Essex · London and the South East
Almshouse Green Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Almshouse Green, from an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photos.
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney stacks
Leaning stacks, loose pots and eroded mortar are common findings. We photograph them so you can raise them before exchange.
Clay and concrete tiles
Many post-war houses have concrete interlocking tiles. They wear slowly, but surfaces erode and edges crack.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Almshouse Green
Buying a flat brings its own roof questions. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that is often not the individual flat owner, with costs frequently passed on through the service charge. We inspect what access allows us to see safely, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. Where the building has a flat roof, it’s checked as far as access allows. If you’ve noticed damp timbers or stains in the loft and chimney mortar that has eroded, we can find out what’s behind it.
Older buildings in small places like Almshouse Green may be listed or in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. Whether you are buying or signing off new roofing, it is worth knowing where you stand, as well as what condition the roof is in. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, along with how urgent it is.
- Place
- Almshouse Green (CO9)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Some pointers:
- Let us know your timetable
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. The photos show the defects and where they are, which makes quotes easier to compare.
Check the roof from the garden and the street after a storm. Slipped slates, lifted ridge tiles and debris on the ground are signs to act on. Dealing with them early keeps water out.
How the survey works
A survey visit follows a simple order: we hear what you’ve seen, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photographs as we go and make notes for the report. Most visits take between one and two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Somewhere like Almshouse Green needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- We agree a time and how we will get in, including the loft.
- We look at the roof from ground level, from windows, from the loft space and from the roof where safe.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Before we arrive
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
Booking a survey
Booking is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and give us some details about the property and we will explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Why it’s worth a survey now in Almshouse Green
Sellers aren’t always aware of roof problems. Their answers on the property forms only cover what they know about. An independent look tells you how the roof is now. In a small place like Almshouse Green, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
We offer three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Why book with us
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
- Photographs and a written report every time
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
See how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
What you cannot do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That’s where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
A lot can be seen from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Almshouse Green: your questions answered
Will you come out to Almshouse Green?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
Is my home in Almshouse Green listed or in a conservation area?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
Only where it is safe. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft.
Does the weather affect the survey?
It can, depending on the survey. Drones cannot fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. If the conditions aren’t right, we will talk to you about another date.
When will the report arrive?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Let us know your timetable as you book.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it isn’t a RICS home survey. It complements one rather than replacing it.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, once whoever controls the roof agrees access. We check the parts we’re given access to.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Almshouse Green
If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. About 2.4 miles north-east lies Hedingham Castle, a reminder of how long the area around Almshouse Green has been built on. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Almshouse Green is about 4 miles north-west of Halstead, in Essex. Surveys in Almshouse Green work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful look at what can safely be seen, photos and a clear written report. Our Essex coverage includes Almshouse Green and the places around it. There is also a page for Chelmsford.
All of CO9 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We also cover the places around Almshouse Green: Harrowcross (1 mile east), Sible Hedingham (2 miles east), Castle Hedingham (2 miles north-east), Gosfield (3 miles south-east) and Sand Hill (3 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Braintree (6 miles south), Witham (12 miles south), Saffron Walden (14 miles west), Camulodunum (15 miles south-east), Halstead (4 miles south-east) and Great Dunmow (11 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Almshouse Green
Other landmarks nearby include Zero2 Bus Museum (2.3 miles north) and Halstead Hospital (3.8 miles south-east).
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Almshouse Green?
Flat roofs turn up on extensions, dormers, porches and garages. A felt roof often lasts around 15 to 20 years, and ponding, blisters and splits are common signs of age. A buyer can easily miss them, particularly when they’re only visible from an upper floor.
Problems we come across often include:
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Old water stains in the roof space
Around Almshouse Green, as everywhere, small roof faults are simplest to sort before they let water in.
Before booking anyone
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Which limits apply to the survey