Essex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Gaston Green, Essex
We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Gaston Green and the rest of Essex. We survey on any day of the week.
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Old water stains in the loft space
Common questions in Gaston Green
How do I find out if my home in Gaston Green is listed?
We cannot confirm that for you, but Historic England’s list and your council can. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Is Gaston Green within the area you cover?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It is a roof survey by an experienced roof surveyor, and you get a written report with photos. It isn’t a RICS survey and doesn’t cover the rest of the house.
How many surveys have you done?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys, across London and South East England.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in Gaston Green?
To book, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and let us know the address and what you want to find out. We will confirm the price and agree a day with you.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
Does someone need to be in?
It depends on what we need to see. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Gaston Green
With a written roof report, you can go back to the seller or agent with specifics. You can ask about the roof’s history, ask for repairs before completion or rethink the price. What the seller agrees to is up to them, but you will be asking from facts rather than guesses. It also helps you decide whether to go ahead at all. We survey natural slate, lead flashings and valleys and the roof space, and common reasons people get in touch are damp timbers or stains in the loft and slates or tiles that have slipped or gone.
In a village or hamlet like Gaston Green, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. Whether you are buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Location
- Gaston Green (CM22)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney stacks
Leaning stacks, loose pots and eroded mortar are common findings. We photograph them so you can raise them before exchange.
Clay and concrete tiles
Older homes in the South East often have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles on some. Rotten pegs let tiles slide.
Places near Gaston Green
Also in Gaston Green
How the survey works
There is not much for you to do on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we’ll get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes about 1–2 hours for most houses, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Older roofs in small places like Gaston Green can have low, tight loft spaces, so it is useful to know whether there’s a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- You book once your offer is accepted and let us know the address and your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- The roof is inspected from every safe viewpoint, inside and out.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
Book a survey
We confirm the price for your roof before booking, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
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Pre-purchase roof surveys around Gaston Green
Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, alongside lots 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 flight restriction zone around Stansted Airport comes within about 1 mile of Gaston Green. If the drone is used for your survey, we check the exact boundary for the address before flying.
Barrington Hall lies about 3.2 miles east, so building around Gaston Green goes back a long way. When you buy an older home, the roof’s age, past repairs and any listing all affect what you might spend later. For landlords with property near Sawbridgeworth station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Gaston Green is about 3 miles south of Bishop's Stortford, in Essex. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Gaston Green for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings. Across Essex, we cover Gaston Green. There’s also a page for Chelmsford.
Here we cover the CM22 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on Sawbridgeworth Road and Old Mill Lane and the roads around them. If you’re just outside Gaston Green, we cover Little Hallingbury (1 mile north), Spellbrook (1 mile west), Thorley Street (1 mile north-west), Lower Sheering (2 miles south) and Thorley (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover Chelmsford (15 miles south-east), Harlow (5 miles south-west), Brentwood (15 miles south), Loughton (14 miles south), Saffron Walden (13 miles north) and Waltham Abbey (12 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Gaston Green
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Leventhorpe and The George pub and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Sawbridgeworth station, about 1.4 miles south-west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Harlow Mill (3.5 miles south-west) and Herts and Essex Hospital (2.3 miles north). The countryside around Gaston Green includes Sawbridgeworth Marsh and Portingbury Hills.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Gaston Green
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photos included.
Where a roof is shared: we need access agreed with the freeholder or managing agent. Mention it when you get in touch and we’ll plan the visit with that in mind.
Honest limits
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Natural slate
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Gutters and downpipes
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
What you can safely check yourself
It helps to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Share it with us when booking.
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Common roof problems in Gaston Green
Gutter problems often look minor from the street. Overflowing water soaks walls and can rot the timber behind. Valley and parapet gutters can overflow inside the house. We check them as part of the survey.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Old water stains in the roof space
Take an older house close to Church of St Mary the Virgin: the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- What the survey won’t cover