Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Bernards Heath Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A careful look at the roof at your property in Bernards Heath, with photographs and a written report.
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
Pre-purchase roof survey in Bernards Heath: what you get
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 look at as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report gives you clear points to raise with your solicitor or the managing agent. If the building has a flat roof, we look at that too where access allows. Typical surveys look at gaps where slates or tiles have come loose and roof slopes that look uneven or sagging, on gutters and downpipes, natural slate and chimney stacks.
Houses in smaller places like Bernards Heath can stand more in the open than those in a built-up town, which can mean more wind and rain on the roof. Loose ridge tiles, lifted coverings and tired flashings are the kind of things that show it. Whether you’re buying or signing off new work, those edges deserve a close look. On an exposed roof, a loose ridge or verge soon becomes a bigger job.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Location
- Bernards Heath (AL3, AL1, AL4)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
Prices always include VAT. What changes the price is:
- House, block, shop or office
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- The size of the roof
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, inc. VAT, and we can help you choose.
What to tell us when you contact us
When you call or email, these details help:
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- The property’s address and postcode
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- The kind of building and roof involved
Unsure which package suits your roof? It is easiest to call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will explain the options and the price.
FAQs for Bernards Heath
Do you cover smaller places like Bernards Heath?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Is my home in Bernards Heath listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
On site, it usually takes between one and two hours at most homes, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Report times depend on the package, from the same day for Premium to within 48 hours for Basic.
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 the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Do you inspect the roof from on top?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. We also inspect from ground level, upper windows and the roof space, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where applicable.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. You need the report before you exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain doesn’t normally stop a survey. High wind or heavy rain can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so if conditions are not right we’ll arrange another day with you.
Towns and villages near Bernards Heath
What else we do in Bernards Heath
Tips from our surveys
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Let us know your exchange date as you book
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Check we’ll be able to get into the roof space
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
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. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. Binoculars from ground level are enough for a first look.
Honest limits
No survey can tell you everything, and it is better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- A structural engineer’s report
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will recommend the right survey. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in Bernards Heath
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
Different roofs, different checks
Gutters and parapets
Gutters, downpipes and outlets carry water away from walls. We check for blockages, leaking joints and sagging runs, along with fascias and soffits.
Clay and concrete tiles
Concrete interlocking tiles are common on post-war and newer homes. They wear slowly, but surfaces erode and edges crack.
Local roofs and buyers in Bernards Heath
In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest. The wider area around Bernards Heath has a long history of building, with Batchwood Hall about 1 mile west. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Landlords with a home close to St Albans station may find that a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Bernards Heath is about 1 mile north of St Albans, in Hertfordshire. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Bernards Heath. Across Hertfordshire, we cover Bernards Heath. There’s also a page for London.
Surveys in AL3, AL1 and AL4 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. That includes homes and businesses on Etna Road, Green Lane and Manor Road and the roads around them. Bernards Heath is on the A1081, so it’s easy for us to get to. We also cover the places around Bernards Heath: St Albans (1 mile south), Marshalswick (1 mile east), St Stephens (1 mile south-west), Sopwell (2 miles south) and Childwick Green (2 miles north). Larger places within reach include Watford (7 miles south-west), Hemel Hempstead (5 miles west), Stevenage (12 miles north-east), Welwyn Garden City (7 miles north-east), Harpenden (4 miles north) and Hitchin (13 miles north).
Landmarks near Bernards Heath
In Bernards Heath, that means homes and buildings near St Albans Girls' School, Clarence Park and Jolly Sailor pub, among other places. The closest station to Bernards Heath is St Albans station, roughly 0.8 miles south of the centre. A little further out are The Maltings (0.7 miles south) and St Albans Musical Museum (0.5 miles south-east). Open spaces near Bernards Heath include Verulamium Lake and The Wick Local Nature Reserve.
When to book a survey in Bernards Heath
Most viewings never get near the roof. You walk round the rooms, but the roof stays out of sight. New paint on a ceiling can hide old water stains, which is why buyers book a closer look before committing.
Common reasons to book include:
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
Take an older house close to Church of St Saviour: a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
How it works
Safety comes first on every visit. We inspect whatever is safely visible, and if part of the roof can’t be seen, the report says so. The survey typically takes about 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Some parts of a survey depend on the weather, so a visit to Bernards Heath is booked with the forecast in mind: the parts that need calm, dry weather are planned around it.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- You get a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations before you exchange.
Before the survey
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Keep pets in another room
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Arrange a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply call 07833 053749 or drop us an email whenever suits you.