Roof survey Haarlem

A roof survey or a specialist investigation

Premiumkeur is an all-round building consultancy. Our inspectors are trained in more than one discipline, so a roof survey is only one of the things you can hire us for. Most expats in Haarlem call us before they buy, for a building inspection (bouwkundige keuring) that includes the roof, or for a building survey Haarlem buyers use to see what a house will cost them over the next few years.

As building surveyors we also carry out a Foundation inspection Haarlem for older houses on timber piles, a crawl space inspection (in Dutch), a baseline survey or nulmeting (in Dutch) before the neighbours start building, and a long-term maintenance plan for a VvE (in Dutch). Just bought a new-build home? Then have a look at New build inspection Haarlem and Handover inspection Haarlem.

People also come to us for damp and mould, cracks and uneven floors, a dispute with a builder or a roofer, a damage report after a storm or a roof leak, a second opinion (contra-expertise) on a roof, balcony and facade inspections, and tracing every kind of roof leak. All prices are on our page services and rates (in Dutch).

When a roof survey makes sense

Usually it’s one of a few moments. A roofer has quoted for a new roof and you want an independent view before you sign. Work has just been done and you don’t trust the result. There’s a stain on the ceiling and nobody can tell you where the water gets in. Or you’re buying a top-floor flat and the VvE says the roof is due for replacement.

Be extra careful with doorstep selling, time pressure and cash payment. According to the Dutch government you generally have 14 days to cancel an agreement of more than € 50 made at your door. Our inspectors have years of experience, and the survey is 100% independent: we don’t sell the repair.

A VvE in Bloemendaal asked us: “We’d like an independent view on when a complete roof replacement becomes technically necessary.” (translated from Dutch). We then inspect the technical condition and remaining life of the roof. Not every slope can be reached safely, so part is inspected close up from a ladder and the rest from a distance with a zoom camera. We say that in advance.

Fred went onto the roof and into the crawl space

I’m glad Fred inspected our house.

Fred was easy to reach by phone. The appointment was scheduled quickly in consultation with the selling agent.

On the day of the inspection he explained beforehand what he would be looking at. During the inspection he straight away gave good tips on what I could tackle for better insulation, and practical tips such as replacing the locks, because you don’t know how many keys are in circulation. …

For safety in the house he checks whether everything is properly earthed, such as the room with the washing machine, the bathroom, the meter cupboard and the condition of the earth rod in the crawl space. Fred also went right into the crawl space and explains clearly what he looks at.

Finally, clear feedback on what he thinks of the house, ‘I give the house an 8’, and a few points where the house can be improved.

Which gave me a good feeling about our purchase.

Review on Google (translated from Dutch), 5 stars

A 1930s house the seller had never lived in

Hired Premiumkeur for a building inspection of a 1930s house in Haarlem where the seller had not lived themselves, so all the risks were ours. Fred took us along with everything he investigated, and also carried out a thorough roof survey. We got a practical lecture in building that we’ll get a lot out of during the renovation. The building report came a few days later but was also very clearly written, so it’s very useful to us.

Review on Google (translated from Dutch), 5 stars

Honest advice about earlier roof work

Fred gave us clear, honest and concrete advice about the condition of our roof and the roof work that had been done earlier. He keeps his appointments and stays involved for consultation during the roof renovation that’s still to come. I definitely recommend him.

Review on Google (translated from Dutch), 5 stars

Inspected within the cooling-off period

Fred helped us incredibly quickly and expertly with the purchase of our first home in Haarlem. We were in a bit of a hurry to have our home inspected, because we had agreed to have the building inspection carried out within our cooling-off period. Fred thought along with us straight away and could even inspect our home on the day we signed our provisional purchase agreement (1 working day after my phone call).

During the building inspection Fred turned out to be a walking encyclopaedia on home maintenance, and the tips were flying around our ears. My boyfriend was allowed to go onto the roof with Fred straight away to inspect things up there, and so we went through the house from top to bottom. The building inspection ended with a thorough inspection of the crawl space, where we were even invited to crawl in after Fred.

Fred’s expert and thorough eye helped and reassured us enormously: despite its considerable age the house showed hardly any defects. We can recommend Fred to anyone who wants a technical building inspection carried out (and would like it done by an extremely nice and cheerful guy).

Review on Google (translated from Dutch), 5 stars

Good advice over the phone

Incredibly good and honest advice over the phone! Nice that someone thinks along like that and makes free time without being ‘on duty’. Thanks!

Review on Google (translated from Dutch), 5 stars

A quick reply, even without an inspection

Fred responded quickly by email. He also had all the time in the world to speak to me on the phone and explain things. Even though he couldn’t carry out a roof survey for me, I would still recommend him. Sounds like a pleasant man who is there for you!

