approx £20-£35 depending on BS postcode).
2. Arrive & Pay
Accept the quote to book. To prevent fraud, payment is only taken upon arrival once flight safety is confirmed.
3. The 20-Min Scan
We use quiet, high-stability drones to scan delicate Bath stone and complex rooflines. Ideal for Clifton's terraces or Hotwells' waterside villas.
4. Receive Data Package
You receive a PDF Condition Report and a link to every raw image & 4K video to show your insurer, conservation officer, or roofer.
The "Conservation First" Guarantee
We understand the sensitivity of listed buildings and conservation areas. If we arrive and cannot fly due to sudden weather or unexpected airspace restrictions near protected sites, you do not pay a penny.
*Disclaimer: Rescheduled visits are billed at the original quoted rate.
Scaffold-Free Heritage Audits.
Why risk damage to Grade-listed facades when you can inspect from the air?
Installing scaffolding around Georgian properties in Clifton can be costly, time-consuming, and potentially damaging to the historic fabric.
Our drone survey provides a respectful, efficient alternative:
- ✅ Evidence for Insurance: Validation for storm damage claims with 4K photos.
- ✅ Conservation Compliance: Non-invasive inspection reports for heritage authorities.
- ✅ High Level Access: Inspect complex rooflines and rear elevations safely.
Clifton: Georgian Roofs You Cannot See From the Street
Crescent parapets, concealed valleys and butterfly roofs across BS8's conservation areas.
Parapet Gutters Behind Crescent Facades
Royal York Crescent, Cornwallis and the Hotwells terraces present a flat stone parapet to the street and hide the working roof behind it. Lead-lined gutters, secret valleys and central drainage runs sit entirely out of sight, and that is where almost every Clifton water ingress begins. From the air the whole arrangement appears in one frame.
Butterfly and Mansard Geometry
Georgian and early Victorian Clifton favours M-shaped butterfly roofs and later mansards, both of which drain inwards to a single central channel. One blockage floods internally rather than overflowing outside, which is why damp appears on a top-floor ceiling with no visible external cause. We photograph the channel, the outlets and the lead upstands directly.
Listed Fabric and Party Boundaries
Much of BS8 is listed and terraced, so a defect sits over a party line as often as not, and physical access needs consent as well as a pavement licence. A drone needs neither. For a leaseholder or freeholder in a converted crescent house, it is frequently the only way to see the whole roof at all.
Independent of the Bristol Trades
We survey and report; we do not repair, re-lead or re-slate. The fee is fixed whatever we find on your Clifton roof, you keep every image and the 4K video, and the report is written to be used by a managing agent, a chartered surveyor, an insurer or a conservation officer without anyone querying our interest in the outcome.
Buying or Selling in BS8?
"The survey flagged a potential roof issue."
Banks often demand a "Specialist Roof Report" before releasing funds on older Clifton properties. Standard RICS Homebuyer surveys often state "Roof not inspected - obscured from ground."
The Solution: We provide the independent, high-level evidence your lender requires to lift the retention.
Insurance Claims & Storm Damage
If you are claiming for "Storm Event" damage, your insurer will demand proof that the damage is new and not just "wear and tear."
- ✅ HD Evidence: Irrefutable 4K photos of fresh tile breaks.
- ✅ Date-Stamped Data: Proof for your claim.
- ✅ Independent Validation: We don't profit from the repair.
Typical Defects We Expose
Damaged / Slipped Tiles
Identify slipped or missing slates causing water ingress. Critical for Trace and Access on complex heritage rooflines.
Chimney Stack Pointing
Check for cracked pointing, damaged pots, and lead flashing issues. Crucial for storm damage assessment on exposed properties.
Blocked Guttering Check
Spot blockages, vegetation growth, and sagging brackets in complex valley gutters.
Fascia / Soffit Issues
Identify water damage and rot on wooden fascia boards.
BS8 Housing Intelligence
Our drones are calibrated to spot specific defects common to the Clifton/BS8 area:
- Listed Building Sensitivity: Identifying freeze-thaw damage on delicate Bath stone.
- Georgian Valley Gutters: Inspecting complex "M-profile" valleys common in crescents for blockages.
- Avon Gorge Exposure: Checking for salt-air masonry degradation on waterside properties in Hotwells.
- Steep Incline Access: Inspecting rear elevations of hillside properties where ladders cannot reach.
Clifton & BS8 Pricing
Base Rate + Travel (Calculated by BS Postcode).
Basic Check
£145*
"Is my chimney okay?"
- • 15 Minute Flight
- • Raw Images Provided
- • Single issue check
*Plus travel fee (approx £20-£35)
Full Condition Report
£265*
Most Popular.
- • Full Roof & Chimney Scan
- • PDF Condition Report
- • Defect Highlighting
- • For Standard Heritage Property
*Plus travel fee (approx £20-£35)
Heritage Officers
Volume
Property Management.
- • Marketing Photos
- • Roof Reports
- • Pre-Purchase Surveys
Pilot Certification & Insurance
Your assurance for a safe, compliant, and discreet survey.
CAA Operational Authorisation
UK CAA A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) for operations near people and property.
- ✅ Fully Insured: £5M Public Liability.
- ✅ Discreet Operation: Quiet, small drones suitable for residential areas.
- ✅ GDPR Compliant: Secure data management.
Bristol Roof Inspections
Serving Clifton, Hotwells, Redland & The BS8 Conservation Area. Independent assessments you can trust.
- 📍 Clifton Village
- 📍 Hotwells & Whiteladies Road
- 📍 Redland & Cotham
- 📍 Stoke Bishop
- 📍 Westbury-on-Trym
- 📍 Henleaze & Bishopston
Common Problems We Identify
Book Your BS8 Survey
Select your package below.
Clifton Drone Surveys: BS8 Questions
What Clifton Village, Hotwells and crescent residents ask.
Can you legally fly over Clifton and Hotwells?
Yes, with proper planning. BS8 is dense and busy, so the governing issue is proximity to uninvolved people rather than airspace. We operate under the CAA A2 Certificate of Competency, which exists for precisely this kind of built-up operation, and plan launch points and stand-off distances per address.
How do you inspect a roof hidden behind a parapet?
That is the standard Clifton flight. The aircraft holds position above the building and looks down into the parapet gutter, the valleys and the central channel — the areas nobody can see from a window, a pavement or a neighbouring roof.
Do you work near the Suspension Bridge and the Downs?
We fly in the wider area subject to the usual checks. The bridge itself and the gorge involve additional considerations, and events on the Downs change what is safe on a given day, so every job is assessed before we quote.
Our building is listed and in multiple occupation. Who commissions the survey?
Usually the freeholder, the managing agent or the residents' management company, since the roof is a common part. We are glad to report on the full roof area so one survey serves every flat rather than each leaseholder commissioning separately.
You are based in Wales. Do you actually cover Bristol?
Yes. Clifton, Hotwells, Redland and Bedminster are established coverage, reached over the Severn crossings from our Pontypool base. The travel element is calculated for your postcode and shown in the quote form on this page before you commit.