Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Deacon's Hill Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Deacon's Hill, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Get in touch for a price.
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Old water stains in the roof space
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Deacon's Hill
The best time to book is once your offer has been accepted and before you exchange contracts. At that point you can still ask questions, because nothing is binding yet. We survey on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, which helps when the chain is moving fast. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. If you’re worried about slates or tiles that have slipped or gone and old water stains in the roof space, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
In a village or hamlet like Deacon's Hill, homes are frequently older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Village roofs can be clay tile, slate, stone or even thatch on some older buildings. Whether you are buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
Most points in the report come with a picture, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Location
- Deacon's Hill (WD6)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips that help
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Tips:
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
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. The outcome is between you and the seller.
Every so often, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Watch for stains, damp timbers and chinks of daylight. Take photos so you can show whoever looks at it.
Honest limits
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- A structural engineer’s report
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll tell you. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
Common questions in Deacon's Hill
Will you come out to Deacon's Hill?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when booking.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Deacon's Hill?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Does someone need to be in?
Not necessarily. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
It is your choice, but the two do different jobs. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That gives you time to use the findings.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey seven days a week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you as you book.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It depends on the weather and the survey. High wind or heavy rain can make access unsafe and ground a drone, and we’d agree another day.
Towns and villages near Deacon's Hill
What else we do in Deacon's Hill
Why get it checked now?
After exchange, any roof defect is yours to deal with. Before then, you can still ask questions, ask for work to be done or reconsider. Finding out later gives you the same facts, but with far less room to act on them. Outbuildings and barns around Deacon's Hill are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. A quick look before winter can save a lot.
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package you pick makes a difference too. We will give you the figure before anything is booked.
What you get with us
- Over 20 years’ experience
- An independent look at the roof
- Photos and a written report every time
- Package prices that include VAT
See how roof surveys are priced and what we found on two real jobs.
What we are asked to look at in Deacon's Hill
Many roofs have had quick fixes over the years. Bitumen painted over a flashing, mortar where lead should be, or a few tiles that don’t match can point to a problem that keeps coming back. We note what we see so you can ask about it.
People normally book a survey when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
If you let a flat or house near Elstree & Borehamwood station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Whether you get a written report with photos
What we do, step by step
We do not take risks to get a closer look. We inspect whatever is safely visible, and anything we cannot see is noted in the report. The survey usually takes between one and two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. In a hamlet or village like Deacon's Hill, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed ahead of time.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- Inside, we check the loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a report with photographs and recommendations before you exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Tell us about parking before the day
Booking a survey
Our phone lines are open seven days a week. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
What we look for on each type of roof
Flat roofs
Ponding, blistering, splits and worn upstands are the usual warning signs. Blocked outlets are checked as well, and we say what we see from wherever is safe.
Chimney stacks
Chimney stacks take the brunt of the weather. We check the pots, the flaunching, the pointing and the flashings, as far as we can see them safely.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Deacon's Hill
The wider area around Deacon's Hill has a long history of building, with Headstone Manor about 4.7 miles south-west. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new.
If you own one of the older houses in the streets near Church of St Nicholas, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Deacon's Hill is about 1 mile south of Borehamwood, in Hertfordshire. Deacon's Hill is one of many places we visit across Hertfordshire, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. Our area takes in places right across Hertfordshire. Our London page covers surveys nearby.
Here we cover the WD6 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on Grange Road, Vale Avenue and Barnet Lane and the roads around them. Deacon's Hill is on the A411, which makes it simple to reach. Other places close to Deacon's Hill include Edgware Bury (1 mile south), Elstree (1 mile west), Borehamwood (1 mile north), Broadfields Estate (1 mile south) and Rowley Green (2 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Watford (5 miles west), Hemel Hempstead (11 miles north-west), St Albans (8 miles north), Welwyn Garden City (11 miles north), Harpenden (12 miles north) and Hoddesdon (14 miles north-east).
Near you in Deacon's Hill
We work in homes and buildings around Yavneh College, Edgwarebury Park and The Crown pub and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Elstree & Borehamwood station, about 0.6 miles north. Well-known places in the area include Broadwalk Centre (2.2 miles south) and Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (1.4 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Darland's Lake and Edgware Way Grassland.