Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Elstree Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Elstree, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
Checking the roof from ground level
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
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. Do not go up yourself.
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Elstree
A roof report gives you something solid to take back to the seller or the agent. You can ask about the roof’s history, ask for repairs before completion or rethink the price. We cannot say how a seller will respond, but you’ll be negotiating from a clear picture rather than a hunch. It can also help you decide whether the purchase is still right for you. If you’re worried about damp timbers or stains in the loft and blistered or split felt on a flat roof, we can find out what’s behind it.
Being in a small place like Elstree makes no difference to the inspection itself: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them when booking. Whether you’re buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Visits can be booked seven days a week.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Elstree (WD6)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
Prices always include VAT. What changes the price is:
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- How many separate roofs there are, like extensions, dormers and garages
- Basic, Standard or Premium
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 with VAT included. We can help you choose the package that fits what you’d like to know.
What to let us know when you get in touch
Getting the details right at the start saves time. It helps to include:
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- When you need the report by
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and tell us the address and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price before booking.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Elstree
Will you come out to Elstree?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Can you fly a drone over a roof in Elstree?
It depends on the exact address and the weather on the day. Elstree is about 2 miles from Elstree Aerodrome, so the Drone Safety Map is checked for restrictions around it before we fly. High wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying.
Can I use the report to negotiate on price?
Yes, you can. You will have photos and a written description of each defect, so you can raise them with the seller or their agent. We can’t promise how the seller will respond.
When will the report arrive?
Premium reports arrive the same day, Standard reports within 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email with photos included.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It depends on the weather and the survey. In strong wind or heavy rain, a drone can’t fly and access may not be safe, so we’d move the date with you.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It is a dedicated roof survey, with a written report and photos. It doesn’t cover the rest of the property, which a RICS survey does.
How experienced are you?
We have completed more than 5,000 surveys, over more than 20 years, and 98% of clients are satisfied.
Practical tips
You do not need to be a roofer to help. Here’s what helps most:
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Ask the agent to check the loft hatch can be opened
- Share the report with your solicitor
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. They’ll see exactly what we found, and where, which makes quotes easier to compare.
Do not block the vents at the eaves. Poor ventilation lets condensation build up, wetting timbers and insulation. Keep insulation clear of eaves vents so air can move.
Towns and villages near Elstree
Other services in Elstree
Leave it or get it looked at?
It is tempting to skip the roof to keep a sale moving. We visit on any day of the week, and a Premium report comes the same day, which helps it fit around your exchange date. For an older or listed building in a place like Elstree, repairs may need matching materials and consent, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on the size and height of the roof, access and the package you choose.
What you get with us
- Clear package prices, including VAT
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Surveys seven days a week
Read what a roof survey costs or what we found on two real jobs.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Elstree
Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new. Elstree Aerodrome is about 2 miles from Elstree. If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
The streets around a church like Church of St Nicholas are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them. Headstone Manor, about 4.1 miles south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Elstree. Older homes in the area can come with listed status or conservation area rules, which affect re-roofing, so check with the council before you buy. If you let a flat or house near Elstree & Borehamwood station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Elstree is about 2 miles south-west of Borehamwood, in Hertfordshire. Roofs in Elstree get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Hertfordshire. Our Hertfordshire coverage includes Elstree. There’s also a page for London.
All of WD6 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Local streets include High Street, West View Gardens and Summer Grove. If you are just outside Elstree, we cover Deacon's Hill (1 mile east), Edgware Bury (1 mile south-east), Broadfields Estate (2 miles south-east), Borehamwood (2 miles north-east) and Edgware (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Watford (5 miles west), Hemel Hempstead (10 miles north-west), St Albans (8 miles north), Welwyn Garden City (12 miles north-east), Harpenden (12 miles north) and Hoddesdon (14 miles north-east).
Local landmarks in Elstree
In Elstree, that means homes and buildings near The Holly Bush pub, London Academy and Aldenham Country Park and the streets around them. Elstree’s nearest station is Elstree & Borehamwood station, about 1.1 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Elstree and Borehamwood Museum (1.4 miles north-east) and Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (0.8 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Darland's Lake and Edgware Way Grassland.
How the survey works
We do not take risks to get a closer look. We inspect everything that’s safely in view, and if part of the roof cannot be seen, the report says so. Most visits take about 1–2 hours at a typical home, or half a day or so for a commercial building. In a hamlet or village like Elstree, 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.
- You book once your offer is accepted and let us know the address and your timetable.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- We inspect the roof from the ground, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- Your report arrives by email, with photos and recommendations prioritised by urgency.
How to prepare
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Book a survey
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Elstree, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email. The address, the type of property and what you need to know help us give you an accurate price.
Related advice
What we cannot see
We only report whatever is safely visible on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- Whether timbers meet design loads
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
Roofs we survey in Elstree
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks