Essex · London and the South East
Boxted Cross Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Boxted Cross and the rest of Essex. Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
Prices always include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, how it can be seen safely and the package you choose.
Helping us price your survey
Before you get in touch, it’s useful to have:
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Anything about access we should know
- What made you get in touch
Booking is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and give us a few details about the property and we will explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Boxted Cross
A RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey covers the whole building, so the roof is one item among many. Our survey is not a RICS survey, and it doesn’t replace one. What it adds is a closer look at the roof alone, with photos of what we find and written recommendations. You can have both. We survey flat-roofed extensions and dormers, gutters and downpipes and chimney stacks, and people most often book us about old water stains in the roof space and gutters that overflow or drip at the joints.
Some older homes in villages like Boxted Cross are listed or sit in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it is worth knowing which applies, as well as what condition the roof is in. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
We write the report in plain English, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Photos show what each point refers to, and recommendations are put in order of urgency where relevant.
- Location
- Boxted Cross (CO4)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips from our surveys
Getting the most from a pre-purchase roof survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Tips:
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Check we’ll be able to get into the loft space
- Mention any deadline when you get in touch
If the report shows work is needed, you can raise it with the seller or agent. Some buyers ask for repairs before completion, others ask for a change to the price. What happens next is your decision and the seller’s, and we can’t promise any result.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. Binoculars from ground level are enough for a first look.
Towns and villages near Boxted Cross
What else we do in Boxted Cross
Boxted Cross questions
Is my home in Boxted Cross listed or in a conservation area?
We can’t confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Boxted Cross?
Yes, Boxted Cross is one of the places we work. The survey and report are the same in Boxted Cross as anywhere else.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime. Let us know your preferred days as you book.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That gives you time to use the findings.
Do you go up on the roof?
Where it’s safe, yes. We inspect from the ground, from windows and vantage points, from the loft and from the roof itself where safe. On Premium, a drone is used where applicable.
How quickly will I get the report?
Premium reports arrive the same day, Standard reports within 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. Reports are emailed with photos included.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones can’t fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. We will rearrange with you if the weather isn’t right.
What this survey cannot tell you
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Boxted Cross
About 3.4 miles east lies Castle House, a reminder of how long the area around Boxted Cross has been built on. 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. If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
Landlords with a home close to Colchester station may find that the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. Take an older house close to Church of St Peter: the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Boxted Cross is about 5 miles north of Colchester, in Essex. From houses to flats and shops in Boxted Cross, we can survey the roof. We cover towns and villages across Essex. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Every address in CO4 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. You will find streets like Pippin Drive, Carters Hill and Hill Farm Way. We also cover Boxted (1 mile south-west), Workhouse Hill (1 mile west), Langham (1 mile south-east), Hornestreet (1 mile east) and Thorington Street (2 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Colchester (5 miles south), Clacton-on-Sea (15 miles south-east), Harwich (15 miles east), Camulodunum (5 miles south), Halstead (12 miles west) and Greenstead (5 miles south).
What’s near Boxted Cross
Typical jobs here are in homes near Shepherd and Dog pub. For rail, the closest station is Colchester station, roughly 3.9 miles south. Other landmarks nearby include Colchester Castle (4.5 miles south) and Severalls Hospital (2.7 miles south). For a walk, there is Westhouse Wood.
What we do, step by step
Where it is relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging. The whole visit normally takes between one and two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. In a hamlet or village like Boxted Cross, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You book once your offer is accepted and tell us the address and your timetable.
- We agree a time and how we’ll 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.
- 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
- Leave side gates unlocked
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Booking a survey
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Read more
Different roofs, different checks
Gutters and parapets
A butterfly roof drains to a central valley gutter, usually to the back of the house. If yours does, we check that gutter and where it drains.
Clay and concrete tiles
Concrete interlocking tiles are common on post-war and newer homes. They’re heavy and hard-wearing, but they weather and can crack.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.