Essex · London and the South East
Gutter survey in New England, Essex
A survey of gutters, valleys, outlets and downpipes in New England, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Call or email for a price.
- Water spilling over the gutter edge
- Rotten fascias or stained soffits
- Dripping or leaking gutter joints
Gutter survey in New England
Damp on walls, water marks under a valley or streaks down the brickwork frequently trace back to the gutters. Our gutter survey helps show whether the rainwater system is the cause, as far as can be seen safely. Where the cause looks more like the roof covering or a flashing, the report says so, with a suggested next step. Common reasons to book are overflowing valley or parapet gutters and overflowing eaves gutters, on valley gutters, fascias and soffits and outlets and hoppers.
Village roofs frequently face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. 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.
What you get is a clear record of the gutter on the day we saw it. It is useful right away, and a good reference for later.
- Where
- New England (CO9)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
How the survey works
The visit typically starts outside and finishes in the loft: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the loft space where it can be reached. In total, it takes an hour or two for most homes, and longer where there are parapet, valley or box gutters to follow. Cottages and farmhouses around New England often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- You tell us where you’ve seen overflows, drips or damp.
- The eaves gutters, downpipes and fascias are checked from ground level and windows.
- We check hidden gutters as far as safe access allows.
- The loft space is checked for staining, where it can be reached safely.
- You receive a report with photos and recommendations.
Preparing for the visit
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
How to book
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and the days you’d prefer.
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New England questions
Is New England in the area you cover?
Yes, New England is within the area we cover. We work right across London and the South East. Just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and let us know about the property, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
How do I find out if my home in New England 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.
What insurance do you have?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
Does someone need to be in?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. Access is agreed with you when booking.
Do you look in the loft space?
If there’s a loft and safe access to it, yes. From inside, the underside of the roof often shows damp, staining or daylight that can’t be seen from outside.
Does the report include photos?
Yes. We photograph the roof as we go, and they go into the written report alongside our recommendations.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We note visible signs such as sagging or deflection, but we are not structural engineers and do not carry out calculations. Where an engineer is needed, we say so in the report.
What we look for on each type of roof
Plastic (uPVC) gutters
Joints that have pulled apart are a common fault on plastic gutters. The report notes every one we spot.
Cast iron gutters
Lots of period homes still have cast iron rainwater goods. Kept painted, they can last a long time but corrode once the paint wears off.
Local roofs in New England
Older buildings in Essex often have clay tiles and weatherboarding, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. Before planning roof work on an older home, find out whether it is listed or in a conservation area. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent, and councils can also use Article 4 directions to control changes in conservation areas.
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Church of St Leonard, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
New England is in Essex. We survey roofs in New England across London and South East England. Our area takes in places right across Essex, large and small. Chelmsford is in our area too.
We cover every part of CO9 for gutter surveys and the streets around it. Neighbouring places we cover for gutter surveys include Birdbrook (1 mile south). We also work in nearby towns such as Braintree (13 miles south), Saffron Walden (11 miles west), Halstead (10 miles south-east), Great Dunmow (14 miles south-west), Great Notley (14 miles south) and Bocking (12 miles south).
Landmarks near New England
We work in homes and buildings around Haverhill Railway Walks, among other places. Nearby you will also find Clare Castle (4.2 miles east) and Haverhill and District Local History Centre (2.5 miles north-west).
What affects the price in New England
Survey packages start from £150, inc. VAT. The price for your roof depends on:
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- The roof’s overall size
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how it can be reached and seen safely. Our price is from £150, including VAT.
What we need to know
A little information up front helps. Please include:
- The address and postcode of the property
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, so phone 07833 053749 or email us with the details.
Before and after the survey
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out as worth the effort:
- Look out for overflows when it pours
- Watch for green marks down the brickwork
- Look for new stains on ceilings below valleys after rain
- Ask for valleys and parapet gutters to be cleared too
Landlords and managing agents can keep the report with the building’s records and use it to plan upkeep. Photos make it easier to explain the work to owners, tenants or contractors.
Do not forget valley, parapet and box gutters. They block in the same way as the gutters you can see but they’re much harder to spot, so ask for them to be included when gutters are cleared.
Why get it checked now?
Damp walls are sometimes blamed on the wrong thing. If a leaking gutter or downpipe is the source, other work on the wall will not stop it. Checking the gutters first helps you spend in the right place. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like New England, driving rain gets into any weakness, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
Gutter survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and the package you choose.
What you get with us
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- 98% customer satisfaction
- 20+ years’ experience
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
Take a look at our cost guide and our case studies.
Common roof problems in New England
Hidden gutters are often lined with lead or another sheet covering. When a lining splits or an outlet blocks, the water can come inside, because there is no outer edge for it to spill over. Lead linings can also be stolen.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Gutters packed with leaves or moss
- Choked outlets or hopper heads
- Downpipes that are split or coming away
- Rotten fascias or stained soffits
Trees in and around Haverhill Railway Walks shed leaves that can end up in nearby gutters, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- What experience they bring
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price