Essex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Breach Barns
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Breach Barns, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. Every survey ends with a written report and photos.
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
Pre-purchase roof survey in Breach Barns
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all including VAT. Standard adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. Premium goes further, with thermal imaging, a drone where applicable and a same-day report. Pick the one that fits the property. All three include a written report with photographs and recommendations. We survey natural slate, lead flashings and valleys and chimney stacks, and the problems we are asked to look at most are bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs and ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof.
Being in a small place like Breach Barns makes no difference to the inspection itself: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed ahead of time. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them when you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Visits can be booked on any day of the week.
After the visit, you get a report with photographs, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the roof, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Place
- Breach Barns (EN9)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Different roofs, different checks
Clay and concrete tiles
Concrete interlocking tiles are common on post-war and newer homes. They wear slowly, but surfaces erode and edges crack.
Gutters and parapets
A butterfly roof drains to a central valley gutter, normally to the back of the house. If yours does, we check that gutter and where it drains.
What happens if roof problems are left?
Even if you go ahead regardless, knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan. You will know which jobs are urgent and which can wait, and you can line up a roofer before small faults grow. For older village homes like those around Breach Barns, the right replacement materials aren’t always easy to find quickly. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
Prices start from £150, inc. VAT, for a Basic Survey. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400. We confirm the price for the job before booking.
What you get with us
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Read what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
Breach Barns questions
Is Breach Barns within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route as you book.
Is Breach Barns in the area you cover?
We do. The survey and report are the same in Breach Barns as anywhere else, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Do you need access inside the house?
Where possible, yes. We look in the loft space where there’s safe access, and upstairs windows give useful views. Access is normally arranged through the agent or seller.
When will the report arrive?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. Reports are emailed with photos included.
How long does the survey visit take?
It typically takes an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Report times depend on the package, from the same day for Premium to within 48 hours for Basic.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
It depends on the roof and how confident you want to be. A home survey may recommend further investigation of the roof, and our survey gives you that closer look. It is not a replacement for a RICS survey.
Do you use drones?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. 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.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Breach Barns
In Essex, older buildings are frequently clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new. An older home may be listed, or stand 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.
If you own a rental within reach of Cheshunt station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Breach Barns is about 2 miles north-east of Waltham Abbey, in Essex. We cover Breach Barns and the rest of Essex, as part of our work across London and South East England. We cover towns and villages across Essex. London is in our area too.
All of EN9 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Whether your property is on North Side, Second Avenue and First Avenue or anywhere close by, we can help. We also cover the places around Breach Barns: Aimes Green (1 mile north-west), Holyfield (1 mile west), Bumble's Green (2 miles north), Epping Green (2 miles north-east) and Lower Nazeing (3 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Harlow (6 miles north-east), Brentwood (13 miles south-east), Loughton (4 miles south), Epping (3 miles east), Stansted Mountfitchet (15 miles north-east) and Harold Wood (11 miles south-east).
Around Breach Barns
We work in homes and buildings around King Harold Business & Enterprise Academy and the streets around them. Breach Barns’s nearest station is Cheshunt station, about 2.6 miles west. Well-known places in the area include Nazeing Glass Museum (3.2 miles north-west) and St. Margaret's Hospital (3.7 miles east). Not far away are Home Mead and Cheshunt Lake.
What we’re asked to look at in Breach Barns
A chimney stack stands out in the wind and rain. Mortar erodes, the flaunching around the pots cracks and the flashings work loose. A stack may be shared with the neighbours, which can affect how any work is arranged.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
Take an older house close to Church of St Thomas: older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Before you book anyone
- Their track record with similar roofs
- How long the report takes to arrive
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- What exactly goes into their report
Also near Breach Barns
Also in Breach Barns
Tips from our surveys
Getting the most from a pre-purchase roof survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Some tips:
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
You may want to pass the report to your solicitor or conveyancer so they can raise enquiries with the seller’s side. It can prompt questions about past roof work and any paperwork for it, particularly where we have found patch repairs.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Overflowing water is behind a lot of damp. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.
What happens on the day
We work from the outside in: outside views come first, then the loft space if there is safe access. In total, it takes about 1–2 hours for most houses, and more on a big or complicated roof. For a village or hamlet like Breach Barns, the journey is planned in advance: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect whatever is safely visible, inside and out.
- 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.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
Getting ready for the survey
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Let us know about parking near the property
- Leave a clear route to the loft
How to book
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 ring 07833 053749 or send us an email whenever suits you.
Related advice
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Breach Barns
Prices vary from roof to roof, and it comes down to:
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- Building height and the viewpoints available
All our prices include VAT. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the price for your survey before booking.
What to let us know when you contact us
When you call or email, these details help:
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- What’s prompted the survey
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
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. The price is agreed up front.