Essex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Epping
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Epping, with a written report you can act on. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Old water stains in the loft space
Before and after the survey
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Tips:
- Check we’ll be able to get into the loft space
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, while Premium includes a consultation in person. If anything in the report isn’t clear, ask us.
Keep the loft ventilated. Condensation in a roof space can look like a leak and can damage timbers over time. Keep insulation clear of eaves vents so air can move.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Epping
Our packages start with the Basic Survey from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. Standard adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. Premium adds thermal imaging, a drone inspection where applicable and an in-person consultation. Pick the one that fits the property. Every package comes with a written report, photos and recommendations. We survey lead flashings and valleys, chimney stacks and flat-roofed extensions and dormers, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney and quick fixes on flashings and valleys.
In a smaller place like Epping, homes are mostly houses and bungalows, from older cottages to more recent builds. Older roofs may still have their original slates or clay tiles, with fixings and underlay that have done a long stint. Whether you’re buying or have just had the roof replaced, that hidden layer is worth knowing about. Breathable membranes only appeared in the late 1990s, so older roofs frequently have bitumen felt or nothing at all.
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
- Epping (CM16)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Nearby places to Epping
Also in Epping
Leave it or get it looked at?
A slow leak can go unnoticed for months. By the time a stain shows, timber or plaster may already be damp. Spotting it before you buy means you know about it from day one. Around Epping, leaves and moss in gutters lead to overflowing water and damp walls, particularly where trees overhang. It’s easy to sort the cause early and slow to dry a damp wall.
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400. We confirm the price for the job before booking.
Why us?
- Prices that include VAT
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- PI and public liability insurance
- Drones and thermal imaging where applicable
See how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
What happens on the day
Photographs are taken throughout the visit, so the report shows exactly what we saw. We take close-ups from wherever is safe, including by drone where it’s applicable and the weather allows. Most surveys take about one to two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Homes around Epping frequently have gardens on more than one side, which gives us room to step back and see the roof. Mention any side of the property we cannot get to. Inside, the loft is looked at where it can be reached safely.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
How to book
If you’re buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you are ready.
Read more
DIY checks: what’s safe
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Epping
Blocked or leaking gutters do damage that isn’t obvious at first. Water spilling over a gutter soaks brickwork and can rot fascias and rafter ends. Hidden gutters behind parapets or in roof valleys can send water indoors. They’re part of what we look at.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
For an older house near a landmark like Church of St John the Baptist, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Before you book anyone
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- How soon the report will arrive
Epping: your questions answered
Is my home in Epping listed or in a conservation area?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s 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.
Do you cover smaller places like Epping?
Yes, Epping is covered. We work right across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it’s useful to know about access.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
They do different things. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, and ours concentrates on the roof alone. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Light rain doesn’t typically stop a survey, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Strong wind or a downpour can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so we will agree a new date if the weather is not suitable.
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.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We don’t sample or test for asbestos. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it is disturbed.
Will you climb onto the roof?
When conditions and the roof make it safe, yes. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where applicable.
What a survey costs
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. That comes down to:
- House, block, shop or office
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Roof area
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 including VAT. We can help you choose the package that fits what you need to know.
Booking your survey
When you call or email, these details help:
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- Where the property is, with the postcode
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Epping: local notes
Hill Hall, about 2.5 miles south-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Epping. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. North Weald Airfield is about 3 miles from Epping. Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
Epping is about 4 miles north-east of Loughton, in Essex. Bookings from Epping are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Epping is one of the places in Essex where we work. For surveys nearby, see our London page.
Every address in CM16 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Streets in the area include High Street, Station Road and Twankhams Alley, all of which we cover. Epping sits on or near the B181 and B182, so getting to you is simple. We also cover Ivy Chimneys (1 mile south-west), Steward's Green (1 mile south-east), Fiddlers Hamlet (1 mile south-east), Theydon Garnon (2 miles south) and Hobbs Cross (2 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Harlow (5 miles north), Brentwood (10 miles south-east), Billericay (14 miles east), Loughton (4 miles south-west), Waltham Abbey (4 miles west) and Stansted Mountfitchet (15 miles north).
What’s near Epping
We work in homes and buildings around St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled School, Thornwood Common Flood Meadow and The Black Lion pub. Well-known places in the area include Epping Signalling Museum (under half a mile south) and St. Margaret's Hospital (0.7 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Gernon Bushes.