Essex · London and the South East
Aldham Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you spend money on it. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Aldham, with photographs and a clear written report.
- Old water stains in the roof space
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
What affects the price in Aldham
When we price a survey, we consider:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
Every price we give includes VAT. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for the job before booking.
What we need to know
If you can, have these to hand when you get in touch:
- The address and postcode of the property
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- Anything about access we should know
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
We confirm the price for your survey before booking, so you know the cost up front. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Aldham
A full home survey looks at the whole property, and the roof is only one part of it. Our survey is not a RICS survey, and it does not replace one. What it adds is a closer look at the roof alone, with photos and written recommendations you can act on. The two sit side by side if you want the fullest picture. We survey chimney stacks, lead flashings and valleys and natural slate, and people most often book us about patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem and gutters that overflow or drip at the joints.
For a small place like Aldham, the visit is planned like any other: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed in advance. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at as you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Whether you are buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Visits can be booked on weekdays and at weekends.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets, each with a short note and a photo. You’ll see the good as well as the bad.
- Where
- Aldham (CO6)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips from our surveys
You don’t need to be a roofer to help. Here’s what helps most:
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
If you want quotes for the work, roofers can work from the report. They’ll see exactly what we found, and where, so each quote covers the same ground.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
It helps to know what a survey will not do before booking:
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Whether timbers meet design loads
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
What we are asked to look at in Aldham
Many roofs have had quick fixes over the years. Bitumen painted over a flashing, mortar where lead should be, or a few tiles that do not match can be signs that something has leaked before. We note what we see so you can ask about it.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
For landlords with property near Marks Tey station, it’s worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Questions to ask before booking
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- What follow-up you get after the report
- What they will not be able to tell you
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
How it works
We look at the roof from outside and, where it’s relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the roof space too. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey typically takes between one and two hours for a house, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Somewhere as small as Aldham, access is frequently the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- You book once your offer is accepted and let us know the address and your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- The roof is inspected from each safe vantage point, inside and out.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Before we arrive
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
- Keep pets in another room
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Getting a price
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or email us and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
Aldham homes and their roofs
Older buildings may be listed or sit in a conservation area. Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the council can say whether a street is in a conservation area. Re-roofing in different materials may need permission there. Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
If you live in an older home near Church of St Margaret and St Catherine, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Aldham is about 5 miles west of Colchester, in Essex. Bookings from Aldham are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our Essex coverage includes Aldham. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
We survey roofs across the CO6 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Local streets include Green Lane, Hardings Close and Church Grove, and we cover them all. If you’re just outside Aldham, we cover Copford (1 mile south-east), Marks Tey (2 miles south-west), Little Tey (2 miles south-west), Mulberry Green (2 miles south) and Easthorpe (3 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Colchester (5 miles east), Braintree (10 miles west), Maldon (13 miles south), Witham (9 miles south-west), Camulodunum (4 miles east) and Halstead (7 miles north-west).
What’s near Aldham
We work in homes and buildings around The Queen's Head Public House, among other places. The nearest railway station is Marks Tey station, roughly 1.2 miles south of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Birch Castle (4.1 miles south) and Essex County Hospital (4.4 miles east). The countryside around Aldham includes Iron Latch.
FAQs for Aldham
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Aldham?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do you cover Aldham?
Yes. Our area covers London and the South East, and Aldham is part of that. You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and some details, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Do you need to go inside the property?
Ideally, yes. We look in the loft space where there is safe access, and views from upper windows help too. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
Do I need to be at home?
Not necessarily. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Only where it’s safe. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the loft space.
How experienced are you?
More than 5,000 surveys over 20+ years.
How quickly will I get the report?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email with photos included.
Why get it checked now?
Without a survey, you are relying on a glance from the pavement. That rarely shows the back slope, the valleys or the top of the chimney. A survey fills that gap before you commit. In a small place like Aldham, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where it applies, which starts from £400, inc. VAT. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Why book us in Aldham
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- Plain-English reports with photos
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
Take a look at how roof surveys are priced or our case studies.