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Building Inspections Edinburgh
See Every Issue Before It's a Problem
SAT provides specialist building inspections across Edinburgh's tenements, townhouses, listed buildings, and commercial properties, utilizing Rope Access.
Honest Assessments
We tell you what we found, what it means, and what needs to happen next — nothing more, nothing less.
Documented Findings
Every inspection produces a clear written report with photographic evidence and condition ratings.
Rope Access Inspection
We access every elevation, roof, and hard-to-reach surface without scaffolding or disruption.
What We Inspect
Specialist Inspections for Edinburgh's Most Complex Buildings
Edinburgh's older buildings hide problems that standard inspections miss. Stonework deterioration, failed pointing, concealed water ingress, slate movement — these need a specialist who knows what to look for and can reach every surface to find it.
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Tenement Buildings
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Listed & Historic Buildings
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Commercial Facades
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Hotels & Apartments
Our Building Passport
Every building is different. But each one is looked after and tracked the same way through our Building Passport
Our Inspection Services
Every Inspection We Carry Out
We believe that every business is uniquids our approach is never growth.
01
A comprehensive assessment of your building's external fabric — condition, defects, and priorities clearly documented.
02
Detailed assessment of masonry, pointing, and stone condition. Essential for Edinburgh's tenements and listed buildings.
03
Full inspection of roof covering, flashings, parapets, and associated drainage. Accessed by rope — no scaffold required.
04
Independent condition assessment before you buy. Know exactly what you're taking on before contracts are signed.
05
Inspection and documentation to support statutory notice requirements and factor-led shared repair programmes.
06
Scheduled inspections that track building condition over time — feeding directly into your Building Passport record.
Building Inspections
Stonework Surveys
Roof Inspections
Rope Access
Listed Buildings
Condition Reports
Building Passport
Edinburgh Specialists
Honest Assessments
Pre-Purchase Surveys
Statutory Notice Support
Building Inspections
Building Passport
Rope Access
Roof Inspections
How We Work
No Scaffolding. No Disruption. No Surprises
Every inspection SAT carries out is done by rope access. That means we can reach any elevation, any roof, any parapet, without erecting scaffold and without inflating the cost of finding out what your building actually needs.
You get a full written report with photographic evidence, condition ratings, and clear recommendations.
Ready to Know What Your Building Is Really Telling You?
Get an inspection from Rope Access Specialists
Why choose us
Your Trusted Inspection Partner
Every inspection is carried out by a specialist who knows Edinburgh's buildings and will give you an honest account of what
Total Access. No Scaffold.
We reach every elevation, roof, and parapet, utilizing Rope Access. Faster, cheaper, and less disruptive than any
- Full external fabric coverage
- Minimal disruption
- Cost-effective access to any surface
- Suitable for occupied buildings
Reports You Can Actually Use
Clear written findings with photographic evidence, condition ratings, and plain language recommendations. Suitable for factors, owners, and statutory purposes
- Photographic evidence at every finding
- Condition ratings and priorities
- Suitable for statutory notice support
We Don’t Manufacture Work
SAT’s assessments are independent and honest. We tell you what needs attention and what can wait — nothing more
- Independent assessments
- Clear priority recommendations
- Long-term building relationships
Total Access. No Scaffold.
We reach every elevation, roof, and parapet, utilizing Rope Access. Faster, cheaper, and less disruptive than any
- Full external fabric coverage
- Minimal disruption
- Cost-effective access to any surface
- Suitable for occupied buildings
Reports You Can Actually Use
Clear written findings with photographic evidence, condition ratings, and plain language recommendations. Suitable for factors, owners, and statutory purposes
- Photographic evidence at every finding
- Condition ratings and priorities
- Suitable for statutory notice support
We Don’t Manufacture Work
SAT’s assessments are independent and honest. We tell you what needs attention and what can wait — nothing more
- Independent assessments
- Clear priority recommendations
- Long-term building relationships
What We Inspect
Every Part of the External Fabric
We don't inspect one element and ignore the rest. Every SAT inspection covers the full external fabric of your building, from ridge to street level, so you get the complete picture in one visit.