Review on Google (translated from Dutch), 5 stars

Free information and an honest suggestion

Got friendly and clear information (free of charge), including honesty about doing further investigation first before calling in this gentleman! Nice

Review on Google (translated from Dutch), 5 stars

Recommended by the neighbours

On the neighbours’ recommendation I made an appointment with this company for a roof survey. Very quick response to make an appointment with Premiumkeur B.V., a very neat and friendly gentleman, right on the agreed time, invoice as agreed, no extra costs afterwards. In short, a very reliable and reasonably priced company, really RECOMMENDED, I’ll definitely hire this company again if needed. Oh yes, and not unimportant: a very clear report with advice and clear photos, over 40 pages, so they didn’t take the easy way out.

Review on Google (translated from Dutch), 5 stars

A leaking dormer, inspected and checked again

Helped enormously well by Bo of Premiumkeur with the inspection of our dormer. Received a detailed report, and had a re-inspection done during the repair of the dormer. If you’re looking for a reliable independent party to assess and inspect your building project and roof work that has already been carried out, Premiumkeur is the right place!

Review on Google (translated from Dutch), 5 stars

Word of mouth

What an incredibly special man! Skilled, no-nonsense, honest and reliable. A man who knows what he’s doing, with an enormous amount of knowledge and ‘heart’ for his profession.

Word of mouth is the best advertising and I’m happy to contribute to that! Thanks again Fred!

Review on Google (translated from Dutch), 5 stars

Six roofs in Haarlem from our reports

Six reports on Haarlem roofs from 2024, 2025 and 2026, from an upper-floor flat from 1880 to a corner house from 1932. In three cases the client asked us to assess roof work that had just been done, once it was about a leak and once the roof came up during a building inspection. We leave out names and addresses, and every amount comes with its year.

Corner house from 1890, October 2026

The mansard roof had just been re-covered with ceramic tiles and we assessed that work. At the break between the steep lower slope (about 70 degrees) and the upper slope (about 40 degrees) there were open gaps and the overlap was too small. Tiles didn’t interlock properly and had so much play that they can rattle in the wind. Ridge tiles and hip tiles were fixed with one screw, although they have two holes. At the roof window, the clearance of about 60 mm that the manufacturer prescribes was missing. On the whole roof there were only a handful of screws, mainly at the break. We could only assess the flue from the client’s photos. This report doesn’t include a cost estimate.

What this shows: correct batten spacing doesn’t mean the tiles are laid properly. Here it went wrong in the details and in the fixing.

Upper-floor flat from 1880, July 2026

Because of a leak we went over all the seals of the flat roof. At the junction with a zinc coping, bitumen had been stuck onto the zinc and later touched up with repair paste. There was already a crack there again, and an opening at the middle dormer. The coping had once been taken off and put back with ordinary screws with a rubber washer, in places screwed in too deep. On an old chimney that had been closed off, water was standing in a hollow. An unused roof hatch could be partly lifted, which is dangerous in a storm. Inside we saw slight discolouration and light signs of leaking on the roof structure, with no indication of structural damage. For a check-over by a roofer we put € 1,250 to € 1,750 including VAT, assuming work without scaffolding (2026 price level).

What this shows: repair paste on a junction between two materials usually doesn’t last long. Apart from that, most of this roof was fine.

Terraced house from 1909, April 2026

New bitumen roofing on a flat roof, and doubts on the client’s side. At the rear, where all the water runs to, the upstand including the zinc capping was only 5.5 cm high. At a penetration of the neighbours’ it was about 7.5 cm, while the guideline after renovation is at least 10 cm. In several places the bitumen bead at the seams had been torched too hot or was missing, and there were openings. Across the full width the roofing was loose from the substrate. On the balcony puddles still remained after extra work to improve the fall. A timber casing at the roof light that was in the quotation hadn’t been made. Inside, signs of damp were visible, but the readings showed no raised values at that moment. This report doesn’t include amounts.

What this shows: a new roof can look watertight at first sight and still fall short at the edges. Measuring then tells you more than just looking.

Corner house from 1932, March 2026

Work had just been done on the chimney and the ridge, and the client wanted to know what it was worth. On the chimney the old lead hadn’t been replaced but covered over with a self-adhesive lead substitute, the pointing had only been touched up in places and the top plate hadn’t been renewed. A ridge roll was missing, and old cement was still lying under the ridge tiles. The screws of the ridge tiles were too short, and on quite a few ridge tiles they were missing altogether, with a risk of tiles blowing off. Items on the invoice, such as new under-ridge tiles and impregnating the roof boarding, we didn’t find. We estimate about € 1,800 for the chimney and about € 3,500 for the ridge, tiles and valley gutters, without scaffolding (2026 price level).

What this shows: after poor work a roof can be in a worse state than before. We recorded what we found; the legal side was up to the client.

