Essex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Ashdon
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Ashdon, from an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photographs.
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
Questions from Ashdon
Do you cover Ashdon?
Yes, Ashdon is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Do you cover smaller places like Ashdon?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it’s useful to know about access.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
The sooner after your offer is accepted, the better. The report is most useful before exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it isn’t a RICS home survey. It works alongside a home survey.
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’re allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
Can you survey in bad weather?
A survey can normally go ahead in light rain. High wind or heavy rain can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so we’ll agree a new date if the weather isn’t suitable.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and every flight depends on the airspace and the weather.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Ashdon
Tall, steep or hidden roofs are hard to judge from the street. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, plus a drone inspection where it applies, along with a same-day report. Where a flight isn’t possible, because of airspace rules or the weather, we tell you and inspect from every other safe vantage point. We survey lead flashings and valleys, natural slate and clay and concrete tiles, and people most often book us about gutters that overflow or drip at the joints and bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs.
Older buildings in small places like Ashdon may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials a new roof may use, so check with the council and Historic England’s list. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it is worth knowing which applies. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Where
- Ashdon (CB10)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips from our surveys
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Let us know your timetable
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Request records of any re-roofing
With the findings in hand, you can talk to the seller or their agent. You might ask for the work to be done before completion, or ask to adjust the price. The outcome is between you and the seller.
Look in the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. Damp patches, daylight through the roof or water stains on timbers are worth noting. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
Ashdon homes and their roofs
Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, alongside plenty of post-war and newer estates. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new. With Audley End House about 4.7 miles south-west, Ashdon sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Ashdon is about 4 miles north-east of Saffron Walden, in Essex. If you’re in Ashdon, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. Ashdon is one of the towns and villages in Essex where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in CB10 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Streets in the area include Dorvis Lane, Carters Croft and Radwinter Road, and we cover them all. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Steventon End (1 mile east), Church End (1 mile south-west) and The Common (3 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Saffron Walden (4 miles south-west), Great Dunmow (13 miles south), Stansted Mountfitchet (12 miles south-west), Elsenham (10 miles south), Sible Hedingham (13 miles south-east) and Church End (12 miles south).
Local landmarks in Ashdon
In Ashdon, that means homes and buildings near Rose And Crown Inn, among other places. Nearby you will also find Saffron Walden Museum (3.8 miles south-west) and Castle Camps (2.4 miles east). The countryside around Ashdon includes Hales and Shadwell Woods and Rivey Hill.
Different roofs, different checks
Clay and concrete tiles
Tiled roofs frequently last half a century or longer. Cracked, slipped or missing tiles are noted, along with odd replacement tiles that hint at earlier leaks.
Flat roofs
Ponding, blistering, splits and worn upstands are the usual warning signs. We look at outlets too, since a blocked one leaves water sitting on the roof.
What we’re asked to look at in Ashdon
Slates and tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay that hold them. Natural slate can last 100 years or more, yet the nails holding it rust and let slates slide. That kind of wear is common on older roofs and easy to miss from the ground.
Look out for signs like these:
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of All Saints, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What happens after the report arrives
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Will the report include photos?
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
Leave it or get it looked at?
A seller may honestly not know the state of the roof. Their answers on the property forms only cover what they know about. An independent look tells you how the roof is now, whatever anyone remembers. Around Ashdon, older homes often have old roof timbers, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it’s left.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before you book.
Why us?
- Surveys seven days a week
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- 20+ years’ experience
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
Read how roof surveys are priced and two real surveys.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, which helps when we look at the roof.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Nearby places to Ashdon
Other services in Ashdon
What we do, step by step
When we arrive, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you want to find out. After that, we look at everything we can see safely, from ground level, from windows, in the roof space and by drone where it applies. The survey usually takes an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. For a village or hamlet like Ashdon, the journey is planned beforehand: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you are buying.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Preparing for the visit
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Leave side gates unlocked
Getting a price
Once you know what you need, call 07833 053749 or email us. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.