Essex · London and the South East
Gutter Survey in Bobbingworth
We take a careful look at the gutter at your property in Bobbingworth, with photos and a written report.
- Joints that drip after rain
- Downpipes that are split or coming away
- Blocked outlets and hoppers
Bobbingworth homes and their roofs
Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. Whatever the covering, it’s frequently the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. Historic houses like Hill Hall, about 4.9 miles south-west, show how far back building in the area around Bobbingworth goes. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead.
Take a building like Moreton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School: large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. If you live in an older home near Church of St Germain, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Bobbingworth is about 5 miles south-east of Harlow, in Essex. We visit Bobbingworth as part of our work across Essex. Our area takes in places right across Essex, large and small. We also survey roofs in Chelmsford.
All of CM5 is within our area for gutter surveys. Local streets include Gainsthorpe Road, Newhouse Lane and Stony Lane, all of which we cover. Neighbouring places we cover for gutter surveys include Pedlars End (1 mile north-west), Moreton (1 mile north), Bovinger (1 mile west), Shelley (1 mile south-east) and Greensted Green (2 miles south). Further out, we also cover Chelmsford (11 miles east), Basildon (15 miles south-east), Harlow (5 miles north-west), Brentwood (8 miles south-east), Billericay (11 miles south-east) and Loughton (9 miles south-west).
What’s near Bobbingworth
We work in homes and buildings around White Hart Public House and The Ongar Academy, among other places. Other landmarks nearby include Willingale Doe (4.3 miles east) and St. Margaret's Hospital (4.5 miles south-west). For a walk, there is Gernon Bushes.
Gutter survey in Bobbingworth
Most blocked gutters are full of leaves, moss or silt. Homes close to trees fill their gutters faster, and moss washing off a tiled or slate roof adds to it. Our survey shows which gutters are blocked or standing full, which outlets and hoppers are choked and whether overflows are working. Photos show each problem clearly. Blocked gutters are easy to put off, but they rarely get better. We survey fascias and soffits, eaves gutters and valley gutters, and the problems we are asked to look at most are water spilling over the gutter edge and rotten fascias or stained soffits.
In a small place like Bobbingworth, many roofs stand in the open, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Damp in old walls is slow to dry, so a small leak can do a lot of harm. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. On exposed older roofs, chimneys and lead flashings are often the first to give way.
We write the report in plain English, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Each point is backed by a photo where possible.
- Place
- Bobbingworth (CM5)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips that help
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Get trees that overhang the gutters trimmed
- Watch the gutters during heavy rain
- Watch for green marks down the brickwork
- Book gutter clearing once a year, more frequently near trees
Questions about the report are welcome. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation, and the Premium Survey includes an in-person consultation.
Have overhanging branches and climbing plants cut back from the roof using someone with the right kit. Less debris means fewer blocked outlets.
Bobbingworth: your questions answered
Is Bobbingworth within the area you cover?
Yes, Bobbingworth is covered. Our area covers London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Bobbingworth?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
What do I do with the report?
The report arrives by email, with photographs and clear recommendations. With Standard there is a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation.
How soon will I get the report?
It depends on the package: the Basic Survey report arrives within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey the same day. The report is emailed to you.
Will you check the drains below ground?
No, we don’t carry out CCTV drain surveys. The survey covers gutters, outlets, hoppers, downpipes and overflows and flags signs of a drain problem.
How long does a gutter survey take?
It typically takes between one and two hours at a house, depending on how many gutter runs and downpipes there are. You’ll know roughly how long when we arrange the visit.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we are allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
What we cannot see
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Underground drains, which need a CCTV drain survey
- Gutters out of sight from every safe vantage point
- Damage hidden inside walls or behind boards
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Valley gutters
- Parapet and box gutters
- Downpipes
- Outlets and hoppers
- Fascias and soffits
- Eaves gutters
DIY checks: what’s safe
It helps to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Share it with us as you book.
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That is where a survey comes in.
What a survey costs
Prices always include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Roof area
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
Prices start from £150, inc. VAT, for a Basic Survey. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, both inc. VAT. You’ll know the price for the job before booking.
Getting in touch
When you call or email, these details help:
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
Getting a price is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or email us and give us some details about the property and we will explain which survey suits. The price is agreed up front.
What we look for on each type of roof
Aluminium and other metal gutters
Metal gutters can suffer at joints and where different metals meet. Any leaks or corrosion we spot go in the report.
Lead-lined valley and parapet gutters
Many older homes have lead-lined valley and parapet gutters. Splits and failed joints in the lead can let water straight in.
Places near Bobbingworth
What else we do in Bobbingworth
What we do, step by step
The visit has one job: to look at the gutter as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. The visit normally takes about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, and more on a big or complicated roof. For a village or hamlet like Bobbingworth, the journey is planned ahead of time: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect everything that’s safely in view, inside and out.
- You let us know where you’ve seen overflows, drips or damp.
- We walk round the building and check the gutters, downpipes and fascias from ground level.
- Valleys, parapets and box gutters are inspected where they can safely be seen.
- The loft space is checked for staining, where it can be reached safely.
- You receive a report with photos and recommendations.
Getting ready for the survey
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Getting a price
To arrange a survey, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We’ll confirm the price before booking.