Essex · London and the South East
Gilston Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Gilston, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. You get a clear report with photos.
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Gilston
Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. Whether you’re buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds. Gilston is part of Harlow, one of the post-war new towns. Homes from the post-war decades are common in the new towns, many with low-pitched roofs in concrete tiles and flat-roofed garages or porches. Low pitches, ageing concrete tiles and old flat roofs each have their own weak points, worth knowing before you commit.
Historic houses such as Much Hadham Palace, about 4.8 miles north, show how far back building around Gilston goes. Older homes in the area can come with listed status or conservation area rules, which affect re-roofing, so check with the council before you buy. If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Parish Church of St Mary, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Gilston is about 2 miles north-west of Harlow, in Essex. From houses to flats and shops in Gilston, the roof can be surveyed. Our area takes in places right across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in CM20 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Streets in the area include Pye Corner and Eastwick Road. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Eastwick (1 mile south-west), Little Parndon (1 mile south-west), Great Parndon (2 miles south), Staple Tye (3 miles south) and Roydon (3 miles south-west). Further out, we also cover Brentwood (14 miles south-east), Loughton (10 miles south), Waltham Abbey (8 miles south-west), Great Dunmow (13 miles north-east), Epping (6 miles south) and Stansted Mountfitchet (9 miles north-east).
Local landmarks in Gilston
We work in homes and buildings around The Plume Of Feathers pub, Burnt Mill Academy and Harlow Marsh, among other places. The closest station to Gilston is Harlow Town station, about 0.6 miles south of the centre. A little further out are Mark Hall Cycle Museum (1.3 miles south-east) and Harlow Mill (1.2 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Hunsdon Mead.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Gilston
Some roofs cannot be seen well from ground level or from windows. Our Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and, where applicable, a drone inspection, along with a same-day report. If airspace rules or the weather rule out a flight, we will say so and inspect from every other safe vantage point. Typical surveys look at lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney and chimney mortar that has eroded, on chimney stacks, natural slate and the roof space.
In a village or hamlet like Gilston, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Village roofs can be clay tile, slate, stone or even thatch on some older buildings. Each covering has its own weak points, whether the roof is old or newly laid. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
What you get is a clear record of the roof on the day we saw it. It’s useful right away, and a good reference for later, for example when you want to check whether anything has changed.
- Location
- Gilston (CM20)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Towns and villages near Gilston
Also in Gilston
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Gilston
Are flat-roofed garages and porches in Gilston worth including?
Yes, if you’d like it included, mention it when you book. Cement sheet roofs on buildings from before 2000 may contain asbestos, so a specialist asbestos surveyor should check before they’re disturbed.
Do you cover smaller places like Gilston?
Yes, Gilston is covered. We survey roofs across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned ahead of time.
Do you carry out surveys 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 you book.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. You need the report before you exchange, while you can still ask questions and negotiate.
When will the report arrive?
Premium reports arrive the same day, Standard reports within 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email, with photos.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
The visit normally takes about 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. We’ll confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. We don’t carry out asbestos surveys or testing. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Gilston?
Gutter problems often look minor from the street. Water spilling over a gutter soaks brickwork and can rot fascias and rafter ends. Hidden gutters behind parapets or in roof valleys can send water indoors. They’re part of what we check.
Common reasons to book include:
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
For landlords with property near Harlow Town station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
What to check before booking
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- What experience they bring
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Whether the price includes VAT
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
All our prices include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- The roof’s overall size
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can safely be seen and the package you choose.
Helping us price your survey
These details help when you get in touch:
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- When you need the report by
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Practical tips
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Ask for loft access on the day
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.
After you move in, have leaves and moss cleared from gutters and valleys, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Blocked gutters cause much of the damp we see. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Gilston
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work with less disruption.
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
How the survey works
Once we’ve finished looking, we write up our findings as a report with photographs, sent to you by email. On timing, most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Somewhere as small as Gilston, access is often the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the roof space is agreed in advance.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from ground level and from vantage points.
- Inside, we check the roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Before we arrive
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Tell us about parking before the day
Arrange a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from the ground or a window, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To send them or to book, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Read more
Checking the roof from ground level
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
A lot can be seen from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.