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Stonework and masonry — pointing, cracks, erosion, loose stone, and previous repairs
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Roofs and slates — slipped, cracked, or missing slates, ridges, hips, and flat areas
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Chimneys — pointing, pots, haunching, flue liners, and wallhead condition
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Lead flashings — abutments, steps, valleys, and chimney bases
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Rainwater goods — gutters, downpipes, hoppers, and outlets
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Skews and junctions — mortar joints, alignment, and water tracking paths
building passport
Every Inspection We Carry Out Feeds Your Building Record
The Building Passport is SAT's proprietary digital record platform. Every inspection, every finding, every report — logged against your property and accessible whenever you need it. It comes free with every SAT contract.
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Property Health Score updated after every inspection
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Defects tracked through their full lifecycle
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Three PDF report types generated on demand
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Inspection spine — a permanent record of every visit
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Client property map with all maintained buildings
Looking to get your property inspected and captured into the Building Passport?
Work Process
How Every Inspection Works
From first contact to final report — a straightforward process built around your building.
01
Initial Enquiry
Tell us about your building and what you need. We'll ask the right questions and come back to you
02
Undertake Inspection
Every surfaces inspected using rope access — roof, elevations, parapets, and rainwater goods.
03
Written Report
Receive a full condition report with photographic evidence, ratings, and clear recommendations.
04
Updated Passport
Every finding is logged to your property record. Ready for the next inspection and next decision
FAQs
Common Questions About Our Inspections
Find answers to our question about our consulting coverage options.
What does a building inspection from SAT actually cover?
We inspect the full external fabric of your building — stonework, pointing, window surrounds, roof covering, parapets, flashings, rainwater goods, and any areas of visible concern. Everything is accessed by rope and documented with photographs.
What happens to the inspection record afterwards?
Everything is logged to your Building Passport — a permanent digital record of your property’s condition that’s updated after every SAT visit.
What do I get at the end of an inspection?
A full written condition report with photographic evidence, condition ratings for each element inspected, and clear recommendations on priority, urgency, and next steps.
Can your reports be used for statutory notice purposes?
Yes. Our inspection reports are suitable for factor-led shared repair programmes and Edinburgh City Council statutory notice requirements.
Every inspection is logged to your Building Passport
What Clients Say
In Their Words
We love hearing what our clients have to say about our work and standards
Really pleased with the service from SAT, they did a variety of maintenance and repair works on the roof & masonry of our building. Would recommend SAT. Stepped in with direction.
Dave
Edinburgh Tenement
SAT undertook repair work to drainpipes and guttering on our tenement flat. The work was carried out professionally, on schedule and at a reasonable price.
Steve Clark
Edinburgh Tenement
SAT completed a thorough and extensive roof inspection for us. He produced a well presented detailed but understandable report. Professional in every way. Highly recommend
Kevin Hodgson
Edinburgh Tenement
From the work
Field Notes
Observations from looking after Edinburgh's older buildings.
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What we look after
Every part of an older building
Fill in our short form and we will get straight back to you
We track all items
Click on a pin to see some of the items we track
Phone
0131 210 0197
Rainwater Systems
We check: Gutters, Downpipes, Joints, Seals, Hangers, Brackets, Surfaces
Rainwater Systems
We check: Gutters, Downpipes, Joints, Seals, Hangers, Brackets, Surfaces
Chimneys
We check: Pots, cope stones, haunching, chimney breast and throat, stonework, mortar joints, flashings and soakers
Chimneys
We check: Pots, cope stones, haunching, chimney breast and throat, stonework, mortar joints, flashings and soakers
Roof Covering
We check: Slipped/missing slates, Ridges, Ridge tiles and joints, Abutments and Skews
Roof Covering
We check: Slipped/missing slates, Ridges, Ridge tiles and joints, Abutments and Skews
Stonework
We check: Surfaces, Spalling, Lamination, Loose stonework, Mortar joints, Cracks and deterioration
Stonework
We check: Surfaces, Spalling, Lamination, Loose stonework, Mortar joints, Cracks and deterioration
Inspections
SAT check every aspect and surface of the property. We do this visually and physically
Inspections
SAT check every aspect and surface of the property. We do this visually and physically
Inspections
Close-range rope access inspection of sandstone and masonry facades — identifying deterioration before it becomes structural.
