Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Throcking Drone Roof Survey
Close-up drone photographs of roofs that are hard to reach in Throcking, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Call or email for a price.
- Blistered or cracked flat roof coverings
- Moss and weeds taking hold up top
- Lead work pulling away at abutments
How a drone roof survey works in Throcking
Before any flight, we check the airspace. Flight restriction zones around airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick and London City need permission from the airport or air traffic control. Central London has restricted areas of its own, which need NATS permission. If we cannot fly, we use other safe vantage points instead and tell you. Prison sites also have drone restriction zones. We survey large and complex roofs, chimney stacks and tall and steep roofs, and common reasons people get in touch are eroded pointing on a chimney stack and debris building up in hidden gutters.
Some older homes in villages like Throcking are listed or in a conservation area. A look from the air or with a thermal camera doesn’t touch the roof, so it’s a gentle way to see the condition of an old roof, before anyone decides what work it needs. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent, so check with the council first.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photos, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the roof, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Place
- Throcking (SG9)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Price
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens on the day
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof, but as a rough guide the survey takes about one to two hours at a typical home, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. If you have questions on the day, just ask. Older roofs in small places like Throcking can have low, tight loft spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it is safe.
- First, we check whether a drone is the right tool.
- A visit is booked for a weekday, Saturday or Sunday, weather permitting.
- Aerial photos are taken of your roof only, not the neighbours’.
- Where there’s safe access, we check the loft as well.
- The report sets out what we found, with photos and recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Note where any stains or damp appear
How to book
Not sure which survey you need? It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Related advice
What a drone roof survey doesn’t cover
We only report everything that’s safely in view on the day, so there are some things a survey cannot cover:
- Close-up photos of next door’s property
- A structural engineer’s report
- A flight where airspace permission is refused
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Fragile roofs
- Large and complex roofs
- Chimney stacks
- Flat roofs on upper floors
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Tall and steep roofs
Throcking questions
Will you come out to Throcking?
Yes, Throcking is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Is drone flying allowed in Throcking?
Normally it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. A small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain.
Will you check the loft?
Usually, if there’s one and it can be reached safely. The loft space can show things the outside can’t, such as damp timbers, staining or daylight.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.
What does the report include?
Written findings with photographs, covering the condition of the roof, the defects we found and what we recommend. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check, and the Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies and structural analysis.
What insurance do you have?
We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
What does a roof survey cost?
Drone roof survey starts from £400, including VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on its size, height, access and the package, and it is agreed before booking.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, putting the urgent items at the top.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Prices for drone roof surveys in Throcking
Prices always include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- How big the roof is
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Building height and the viewpoints available
Every price we give includes VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Our price is from £400, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Getting in touch
Getting the details right at the start saves time. Please include:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- What made you get in touch
Photos help, if you have them. Take them safely from ground level or a window. To send them or to book, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
What you can safely check yourself
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That is where a survey comes in.
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground.
Other services in Throcking
Before and after the survey
You don’t need to be a roofer to help. Here’s what helps most:
- Check the loft can be reached
- Expect us to rearrange if it’s too windy or wet
- Tell next door if the drone will be near their property
- Book early if you’re near an airport
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. The photos show the location and extent of every problem, so their quotes cover the same ground.
Don’t block the vents at the eaves. Condensation in the loft can damage timbers and insulation, and it’s something only an inside check will show. Make sure insulation doesn’t block the airflow.
Flying and imaging in Throcking
We fly a sub-250g drone and are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). Flights in the open category stay under 120 m (400 ft), with the drone kept in sight. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. Steep or complicated roofs are frequently hard to see from the ground, which is where close-up aerial shots and thermal images help.
If you live in an older home near Holy Trinity Church, tall stacks and steep slopes are easier to judge with close-up aerial photos than from the pavement. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Freman College, thermal images can show where wet insulation sits under a big flat roof.
Throcking is about 6 miles north-east of Stevenage, in Hertfordshire. Whether the building in Throcking is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, we can survey the roof on a weekday or at the weekend. Throcking is one of the towns and villages in Hertfordshire where we work. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
Drone roof surveys in SG9 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Nearby, we also carry out drone roof surveys in Cottered (1 mile south-west), Chipping (1 mile north-east), Buntingford (2 miles east), Aspenden (2 miles south-east) and Layston (2 miles east). We also work in nearby towns such as Stevenage (6 miles south-west), Bishop's Stortford (11 miles south-east), Welwyn Garden City (12 miles south-west), Hitchin (9 miles west), Hoddesdon (14 miles south) and Hatfield (15 miles south-west).
What’s near Throcking
A little further out are Clothall Castle (4.1 miles west). The countryside around Throcking includes Hawkins Wood.