Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Landlord roof survey in Harpenden, Hertfordshire
Landlord roof surveys in Harpenden, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. You get a clear report with photos.
- Leaks into upper flats
- Damaged party-wall upstands or parapets
- Splits and blisters in flat roof coverings
Landlord roof surveys for homes and businesses in Harpenden
We check the same things on a let roof as on any other: slates or tiles, ridges, hips, valleys, flashings, chimneys, gutters and the loft. Flat roofs over blocks, rear additions and garages are covered too where they’re part of the brief. We also look at chimneys, parapets and party-wall upstands where it’s safe to see them, along with the loft space where there is safe access. We survey converted houses, gutters and downpipes and blocks of flats, and people most often book us about slipped or missing slates and tiles and leaks into upper flats.
Around Harpenden, semis and terraces share chimneys, gutters and roof lines with the house next door. A shared chimney stack or a gutter run across two houses means a defect may sit partly on someone else’s property. Shared parts are looked at as far as they can safely be seen from the property we’re surveying. Tell us as you book if you know of anything shared with next door.
Where we can’t see part of the let or shared roof, the report says so. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t.
- Location
- Harpenden (AL5)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Practical tips
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Keep roof outlets and gutters clear
- Give residents notice before a survey
- Ask your managing agent about lease terms
- Make leak reporting easy for tenants
Many clients use the report as the basis for a maintenance plan. Urgent items can be dealt with first and plan the rest over time.
Have the roof looked at regularly, not just when it leaks. A survey every few years suits many let and shared buildings, alongside yearly gutter clearing.
Harpenden homes and their roofs
Historic houses like Childwickbury Manor, about 2.6 miles south, show how far back building in the area around Harpenden goes. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
Anyone responsible for a site like Harpenden Academy will know that large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other. If you own a rental within reach of Harpenden station, a roof report helps you deal with small faults before they turn into a call from a tenant.
Harpenden is about 6 miles north-east of Hemel Hempstead, in Hertfordshire. Wherever you are in Harpenden, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our Hertfordshire coverage includes Harpenden and the places around it. Our Milton Keynes page covers surveys nearby.
Here we cover the AL5 postcode area for landlord roof surveys. Local streets include Station Road, High Street and Connaught Road, and we cover them all. Being close to the B652 and B653, Harpenden is simple for us to get to for landlord roof surveys. Other places close to Harpenden include Batford (1 mile north-east), Lea Valley (1 mile east), Bower Heath (1 mile north), Mackerye End (1 mile north-east) and The Folly (2 miles east). We also work in nearby towns such as Watford (11 miles south), Hemel Hempstead (6 miles south-west), Stevenage (10 miles north-east), St Albans (5 miles south), Welwyn Garden City (7 miles east) and Hitchin (10 miles north). Harpenden is among the bigger towns we cover in Hertfordshire.
Landmarks near Harpenden
In Harpenden, that means homes and buildings near Lydekker Park, The Junction pub and Sir John Lawes School. There is a railway station in Harpenden itself: Harpenden station. Well-known places in the area include Harpenden Museum (less than half a mile south-west) and Luton Castle (5 miles north-west). For a walk, there’s Wheathampstead Local Nature Reserve and Verulamium Lake.
Places near Harpenden
Other services in Harpenden
Honest limits
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. It also has these limits:
- Walls, floors and services beyond the roof
- Areas behind locked flats or blocked hatches
- Asbestos testing of roof sheets or soffits
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Shared roofs
- Gutters and downpipes
- Rented houses
- Converted houses
- Blocks of flats
- Flat roofs on blocks
What we look for on each type of roof
Pitched roofs on houses and blocks
Slate and tiled pitched roofs are common on let and shared buildings. Coverings, ridges, hips, valleys and flashings are inspected as far as can safely be seen.
Roof spaces and lofts
Older roofs may have bitumen felt underlay or none at all. The report records the underlay where it is visible.
When to book a survey in Harpenden
Tenants and leaseholders rarely look at the roof. Slipped slates, cracked flashings and blocked gutters can sit unnoticed for years, especially on taller buildings.
Common reasons to book include:
- Damaged party-wall upstands or parapets
- Choked outlets and gutters
- Worn ridges, hips and verges
- Cracked or lifting flashings
The streets around a church such as St Nicholas Church are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, its roof may have old fixings, lead flashings and chimneys that need a closer look.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Their track record with similar roofs
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- What follow-up you get after the report
Harpenden: your questions answered
How do I find out if my home in Harpenden is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Harpenden?
Yes, Harpenden is within the area we cover. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and let us know about the property.
What insurance do you have?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
What’s the best way to book?
Simply call 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day, weekday or weekend.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain is typically fine; heavy rain and wind are different. In strong wind or a downpour, a drone can’t fly and access may not be safe, and we’d agree another day.
Do you use drones?
Yes, where it is applicable. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and every flight depends on the airspace and the weather.
How much time does the visit need?
For a single house, expect about 1–2 hours on site, with blocks and complex roofs taking longer.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Harpenden
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Tell us about it when booking and we will plan the visit with that in mind.
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
What we do, step by step
Photos are taken throughout the visit, so you can see in the report what we found and where. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available. Most surveys take about 1–2 hours for a house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. For a home in Harpenden, the main things we need are a way into the loft, a route to the back garden and somewhere to park. Someone needs to let us in, so let us know who that will be.
- We agree the roofs to be surveyed and what you need the report for.
- You arrange access to the loft and any flats we need.
- We inspect each roof as far as it can safely be seen.
- We photograph defects and note how urgent they look.
- A written condition report follows to help you plan.
Preparing for the visit
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Book a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To get started, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.