Terraced house from 1935, July 2025

Roof inspection with leak detection. The tiled roof didn’t need replacing: the inspector estimated the tiles can last another 10 to 15 years or longer. Mounting brackets for solar panels had already been fitted, though, and they were pushing the tiles out of position. For that, € 950 was included for a check-over. The bigger item was the shared chimney. The pointing was poor and part of the lead was missing, so you could see daylight from the loft. Renovating it would cost € 2,400 according to the estimate, preferably together with the neighbours, with grilles and caps fitted. The dormer at the front with EPDM was fine; at the rear the soldering of the zinc capping showed defects. The gutters were full of dirt. Total € 3,350 immediate (2025 price level).

What this shows: a leak is often at the chimney and not in the tiled surface. With a shared chimney, talking to the neighbours is the obvious step.

Terraced house from 1920, August 2024

This was a building inspection, and the client already owned the house. We could partly see the flat roof of the extension from the neighbours’ roof. The roofing showed the wear you’d expect and otherwise looked reasonable, but the solar panels meant not everything was visible. The zinc cappings had probably been taken off during work at the neighbours’ and then screwed back on, without the soldering being repaired. We advised talking to the neighbours first. The cost overview included € 200 immediate for the extension (2024 price level). The gutter looked fine from the roof window. Nobody knew exactly how old the extension was; the glass in the window frames said 2013.

What this shows: not every roof report is about major damage. Here it was a small repair and, to be honest, a limited inspection because of the solar panels.

Customer experiences on Trustpilot

The reviews below were posted on Trustpilot without an invitation from us. Premiumkeur has 4.9 stars from 704 Google reviews and 104 Trustpilot reviews.

Clear and honest story.

I had a very positive experience with a roof survey by Bo.

He took plenty of time to answer my questions and thought along with me about the next steps to take. It was nice to talk to an independent person who really takes the time to look at the situation properly and explain it. An added bonus is that you learn from it yourself, so you know better what to look out for!

The report is great too, this is something you can actually use!

I will definitely recommend Bo to anyone who wants an inspection carried out!

Review on Trustpilot (translated from Dutch), August 2026, 5 stars

Very satisfied with the service from Daan (Premium Keur). He clearly knows his stuff and responded quickly to my requests. The report is detailed, complete and drawn up according to the NHG guidelines. This gave me confidence in the quality and care of the inspection. Recommended for anyone looking for a thorough and professional inspection.

Review on Trustpilot (translated from Dutch), April 2026, 5 stars

Learn more before you buy

Most Dutch websites about roofs and buying a house are only in Dutch, so we wrote these pages in English. The English knowledge base for Haarlem and our English reviews are linked at the top of this page.

• Building inspection Haarlem. Our main page for expats: what a Dutch building inspection covers, prices and how to book.
• Building survey Haarlem. For British buyers who want to know how a Dutch survey compares with a building survey at home.
• House survey Haarlem. What happens on the day, what the report looks like and what it costs.
• Buying a house in Haarlem. The whole buying process for expats, from the first viewing to the notary.
• Leak detection Haarlem. When water comes in and you need to know where from before anyone starts repairing.

Frequently asked questions about a roof survey

Is a roof survey the same as a roof inspection?

Yes, in practice it’s the same job. British buyers tend to say roof survey, others say roof inspection. In both cases an independent surveyor goes onto the roof where it’s safe and reports what he finds, with costs.

How much does a roof survey in Haarlem cost?

A roof inspection costs from € 499 including VAT. Tracing a roof leak costs from € 599. If you want the report in English, that’s € 100 extra.

Do you carry out repairs after the survey?

No. Premiumkeur isn’t a roofer and doesn’t carry out repairs, and we don’t recommend repair companies either. That way our advice has nothing to do with selling work.

A roofer has sent me a quotation. Can you check it?

Yes, that’s one of the most common reasons people call us. We look at the roof and tell you which items in the quotation are needed now, which can wait and which we couldn’t find a reason for.

Do you actually go onto the roof?

Yes, if it can be done safely and responsibly. For difficult leaks we use a cherry picker or scaffolding at extra cost.

How quickly will I get the report?

Within 2 working days. The standard report is in Dutch; we can translate it into English for € 100 extra.

I’m one of the expats buying in Haarlem. Is the roof part of a building inspection?

Yes. Our building inspection always includes the roof, the crawl space and the rest of the house, and the inspector explains everything in English on site. A separate roof survey is mainly for owners, or for buyers with specific doubts about the roof.

How long does a flat roof last?

As an indication, bitumen roofing lasts 20 to 25 years and EPDM about 40 years. A zinc gutter lasts 20 to 30 years. The details, such as upstands and the junctions with leadwork and zinc, often fail sooner.

Do you work with estate agents or roofers?

No. We don’t work with estate agents, mortgage advisers or roofers, we don’t pay or receive referral fees and we don’t inspect for sellers.

Can I be there during the roof survey?

Yes, and we recommend it. The inspector shows you what he finds and you can ask questions on the spot, in English.