Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Gallows Corner, Greater London
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Gallows Corner, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Call or email for a price.
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Gallows Corner
The roof is one of the most expensive parts of a home to repair, and one of the hardest for a buyer to see. Our pre-purchase roof survey gives you a proper look at it before you are committed. We check the coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters, and the roof space where it is safe to get in. The findings come in a written report with photos. If you’ve noticed gutters that overflow or drip at the joints and patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on natural slate, chimney stacks and gutters and downpipes alike.
London’s housing runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war estates and new blocks of flats, and a home in Gallows Corner could be any of them. Whether you are buying or have just had a roof replaced, the details that cause trouble depend on the age of the building. Slate roofs, butterfly valleys, parapet gutters and flat-roofed rear additions each have their own weak points.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent, whichever applies.
- Location
- Gallows Corner (RM3, RM2, RM11)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Questions from Gallows Corner
Is my home in Gallows Corner listed or in a conservation area?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Is drone flying allowed in Gallows Corner?
The answer turns on the exact location and the conditions on the day. London’s airspace includes flight restriction zones around Heathrow, London City Airport and London Heliport, and restricted areas over Hyde Park, the City of London and the Isle of Dogs. Every London address is checked against them before a flight. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first, including zones around airports and prisons. Strong wind or a downpour also stops a small drone flying, and the rest of the survey doesn’t depend on the drone.
Does the weather affect the survey?
Light rain does not usually stop a survey. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so we’ll agree a new date if the weather is not suitable.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. A home survey may recommend further investigation of the roof, and that is where a roof survey helps. It is not a replacement for a RICS survey.
How do I book a survey in Gallows Corner?
To book, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We will confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling aren’t something we do. 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’s disturbed.
Do you need access inside the house?
If it can be arranged, yes. From the roof space we can see staining, timbers and underlay. If access isn’t possible, we note it in the report.
Roof by roof
Gutters and parapets
The rainwater system keeps water off the walls. Leaking joints, sagging lengths and blockages are all noted.
Clay and concrete tiles
Many post-war houses have concrete interlocking tiles. They wear slowly, but surfaces erode and edges crack, and low-pitched roofs need their laps to be right.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Gallows Corner
Patch repairs are common on roofs of every age. 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.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
For landlords with property near Gidea Park station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Questions to ask before booking
- Their insurance cover
- Whether the loft is part of the inspection
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- What they won’t be able to tell you
Buying a home or a new roof in Gallows Corner
If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. In outer London, interwar semis with hipped, tiled roofs sit alongside older slate-roofed terraces. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
For an older house near a landmark such as St Michael and All Angels Church, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them. Gallows Corner is in London, so parking needs planning: a visitor permit or a nearby bay makes the day easier.
Gallows Corner is about 2 miles north-east of Romford, in Greater London. Bookings from Gallows Corner are handled just like any other: get in touch, agree the price and pick a day. We cover towns and villages across Greater London, large and small. There’s also a page for London.
Every address in RM3, RM2 and RM11 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys. You will find streets such as Ewan Road, Briar Road and Bell Avenue, all of which we cover. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Gidea Park (1 mile west), Ardleigh Green (1 mile south), Harold Wood (1 mile east), Heath Park (1 mile south) and Emerson Park (1 mile south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as London (15 miles south-west), St Pancras (15 miles west), Shoreditch (13 miles west), Walthamstow (10 miles west), Hoxton (13 miles west) and Whitechapel (13 miles south-west).
Near you in Gallows Corner
Typical jobs here are in homes near Havering College of Further and Higher Education, Ardleigh Green Junior School and Raphael Park. For rail, the closest station is Gidea Park station, roughly 0.8 miles south-west. Well-known places in the area include Upminster Tithe Barn Museum of Nostalgia (2.6 miles south-east) and Harold Wood Hospital (0.6 miles east). For a walk, there is Bedfords Park.
Also near Gallows Corner
Other services in Gallows Corner
Why get it checked now?
Sellers aren’t always aware of roof problems. The forms they complete only show what they’re aware of. An independent look tells you how the roof is now. Behind a London parapet, a blocked gutter can sit full of water without anyone seeing it. When the stain finally shows, the damage underneath is often older than it looks.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so the price reflects that. The price is confirmed before booking.
Why us?
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- Every finding written up with photos
- Two decades and more of roof surveys
- Package prices that include VAT
Take a look at our cost guide and two real surveys.
Useful tips for Gallows Corner property owners
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
- Let us know your exchange date as you book
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
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. Premium comes with a follow-up after 12 months.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. A pair of binoculars from the garden shows a lot.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Gallows Corner
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, including offices, shops and units. Larger roofs take longer, so they’re priced to suit.
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photographs included.
How it works
You do not need to do much on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we will get on with the inspection. The survey itself takes roughly 1–2 hours for most houses; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. For a visit in Gallows Corner, parking and access are the things to plan: let us know about parking, the floor the property is on, any shared entrance and loft access. On the day, the roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from inside the roof space and from the roof where it’s safe.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you’re buying.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Before the survey
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Keep pets in another room
Getting a price
We survey roofs seven days a week. To find a date that works for you, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.