Greater London · London and the South East
Gidea Park Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Know where you stand with the roof before you spend money on it. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Gidea Park.
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
Before and after the survey
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, while Premium includes a consultation in person. If anything in the report is not clear, ask us.
Look in the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. Damp patches, daylight through the roof or water stains on timbers are worth noting. Take photos so you can show whoever looks at it.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Gidea Park
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all including VAT. Standard adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. Premium goes further, with thermal imaging, a drone where applicable and a same-day report. Pick the one that fits the property. Every package comes with a written report, photos and recommendations. We survey lead flashings and valleys, the roof space and flat-roofed extensions and dormers, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are gutters that overflow or drip at the joints and gaps where slates or tiles have come loose.
Homes across London range from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to interwar semis, post-war blocks and new developments, so a property in Gidea Park might be any of these. Whether the roof is old or newly laid, the problem areas depend on how and when the building went up. Slates, hidden valley gutters, parapets and flat roofs over back additions all need checking in their own way.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets. You will see the good as well as the bad.
- Place
- Gidea Park (RM2, RM3, RM1)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens if roof problems are left?
A mortgage valuation is not a roof survey. It looks at whether the property is suitable security for the loan, not at the condition of each slate and flashing. A roof survey is carried out for the buyer, and the report is written for you to use. Many older London roofs have only old felt under the slates, or no underlay at all, so once the slates or flashings let water past, little stops it reaching ceilings. Left unchecked, water soaks into timber and plaster and the damage spreads.
All our prices include VAT. Our price is from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the exact price before booking.
Why book us in Gidea Park
- 98% of customers satisfied
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Weekday and weekend surveys
Read our cost guide and what we found on two real jobs.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed ahead of time. We survey on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photos included.
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Gidea Park
Outer London has lots of Victorian and Edwardian terraces with slate roofs, but also a great many interwar semis, often with hipped roofs in clay or concrete tiles. On a semi of that age, the small roofs over the bays, the hip tiles and any later dormer each need their own look. The covering on a house you are buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest. With Hare Hall about 0.6 miles south-east, Gidea Park sits in an area with a long building history. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Landlords with a home close to Gidea Park station may find that a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one. For a London address like Gidea Park, it is useful to know about controlled parking before the day, along with any off-street space.
Gidea Park is about 1 mile north-east of Romford, in Greater London. Gidea Park is one of many places we visit across Greater London. Gidea Park is one of the towns and villages in Greater London we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. Our London page covers surveys nearby.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in RM2, RM3 and RM1 are booked the same way as anywhere else. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on Main Road, Brook Road and Bell Avenue and the roads around them. We also cover the places around Gidea Park: Gallows Corner (1 mile east), Ardleigh Green (1 mile south-east), Harold Wood (1 mile east), Heath Park (1 mile south) and Emerson Park (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover London (14 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).
Local landmarks in Gidea Park
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Ship Public House, Havering College of Further and Higher Education and Gidea Park Primary School and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Gidea Park station, about 0.8 miles south. Other landmarks nearby include Upminster Tithe Barn Museum of Nostalgia (2.9 miles south-east) and Harold Wood Hospital (1 mile east). Open spaces near Gidea Park include Bedfords Park.
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
Places near Gidea Park
More services for Gidea Park
What we do, step by step
A survey visit follows a simple order: we hear what you’ve seen, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photos as we go and record our findings for the written report. Most visits take roughly 1–2 hours at a typical home, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Many London properties are flats or terraces with no side access, so rear slopes are viewed from windows, the loft or, where a flight is allowed, by drone. If the building has a managing agent or access rules, let us know when you book.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you are 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.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
How to prepare
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
Arrange a survey
To book a survey, ring 07833 053749 or email us and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price before booking.
Advice
Common roof problems in Gidea Park
Flat roofs turn up on extensions, dormers, porches and garages. Felt flat roofs often last around 15 to 20 years, and ponding, blisters and splits are common signs of age. They’re easy to overlook on a viewing, because many can only be seen from an upstairs window.
Common reasons to book include:
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
For an older house near a landmark such as St Michael and All Angels Church, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- What happens after the report arrives
- Are they insured for the work?
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Whether the price includes VAT
Gidea Park questions
Is parking a problem for a survey in Gidea Park?
It rarely stops a survey, but it’s worth planning. Tell us what parking is available nearby, and the visit is planned around it.
Are there drone restrictions around Gidea Park?
Typically it comes down to two things: the airspace at the address and the weather. Across London there are restriction zones around Heathrow, London City and London Heliport, plus 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. High wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying, though the rest of the survey goes ahead either way.
Do you go up on the roof?
Only where it is safe to do so. Much of the inspection is done from ground level, from windows and from the roof space. The Premium Survey adds a drone inspection where applicable.
Do you work in Gidea Park?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, and that includes Gidea Park.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
The sooner after your offer is accepted, the better. The report is most useful before exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
How do I book a survey in Gidea Park?
Just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
How long will you be at the property?
It normally takes an hour or two on an ordinary house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.