Essex · London and the South East
Drone Roof Survey in Little Leighs
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you decide what to do next. We carry out drone roof surveys in Little Leighs.
- Flashings that have come away
- Wind damage high on the roof
- Tired mortar and pots at the top of a stack
Drone roof surveys for homes and businesses in Little Leighs
Drone roof surveys are available in Little Leighs and throughout London and the South East, where the airspace and the weather allow. We fly on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. We check the airspace for your address before booking a flight. You get a written report with close-up photos and recommendations. To ask whether a drone survey suits your roof, call 07833 053749 or send us an email. Typical surveys look at tired mortar and pots at the top of a stack and blocked valleys and parapet gutters, on large and complex roofs, fragile roofs and tall and steep roofs.
In a village or hamlet like Little Leighs, roofs can be steep, old and hard to see from the lane. A drone and a thermal camera each give a view you cannot get from ground level. Both the forecast and the airspace are checked first, and the journey is planned beforehand. Older roofs with steep slopes and tall chimneys are where the extra view helps most.
If any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. You will know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t.
- Location
- Little Leighs (CM3)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Should I look at the roof myself first?
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Little Leighs questions
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Little Leighs?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first, including zones around airports and prisons. The flight also waits for calm, dry weather.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Little Leighs?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Will you walk on the roof?
Not unless it’s safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where applicable, a drone, and anything out of sight is recorded in the report.
What insurance do you have?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so the building owner or managing agent needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we are given access to.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We carry out surveys on weekdays and at weekends. To find a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
How quickly is the report sent?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day. The report is emailed to you.
Places near Little Leighs
More services for Little Leighs
Different roofs, different checks
Steep slate and tile slopes
Old slates and clay tiles can crack underfoot. The drone sees them without touching them.
Flat roofs on tall buildings
The flat roof on top of a block is rarely looked at. A drone shows ponding, splits, blisters and worn upstands.
How it works
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photos, sent to you by email. As for time on site, it usually takes about one to two hours on an ordinary house, and longer for a large or complex roof. Rural addresses near Little Leighs can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- First comes the address, plus a note of what worries you about the roof.
- Any flight restriction at the address is looked at, with permission requested if required.
- Before take-off, the wind, the weather and the launch spot are looked at.
- Close-up photos are taken of each slope, chimney, valley and gutter, with the drone always in view.
- The findings, photos and recommendations reach you by email.
Before we arrive
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
How to book
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll explain the options and the price.
Read more
Honest limits
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- A flight where airspace permission is refused
- Anything inside the loft or under the coverings
- Whether the roof structure meets design loads
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll suggest the right survey. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Chimney stacks
- Fragile roofs
- Tall and steep roofs
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Large and complex roofs
- Flat roofs on upper floors
Landlord and commercial surveys in Little Leighs
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, ring 07833 053749 or email us with the addresses.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Little Leighs. To discuss a property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
Drones, thermal imaging and Little Leighs roofs
In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, and a good many post-war and modern estates besides. Many roofs like these can’t be judged properly from the pavement, and that is where a view from above or a thermal image earns its place. There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, so check with the council.
Anyone responsible for a site like Great Leighs Primary School will know that a drone or thermal camera can show a large roof in a single visit. If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Church of St John the Evangelist, older roofs can be steep and hard to see from the street, which is where close-up aerial shots and thermal images help.
Little Leighs is about 5 miles south-west of Braintree, in Essex. We cover Little Leighs and the rest of Essex. Little Leighs is one of the places in Essex we cover for drone roof surveys. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
Surveys in CM3 are booked the same way as anywhere else. We cover properties on Church Lane, Main Road and The Crescent and the roads around them. Other places close to Little Leighs include Chatham Green (1 mile south-west), Howe Street (2 miles south-west), Willows Green (2 miles north), Hartford End (2 miles west) and Ford End (3 miles west). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (6 miles south), Braintree (5 miles north-east), Maldon (10 miles south-east), Billericay (14 miles south), Witham (6 miles east) and Wickford (15 miles south).
What’s near Little Leighs
We work in homes and buildings around The Castle pub. For rail, the closest station is Cressing station, roughly 4.1 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Broomfield Hospital (3.5 miles south-west). Open spaces near Little Leighs include Sandylay and Moat Woods.
Why get it checked now?
From the ground, you are guessing about most of a tall roof. Close-up photos show what’s really there, slope by slope. It is far easier to plan work when you can see the problem. Matching old materials, such as handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
There are three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all with VAT included. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you need to know.
What you get with us
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- Clear package prices, with VAT included
- An independent view of the roof
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
Take a look at our cost guide or two real surveys.