Essex · London and the South East
Drone roof survey in Little Tey, Essex
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you decide what to do next. We carry out drone roof surveys in Little Tey, with photographs and a clear written report.
- Plant growth and moss on the roof
- Hidden gutters full of leaves
- Standing water on a flat roof
When to book a survey in Little Tey
Many roofs are never seen properly from the ground. Rear slopes, valleys and the tops of chimneys are hidden. Faults there can go unnoticed for years.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Ponding and splits on a high flat roof
- Gaps where slates or tiles have gone
- Plant growth and moss on the roof
- Hidden gutters full of leaves
The streets around a church such as Church of St James are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, steep roofs, tall chimneys and hidden valleys can be hard to see from the ground, and that is where a view from above or with a thermal imager helps.
Questions to ask before you book
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- What exactly goes into their report
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
Drone roof surveys for homes and businesses in Little Tey
Our drone weighs under 250g, and we hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID. We keep it in sight throughout, and well below the 120-metre height limit. Every flight is planned around the roof, the site and the people nearby. Before every flight, we check the airspace and the weather. We never fly where it isn’t safe. Typical surveys look at flat roofs on upper floors that hold water and flashings that have come away, across chimney stacks, valleys and parapet gutters and flat roofs on upper floors.
Villages like Little Tey often stand in open country, where wind can be strong. High wind or heavy rain stops a small drone flying, and calm conditions also suit thermal imaging best. We plan the journey, access and timing around the weather. A change in the forecast can mean moving the visit to another day.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Little Tey (CO6)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Prices
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How it works
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photographs. On timing, it typically takes about 1–2 hours at a house, including the airspace and weather checks before take-off. Cottages and farmhouses around Little Tey frequently have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- You give us the address and tell us about the roof.
- We check the airspace and seek any permission needed.
- On the day, we check the wind, weather and site before flying.
- We fly the sub-250g drone close to the roof and photograph each area.
- We email the report with close-up photos and recommendations.
How to prepare
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
Booking a survey
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price before booking.
Related advice
Places near Little Tey
Other services in Little Tey
How the survey changes by roof type
Chimney stacks
From the air, a lean or a loose pot is easy to see. Each defect is photographed for the report.
Large commercial roofs
Cement sheet roofs on buildings from before 2000 may contain asbestos. We flag it in the report so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check.
Little Tey: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in Little Tey is listed?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it is worth checking before planning any.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Little Tey?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions. A small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind or a downpour.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have completed over 5,000 surveys.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so the building owner or managing agent needs to agree access. We can only inspect what we are given access to.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It depends on the weather and the survey. In high wind or heavy rain, a drone cannot fly and access may not be safe, and we’d agree another day.
How long is the visit?
That depends on the size and shape of the roof; most visits take about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. The report is sent afterwards by email.
Do you climb onto every roof?
Not always. Safety comes first, and fragile or steep roofs cannot always be walked on. We use safe viewpoints, the roof space and a drone where applicable, and the report records anything we couldn’t see.
Drone roof surveys in Little Tey: local notes
Before any flight, we check the Drone Safety Map for airspace restrictions. With Layer Marney Tower about 4.4 miles south-east, Little Tey sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Honywood Community Science School, big roofs are where aerial photos and thermal images show the most at once.
Little Tey is about 6 miles south-east of Halstead, in Essex. Surveys in Little Tey work the same way as everywhere we cover: a close look at everything that’s safely in view, photographs and a clear written report. Little Tey is one of the towns and villages in Essex where we work for drone roof surveys. We also survey roofs in Chelmsford.
All of CO6 is covered for drone roof surveys. Streets in the area include Church Lane, Coggeshall Road and Great Tey Road, and we cover them all. If you are just outside Little Tey, we cover Broad Green (1 mile west), Marks Tey (1 mile east), Skye Green (1 mile south-west), Surrex (1 mile west) and Stocks Green (2 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover Colchester (6 miles east), Chelmsford (15 miles south-west), Braintree (8 miles west), Maldon (11 miles south), Witham (7 miles south-west) and Camulodunum (5 miles east).
What’s near Little Tey
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Red Lion Public House and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Marks Tey station, about 1.5 miles east of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Birch Castle (3.9 miles south-east) and Laundry & Mangle Museum (3.3 miles west). For a walk, there’s Iron Latch.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Little Tey
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps when budgeting.
Letting agents often book on a landlord’s behalf, and the report can go to both. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
When you need someone else
Our findings are based on what we can see safely on the day, so there are some things a survey can’t cover:
- The underside of the roof (that needs an inside check)
- Flights in high wind or heavy rain
- Flying in a flight restriction zone without the airport’s permission
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll tell you before booking. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Fragile roofs
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Chimney stacks
- Tall and steep roofs
- Large and complex roofs
Tips from our surveys
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Shut pets inside while we fly
- Make sure there is room outside for the drone to take off
- Expect a little longer if permission is needed
- Move stored items away from the hatch
File the report and photos with your home documents. They’re a useful baseline for future surveys.
Keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, particularly in autumn. On tall buildings, use a professional with the right access equipment. Blocked hidden gutters cause many leaks.