Essex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Foster Street, Essex
Independent pre-purchase roof surveys in Foster Street. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
Pre-purchase roof survey in Foster Street: what you get
A full home survey looks at the whole property, so the roof is one item among many. We do not offer a RICS home survey, and ours isn’t a substitute for one. It adds a focused look at the roof on its own, with photographs of what we find and written recommendations. The two sit side by side. We survey natural slate, chimney stacks and flat-roofed extensions and dormers, and common reasons people get in touch are signs of past leaks inside the loft and flashings that have lifted or split.
Older buildings in small places like Foster Street may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials a new roof may use, so check with the council and Historic England’s list. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it’s worth knowing which applies. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings.
After the visit, you get a report with photos, sent by email. It explains the condition of the roof, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Where
- Foster Street (CM17)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Why get it checked now?
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. In a place like Foster Street, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. It’s worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
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
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- Packages from £150, inc. VAT
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
Read our cost guide or two real surveys.
What we can’t see
To be straight with you, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- The condition of the rest of the house (that is a RICS home survey)
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer before booking. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
The survey, step by step
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photographs. On timing, it normally takes about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. Rural addresses near Foster Street 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. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- We inspect the roof from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it’s safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
How to book
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or send us an email, and we will ask about the building and what you need. The price is agreed before a date is set.
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FAQs for Foster Street
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Foster Street?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Is Foster Street within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We survey roofs across London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
If the survey includes the loft or the inside of the building, someone needs to let us in. We will talk about access when booking.
What’s the best way to book?
The quickest way is to call 07833 053749 or send us an email. Let us know the address and a little about the roof. Surveys run seven days a week.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
On site, it normally takes between one and two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Report times depend on the package, from the same day for Premium to within 48 hours for Basic.
Do you need to go inside the property?
Where we can, yes. From the roof space we can see staining, timbers and underlay. If access isn’t possible, we note it in the report.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Foster Street
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with the freeholder or managing agent. Mention it when you get in touch and we will plan the survey around it.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, and the report can go to both. Access is agreed with the tenant ahead of time.
Nearby places to Foster Street
More services for Foster Street
Practical tips
Most of what helps is simple and safe from ground level. A few suggestions:
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Share the report with your solicitor
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Let us know your timetable
After you move in, keep the report somewhere safe. Deal with the urgent items first, and use the photos as a record of how the roof looked when you bought. The Premium Survey includes a 12-month follow-up to see how things have changed.
Once you’ve moved in, keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Blocked gutters cause much of the damp we see. Get a professional in rather than climbing up yourself.
What a survey costs
Our packages start from £150, including VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
There are three survey packages: Basic from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. What your roof costs depends on its size, access and what you want to find out.
Getting in touch
Here’s what helps us most when you get in touch:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
- Pictures from the garden or a window, if you have them
- What’s prompted the survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To send them or to book, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Buying a home or a new roof in Foster Street
If your home is older, it’s worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before planning roof work. Listed building consent covers changes to a listed building’s special interest, and an Article 4 direction can bring extra controls in a conservation area. Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, alongside plenty of post-war and newer estates. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
The streets around a church such as Church of All Saints are often among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light. If you let a flat or house near Harlow Mill station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Foster Street is about 2 miles east of Harlow, in Essex. We survey roofs in Foster Street and the rest of Essex. Our area takes in places right across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages. We also survey roofs in Chelmsford.
Here we cover the CM17 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Whether your property is on Foster Street, Highfield Close and Hastingwood Park or a nearby road, we can survey it. If you are just outside Foster Street, we cover Hastingwood (1 mile south), Newhall (1 mile north-west), Latton (1 mile west), Magdalen Laver (1 mile east) and Housham Tye (2 miles north-east). We also work in nearby towns like Chelmsford (14 miles east), Brentwood (11 miles south-east), Billericay (15 miles south-east), Loughton (9 miles south-west), Waltham Abbey (8 miles south-west) and Great Dunmow (12 miles north-east).
What’s near Foster Street
Around Foster Street, our work takes us to homes and buildings near John Barleycorn Public House, Passmores Academy and Brays Grove. Foster Street’s nearest station is Harlow Mill station, about 2.3 miles north-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Princess Alexandra Hospital (3 miles west) and Harlow Mill (2.4 miles north-west). Open spaces near Foster Street include Gernon Bushes.