Essex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Great Bardfield
Find out the condition of the roof at your property in Great Bardfield from an independent roof surveyor. We visit on weekdays and at weekends.
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Great Bardfield
What can be done to an older roof may depend on listing or a conservation area. The council is the place to check, along with Historic England’s list. Where the drone is part of the survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
Take an older house close to Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin: a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming. Whatever the street in Great Bardfield, a roof costs least to look after when faults are caught early.
Great Bardfield is about 7 miles north-west of Braintree, in Essex. Great Bardfield gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. Great Bardfield is one of the towns and villages in Essex we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. Chelmsford is in our area too.
Every address in CM7 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Local streets include High Street, The Corniche and Vine Street, all of which we cover. If you are just outside Great Bardfield, we cover Little Bardfield (1 mile west), Finchingfield (1 mile north-east), Bardfield Saling (2 miles south-east), Wethersfield (2 miles east) and Crow's Green (3 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (15 miles south), Braintree (7 miles south-east), Witham (13 miles south-east), Saffron Walden (10 miles north-west), Halstead (9 miles east) and Great Dunmow (6 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Great Bardfield
Around Great Bardfield, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Vine pub and the streets around them. For a walk, there’s West Wood.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Great Bardfield: what you get
Buyers in Great Bardfield and right across London and South East England use our pre-purchase roof survey. Whether it’s a terrace, a semi, a detached house or a flat, the roof gets the same careful look. The report says what’s in good order, what isn’t and what to deal with first. We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and have 20+ years’ experience. To arrange a survey, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. Typical surveys look at cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing and a ridge or slope that dips, across gutters and downpipes, natural slate and the roof space.
Somewhere as small as Great Bardfield, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings frequently sit beside a few newer homes. Village roofs can be clay tile, slate, stone or even thatch on some older buildings. Whether you’re 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.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Where
- Great Bardfield (CM7)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Also near Great Bardfield
Also in Great Bardfield
Different roofs, different checks
Gutters and parapets
Gutters, downpipes and outlets carry water away from walls. We check for blockages, leaking joints and sagging runs.
Chimney stacks
Leaning stacks, loose pots and eroded mortar are common findings. We note them with photos so you can ask about them.
Can I check my roof myself?
You can learn a lot 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.
It is useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us when you book, as it helps us focus the survey.
How the survey works
The visit has one job: to see as much of the roof as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Notes and photos go into the written report. The visit normally takes about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. In a hamlet or village like Great Bardfield, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed in advance.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- Inside, we check the loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
How to prepare
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Tell us about parking before the day
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
Booking a survey
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Read more
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Great Bardfield
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Great Bardfield?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Do you cover Great Bardfield?
Yes. Our area covers London and the South East, and Great Bardfield is part of that. You can call 07833 053749 or email us with the address and some details, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We carry out surveys on any day of the week. To arrange a date, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. The report is most useful before exchange, while you can still ask questions and negotiate.
How soon is the report ready?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Let us know your timetable when you book.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning, with the building owner or managing agent. Let us know about it when booking and we will plan the survey around it.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
It’s your choice, but the two do different jobs. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
Practical tips
A little preparation and a few simple habits help, both for the survey and for the roof itself. Some pointers:
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Ask for any paperwork for recent roof work
The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation to talk the findings through, and the Premium Survey includes an in-person consultation. If anything in the report isn’t clear, ask us.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
What we cannot see
A survey is a close look at the roof, but it cannot do everything. The main limits are:
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
- Whether timbers meet design loads
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer before you book. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Natural slate
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
We survey roofs for landlords and letting agents as well as householders. The report gives you a dated record of the roof, with photographs, useful for planning maintenance.
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps when budgeting.