How It Works
How We Inspect Your Stonework
A systematic, close-range assessment of every stone face — from street level to parapet.
Step_01
Access & Assess
By utilizing Rope Access, we access all elevations ensuring close range masonry inspection
Step_02
Document & Report
Every defect is photographed, mapped to its location on the facade, and graded by severity
Step_03
Log & Track
All findings are loaded into your Building Passport. Defects are pinned to their exact locations
Stonework Inspection Methodology
Accessing tenement buildings and other high-rise structures, is often problematic and costly. Typical requirements will be the use of scaffolding or cherry pickers. Both of which are cumbersome and require local council permits. They are also intrusive and take up a large ground and carbon footprint.
Fortunately, SAT do not require any of these, as our company will undertake your stonework inspections by utilizing rope access as our means of work at height. Our carbon footprint is zero, with minimal ground footprint required as we access the roof via the hatch and setup on the roof itself.
Our skilled and highly sought after technicians can traverse the external fabric of the property and check each area in detail.
Why It Matters
Stone Doesn't Fail All at Once
Sandstone deterioration is gradual — eroding pointing, hairline cracks, surface spalling. It's easy to miss from the ground, and easy to ignore until a piece comes loose or water starts getting in. A close-range rope access inspection picks up what's changing before it becomes a repair bill.
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Every stone face inspected at close range
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Pointing, cracks, erosion, and displacement recorded
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Defects graded by severity and urgency
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Reports suitable for factors, owners, and conservation officers
STONEWORK
What You Get
A detailed stonework condition report with photographs, defect mapping, and clear recommendations — not a general overview from street level. All findings are logged in your Building Passport and tracked over time.
Building Maintenance
Roof Surveys
Stonework Repairs
Building Surveys
Roof Slate Repairs
Rainwater Systems
Building Passport
Gutter Cleaning
Repairs and Installations
Stonework Inspections
Roof Surveys
Building Passport
Your Building's Digital Record
The Building Passport
Every inspection, defect, and repair — logged, tracked, and accessible. Free to all SAT clients.
What We Inspect
A Full Assessment of Your Stonework
We inspect every stone face at close range by rope access — not from the ground with binoculars. That means we catch the early signs of deterioration that drive long-term repair costs: soft joints, hairline cracks, surface loss, and water ingress paths.
Pointing & Joints
Lime and cement mortar joints and recessed pointing
Surface Condition
Spalling, erosion, delamination, and biological growth
Cracks & Movement
Hairline cracks, structural cracking and lintel deflection
Indents & Repairs
Past repairs, failed indents, mismatched stone, poor mortar
Get in touch
Let's talk about your building
Whether you're a factor, an owner, or a hotel operator — the conversation starts the same way.
Phone:
0131 210 0197
New York Office
Address:
1445 Myrtle. New York
New York Office
Address:
1445 Myrtle. New York
Canada Office
Address:
29 Fortun Plaza, Atlanta.
Canada Office
Address:
29 Fortun Plaza, Atlanta.
Mexico Office
Address:
Philadelphia, PA 19103.
Mexico Office
Address:
Philadelphia, PA 19103.
Washington Office
Address:
Washington, DC 20001
Washington Office
Address:
Washington, DC 20001