Essex · London and the South East
Drone Roof Survey in Great Wigborough
Close-up drone photographs of roofs that are hard to reach in Great Wigborough, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Vegetation in valleys and gutters
- Wind damage high on the roof
- Worn lead at chimneys and walls
What we look for on each type of roof
Flat roofs on tall buildings
The flat roof on top of a block is rarely looked at. From above, standing water, splits and tired upstands are clear.
Chimney stacks
The drone shows the outside of the stack, not a flue, gas or sweep inspection. We’ll say if a specialist is needed.
Drone roof surveys for homes and businesses in Great Wigborough
Prices start from £400, including VAT. The Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where applicable, with a same-day report, structural analysis and an in-person consultation. There’s a 12-month follow-up as well. If a drone won’t help on your roof, we will say so. Every drone survey comes with a written report and close-up photographs. We survey fragile roofs, flat roofs on upper floors and valleys and parapet gutters, and common reasons people get in touch are cracked mortar along the ridge and lifted or split lead flashings.
Somewhere as small as Great Wigborough, older roofs are frequently steep and partly hidden by trees or outbuildings. Close-up drone photos and thermal images help show what can’t be reached safely. Both the forecast and the airspace are checked first. Steep slopes and tall chimney stacks are where a close-up view adds the most.
Where we cannot see part of the roof, the report says so. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Where
- Great Wigborough (CO5)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Nearby places to Great Wigborough
Other services in Great Wigborough
Great Wigborough questions
Are there drone restrictions around Great Wigborough?
That depends on where the roof is and on the weather. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions, including zones around airports and prisons. Strong wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying.
Is my home in Great Wigborough listed or in a conservation area?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof, not the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you will need a RICS survey as well.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We are roof surveyors, not structural engineers. We will recommend an engineer if we see signs that call for one.
How soon will I get the report?
Report times are set by the package. Basic is within 48 hours, Standard is 24–48 hours and Premium is the same day. Mention any deadline when booking.
Is Great Wigborough in your area?
Yes. We cover Great Wigborough and the rest of Essex. To book, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
How it works
A survey visit follows a simple order: we hear what you’ve seen, inspect the roof from every safe viewpoint, photograph what we find and make notes for the report. Most visits take roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, with the pre-flight checks included, and longer for big commercial roofs. Rural addresses near Great Wigborough can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- First comes the address, plus a note of what worries you about the roof.
- Airspace restrictions are checked and permission sought where needed.
- Before take-off, the wind, the weather and the launch spot are looked at.
- The drone photographs the roof closely, kept in sight throughout.
- The findings, photos and recommendations reach you by email.
Preparing for the visit
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Booking a survey
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Read more
What a survey costs
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400. We confirm the price for the job before booking.
What we need to know
Before you get in touch, it is useful to have:
- Any stains, drips or damp patches you’ve seen indoors
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
Getting a price is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and give us a few details about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
What this survey can’t tell you
Before you book, it’s worth knowing what a survey will not do:
- A flight where airspace permission is refused
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
- Roofs and gardens beyond the one we are surveying
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Great Wigborough
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Tall and steep roofs
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Large and complex roofs
- Chimney stacks
- Fragile roofs
What a drone roof survey looks like in Great Wigborough
Great Wigborough is within about 3 miles of the coast, where wind off the sea can be strong. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, so the weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead. Older buildings in Essex often have clay tiles and weatherboarding, and lots of post-war and modern estates besides. Many roofs like these can’t be judged properly from the pavement, and that’s where a view from above or a thermal image earns its place.
Historic houses such as Layer Marney Tower, about 2.8 miles north-west, show how far back building around Great Wigborough goes. Older roofs nearby can be steep and hard to see from ground level, and a survey from above or with a thermal imager doesn’t touch the roof itself. The streets around a church like Church of St Stephen are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, tall stacks and steep slopes are easier to judge with close-up aerial photos than from the pavement.
Great Wigborough is about 6 miles south of Colchester, in Essex. We carry out drone roof surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Great Wigborough and the surrounding area. Great Wigborough is one of the towns and villages in Essex where we work. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Surveys in CO5 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We cover properties on School Lane and Maldon Road. If you are just outside Great Wigborough, we cover Little Wigborough (1 mile east), Peldon (2 miles north-east), Layer Breton (2 miles north-west), Birch Green (3 miles north-west) and Layer-de-la-Haye (3 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Colchester (6 miles north), Braintree (14 miles north-west), Clacton-on-Sea (13 miles east), Maldon (9 miles south-west), Witham (9 miles west) and Camulodunum (6 miles north).
Landmarks near Great Wigborough
In Great Wigborough, that means homes and buildings near Kings Head Public House, among other places. Other landmarks nearby include Birch Castle (3.2 miles north-west). For a walk, there’s Abbotts Hall Farm.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Great Wigborough
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants. We survey on any day of the week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Tips from our surveys
Getting the most from a drone roof survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Tell next door if the drone will be near their property
- Tell us about any leaks or concerns
- Keep pets indoors during the flight
- Clear a spot on the drive or lawn
Your report arrives by email, with close-up photos from the flight. Findings are set out in plain English, with recommendations prioritised by urgency where relevant.
Look at the roof from the ground after strong winds. Debris in the garden is a sign to act on. A drone survey can show what has shifted.