Essex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Fordham Heath
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Fordham Heath, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Call or email for a price.
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
Pre-purchase roof survey in Fordham Heath
We survey roofs for buyers in Fordham Heath and across London and the South East. Whether it is a terrace, a semi, a detached house or a flat, we follow the same careful process. The report says what’s in good order, what isn’t and what to deal with first. We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and have 20+ years’ experience. To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email. If you’ve noticed damp timbers or stains in the loft and standing water on a flat extension roof, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
For a small place like Fordham Heath, the visit is planned like any other: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them when you book. Whether you are buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
The report doesn’t just list problems. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend, so you can decide what to do next.
- Location
- Fordham Heath (CO3, CO6)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- Roof area
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
For a price for your roof in Fordham Heath, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and some details. We’ll confirm the figure before booking.
Getting in touch
There is no need for technical words. It is enough to tell us:
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- When you need the report by
- What kind of property and roof it is
- The property’s address and postcode
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and the days you’d prefer.
When to book a survey in Fordham Heath
Rear extensions, dormers and garages often have flat roofs. A felt roof often lasts around 15 to 20 years, and standing water, blisters and splits are typical signs of ageing. They’re easy to overlook on a viewing, because many can only be seen from an upstairs window.
Most people get in touch when they’ve noticed something like this:
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Blocked or leaking gutters
The streets around a church like All Saints Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What experience they bring
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Their insurance cover
Surveys for landlords and agents in Fordham Heath
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. Recommendations are set out with the most urgent first where relevant, which helps when budgeting.
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photographs.
What we look for on each type of roof
Gutters and parapets
Some older terraces have a butterfly roof with a central valley gutter. If yours does, we check that gutter and where it drains.
Natural slate
On a slate roof, the underlay may be old bitumen felt, or there may be none at all on very old roofs. From inside the loft space, we report what we can see of it.
How it works
On the day, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you want to find out. We then inspect everything that can be seen safely, from ground level, from windows, in the loft space and by drone where it applies. The survey usually takes roughly 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Rural addresses near Fordham Heath can be hard to find from a postcode alone, 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 choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you are buying.
- 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.
Before we arrive
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Jot down any questions you want answered
How to book
You can call us seven days a week. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Read more
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Fordham Heath: local notes
Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, and a good many post-war and modern estates besides. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most. If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
Landlords with a home close to Marks Tey station may find that it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Fordham Heath is about 3 miles north-west of Camulodunum, in Essex. Anywhere in Fordham Heath, we can come and survey your property. Our area takes in places right across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages. There is also a page for Chelmsford.
Every address in CO3 and CO6 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Heath Road, Halstead Road and Porter's Lane or anywhere close by, we can survey it. If you are just outside Fordham Heath, we cover Gallows Green (1 mile west), Fordham (1 mile north), West Bergholt (2 miles east), Great Horkesley (3 miles north-east) and Wormingford (3 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Colchester (4 miles east), Braintree (11 miles west), Maldon (13 miles south-west), Witham (10 miles south-west), Camulodunum (3 miles south-east) and Halstead (8 miles west).
Local landmarks in Fordham Heath
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Cricketers pub and The Stanway School, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Marks Tey station, about 2.1 miles south-west. Other landmarks nearby include Colchester Castle (3.9 miles east) and Social History Museum (3.8 miles east). For a walk, there’s Iron Latch.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
You can learn a lot from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level.
Nearby places to Fordham Heath
Other services in Fordham Heath
Questions from Fordham Heath
Do you cover Fordham Heath?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Is my home in Fordham Heath listed or in a conservation area?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. It is worth checking before planning roof work, as both can affect what’s allowed.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
Allow between one and two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. We will give you an idea of timing as you book.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. The report sets out what we found, with photos, so you can raise them with the seller or their agent. We can’t promise how the seller will respond.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Ideally, yes. We look in the roof space where there is safe access, and upstairs windows give useful views. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in Fordham Heath?
To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price and agree a day with you.