Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Drone roof survey in Highfield, Hertfordshire
We take a careful look at the roof at your property in Highfield, and put it all in a written report with photographs.
- Coverings that have slipped high up on the roof
- Blocked valleys and parapet gutters
- Ridge pieces that have lifted
Flying and imaging in Highfield
Highfield is part of Hemel Hempstead, one of the post-war new towns. Many homes in the new towns date from the post-war decades, with concrete interlocking tiles, low-pitched roofs and flat-roofed garages and porches. Low pitches and flat-roofed additions are hard to see from the ground, so aerial and thermal views add detail. Older houses in the South East frequently have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. A drone or thermal camera adds most on the steep, tall and hidden parts of roofs like these.
Take an older house close to St Paul's: tall stacks and steep slopes are easier to judge with close-up aerial photos than from the pavement. Anyone responsible for a site like Yewtree Primary School will know that a drone or thermal camera can show a large roof in a single visit.
Highfield is about 1 mile north of Hemel Hempstead, in Hertfordshire. Bookings from Highfield are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Highfield is one of the towns and villages in Hertfordshire where we work for drone roof surveys. You can also see our page for Milton Keynes.
Here we cover the HP2 and HP1 postcode area for drone roof surveys. If you need a drone roof survey at a property on Juno Road, Great Road and Dione Road or a nearby road, we can survey it. Being close to the A4147, Highfield is simple for us to get to for drone roof surveys. Close by, we survey roofs in Adeyfield (1 mile south-east), Hemel Hempstead (1 mile south), Piccotts End (1 mile north-west), Grovehill (1 mile south-west) and Woodhall Farm (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Watford (7 miles south), Stevenage (15 miles north-east), St Albans (6 miles east), Welwyn Garden City (12 miles east), Harpenden (6 miles north-east) and Hitchin (15 miles north-east).
Near you in Highfield
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Gadebridge Park, The Old Bell pub and The Astley Cooper School and the streets around them. The closest station to Highfield is Hemel Hempstead station, about 2.1 miles south-west of the centre. Nearby you will also find Redbourn Museum (3.3 miles north-east) and Hemel Hempstead Hospital (1.1 miles south-west). The countryside around Highfield includes Verulamium Lake and Long Deans.
About our drone roof survey in Highfield
Drones need reasonable weather. High wind or heavy rain rules out a flight, because the drone has to stay safely under control. If the day turns out unsuitable, we will talk about another date or inspect what we can by other means. We check the forecast before the visit and again on site. Calm, dry conditions give the sharpest close-up photos. A short delay is better than a rushed flight. If you are worried about chimney tops in poor condition and damage after a storm that can’t be seen from below, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Around Highfield, older homes can have thin loft insulation and later additions with roofs of their own. Thermal patterns and close-up photos together give a fuller picture of the roof. Anything that looks like moisture is checked with a meter. Calm, dry weather suits both methods, so the date is set with the forecast in mind.
The report doesn’t just list problems. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend.
- Where
- Highfield (HP2, HP1)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What you can safely check yourself
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
What we look for on each type of roof
Steep slate and tile slopes
Widespread slipping on slate usually means nail fatigue. Close-up photos show how widespread it is.
Ridges and hips
Ridges may be bedded in mortar or mechanically fixed. Their condition is noted in the report.
Do you need a drone roof survey in Highfield?
Walking on some roofs does more harm than good. Old slates and clay tiles crack underfoot, and fragile sheet roofs are dangerous to walk on. A drone lets us see them closely without touching them.
A survey can pick up problems like:
- Slipped or missing slates on a high roof
- Debris building up in hidden gutters
- Moss building up on slopes and in gutters
- Flashings that have come away
Batchwood Hall, about 4.4 miles east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Highfield. Close-up aerial shots and thermal images let an old roof be checked without anyone disturbing it.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- What happens after the report arrives
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- What the survey won’t cover
Landlords, agents and block managers in Highfield
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, putting the urgent items at the top.
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, including offices, shops and units. Larger roofs take longer, so they’re priced to suit.
How the survey works
The visit typically starts outside and finishes in the loft: outside views come first, then the roof space if there’s safe access. All told, expect roughly 1–2 hours at most homes; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. With a bit of garden around a house, as there often is around Highfield, the roof can be viewed from several angles. Mention any side of the property we can’t get to. Inside, the loft is checked where it can be reached safely.
- We start by checking the airspace and any restrictions at your address.
- If permission is needed, we ask for it ahead of the visit.
- Before the flight, we check the conditions and the take-off spot.
- The sub-250g drone takes close-up photographs of the roof, kept in sight throughout.
- Your report arrives by email, with close-up photos and recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Keep pets in another room
Booking a survey
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Related advice
Leave it or get it looked at?
Faults on high roofs tend to be found late. By that stage the damage has spread inside. Looking from above picks up the early signs. Homes in smaller places like Highfield can face more weather, so a loose ridge or verge soon lets rain in. Wind gets under it and lifts more.
Price depends partly on the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, including VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
What you get with us
- An independent view of the roof
- A written report with photographs
- Prices that include VAT
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
Read what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
Highfield questions
Is drone flying allowed in Highfield?
Typically it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather.
Will you come out to Highfield?
Yes, we do. We survey roofs across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Do you take photos of the roof?
Yes. Photos are taken throughout the survey, and they go into the written report alongside our recommendations.
What’s in the survey report?
It works through the roof part by part, in writing and with photos. The most urgent items are made clear.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Just tell us the days that suit you.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Light rain is usually fine; heavy rain and wind are different. High wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, so we’d move the date with you.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, if the freeholder or managing agent agrees access. We check the parts we’re given access to.