Essex · London and the South East
Drone roof survey in Harlow, Essex
Not sure what state the roof is in? You can book a drone roof survey in Harlow and across Essex.
- Cracked slates and tiles out of sight from below
- Slates or tiles shifted by high winds
- Flashings that have come away
Can I check my roof myself?
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
You can learn a lot from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Drone roof survey in Harlow: what you get
Every flight starts with an airspace check. Flight restriction zones around airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick and London City need permission from the airport or air traffic control. Parts of central London have restricted areas too, where NATS permission is needed. If permission is not given, we inspect by other means and tell you. Prisons have their own drone restriction zones too. If you’re worried about ridge and hip pieces working loose and cracked flaunching or loose chimney pots, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
In older houses around Harlow, loft insulation can be thin, patchy or missing in places. Thermal imaging can show where heat escapes, and it can also point to damp patches. It shows temperature, so anything that looks like moisture is checked with a meter, while drone photos show the outside of the same roof. Results depend on conditions, so the timing of the visit matters.
We write the report in plain English, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Photos show what each point refers to, and recommendations are put in order of urgency where relevant.
- Where
- Harlow (CM17, CM20, CM18, CM19)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Places near Harlow
What else we do in Harlow
What we can’t see
Before booking, it is worth knowing what a survey will not do:
- Photos in conditions too poor to fly
- Roofs and gardens beyond the one we are surveying
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Chimney stacks
- Tall and steep roofs
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Fragile roofs
- Large and complex roofs
For landlords and managing agents
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords. Bigger roofs take more time, so they’re priced to suit.
Landlords and agents in Harlow book surveys as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photographs, useful for planning maintenance.
How the survey changes by roof type
Flat roofs on tall buildings
Flat roofs on tall buildings are often seen by nobody. A drone shows ponding, splits, blisters and worn upstands.
Valleys and parapet gutters
Valleys and parapet gutters are hidden from the street. A drone shows linings, joints and build-ups of debris.
How we price drone roof surveys
Several things affect the price of a survey:
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Roof area
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- House, block, shop or office
Every price we give includes VAT, and the report is not charged as an extra. Our price is from £400, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Helping us price your survey
The more you tell us, the easier it is to price the survey. When you contact us, it helps to mention:
- The address and postcode of the property
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Dates you are working to, like exchange
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Flying and imaging in Harlow
Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions, including zones around airports and prisons. An older home may be listed, or stand in a conservation area. Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the council can say whether a street is in a conservation area. In either case, a change of roofing material may need consent.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Cooks Spinney Primary Academy and Nursery, a view from above covers a wide roof far faster than walking it. Take an older house close to St Andrew's Methodist Church: steep roofs, tall chimneys and hidden valleys can be hard to see from the ground, and that is where a view by drone or thermal camera helps.
Harlow is about 21 miles north-east of London, in Essex. Roofs in Harlow get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Essex. Harlow is one of the places in Essex where we work for drone roof surveys. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
Postcode districts we cover here for drone roof surveys: CM17, CM20, CM18 and CM19. If you need a drone roof survey at a property on London Road, Soper Square and Square Street or a nearby road, we can survey it. Harlow sits on or near the A414 and A1019, so getting to you is simple. Neighbouring places we cover for drone roof surveys include Mark Hall South (1 mile north-east), Netteswell (1 mile west), Latton (1 mile south-east), Mark Hall North (1 mile north) and Bush Fair (1 mile south). Further out, we also cover Brentwood (13 miles south-east), Loughton (9 miles south), Waltham Abbey (7 miles south-west), Great Dunmow (13 miles north-east), Epping (5 miles south) and Stansted Mountfitchet (10 miles north). Harlow is among the bigger towns we cover in Essex.
Near you in Harlow
Around Harlow, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Harlow Marsh, Purple Emperor pub and BMAT STEM Academy, among other places. The nearest railway station is Harlow Town station, about 1.2 miles north-west of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Princess Alexandra Hospital (1.2 miles west) and Mark Hall Cycle Museum (0.7 miles north-east). The countryside around Harlow includes Hunsdon Mead.
Questions from Harlow
Do you carry out roof surveys in Harlow?
Yes, Harlow is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Are there drone restrictions around Harlow?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once access has been agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is frequently shared, so we need permission from whoever owns or manages the building. We can only inspect what we’re given access to.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. Our survey isn’t a structural engineer’s report, and it doesn’t include calculations. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we will recommend one.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling are not something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it is disturbed.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability.
How experienced are you?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys.
What happens on the day
We will ask a few questions first, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. The inspection then takes roughly 1–2 hours for most homes, with the pre-flight checks included, and longer for big commercial roofs. For a home in Harlow, the main things we need are a way into the loft, a route to the back garden and somewhere to park. Someone needs to let us in, so let us know who that will be.
- First, we check the address for flight restrictions.
- Where a flight restriction zone or restricted area applies, we seek permission first.
- Before the flight, we check the conditions and the take-off spot.
- We fly the drone close to the roof to photograph it in detail, always in sight.
- Your report arrives by email, with close-up photos and recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Getting a price
Unsure which package suits your roof? The easiest way is to phone 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We will explain the options and the price.