Essex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Gallows Green
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat around Gallows Green, with findings in writing and pictures to back them up. Weekday and weekend visits available.
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Flashings that have lifted or split
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Gallows Green
Our packages start with the Basic Survey from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, including VAT. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check. Premium goes further, with thermal imaging, a drone where applicable and a same-day report. Choose the level that suits the home you’re buying. Every package comes with a written report, photos and recommendations. We’re often asked to look into signs of past leaks inside the loft and ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof, across chimney stacks, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and lead flashings and valleys.
For a small place like Gallows Green, the visit is planned like any other: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed ahead of time. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when you book. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
If any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely, we say so in the report. You will know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Location
- Gallows Green (CO6)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from the ground
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That part is for a survey.
A lot can be seen from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
How the survey works
When we arrive, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that is worrying you. After that, we check everything we can see safely, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where it applies. Most surveys take about one to two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. For a village or hamlet like Gallows Green, the journey is planned ahead of time: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. On the day, we inspect everything that’s safely in view, inside and out.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it is safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Find any records of previous roof work
Booking a survey
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know where you stand. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Advice
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Gallows Green
Do you carry out roof surveys in Gallows Green?
Yes. We survey roofs across London and the South East, and Gallows Green is part of that. Just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and tell us about the property, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Is Gallows Green within the area you cover?
Yes, Gallows Green is covered. We work right across London and the South East, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Tell us which days suit you when booking.
How long will you be at the property?
The visit normally takes an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. We will confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. Buyers use the findings to ask questions, ask for repairs before completion or ask for a price change. What the seller agrees to is their decision, so we cannot promise any saving.
How quickly will I get the report?
Premium reports arrive the same day, Standard reports within 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. Reports are emailed, with photos.
Do I need to be at home?
Not always. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
Also near Gallows Green
More services for Gallows Green
Local roofs and buyers in Gallows Green
Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, so check with the council.
Take an older house close to Church of St Margaret and St Catherine: ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs frequently have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Gallows Green is about 4 miles west of Colchester, in Essex. We cover Gallows Green and the rest of Essex, as part of our work across London and the South East. Across Essex, we cover Gallows Green and the places around it. There’s also a page for Chelmsford.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in CO6 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Foxes Lane and Halstead Road or a nearby road, we can help. If you’re just outside Gallows Green, we cover Fordham Heath (1 mile east), Fordham (1 mile north), West Bergholt (2 miles east), Wormingford (3 miles north) and Great Horkesley (4 miles north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Colchester (4 miles east), Braintree (10 miles west), Maldon (13 miles south-west), Witham (10 miles south-west), Camulodunum (3 miles south-east) and Halstead (7 miles west).
What’s near Gallows Green
In Gallows Green, that means homes and buildings near The Stanway School and The Queen's Head Public House and the streets around them. The closest station to Gallows Green is Marks Tey station, about 1.7 miles south-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Birch Castle (4.1 miles south) and Essex County Hospital (3.9 miles east). Not far away are Iron Latch.
What we look for on each type of roof
Flat roofs
Flat roofs on extensions, dormers and garages are easy to forget about. Felt frequently lasts around 15 to 20 years, EPDM rubber 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30. We check how the covering is wearing.
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, but the nails holding it corrode long before that. When slates start to slip, corroded nails are frequently the reason.
Honest limits
Our survey is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- A structural engineer’s report
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
If in doubt, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will point you to the right survey before booking. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
To price your survey, we look at:
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- How many separate roofs there are, such as extensions, dormers and garages
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The shape of the roof and its details
Prices start from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included.
Helping us price your survey
What helps most when you contact us:
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Your timetable, like an exchange date
- What’s prompted the survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To get started, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
When to book a survey in Gallows Green
Most viewings never get near the roof. You see the rooms, not the slates, and a quick glance from the street misses a lot. Fresh decoration can also cover the marks an old leak left behind, which is why buyers book a closer look before committing.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
If you own a rental within reach of Marks Tey station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Before you book anyone
- What they will not be able to tell you
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- What happens after the report arrives
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?