Essex · London and the South East
Great Bromley Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Great Bromley and the rest of Essex. We survey seven days a week.
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Great Bromley
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. We can’t say how a seller will respond, but you’ll be asking from facts rather than guesses. It can also help you decide whether the purchase is still right for you. If you’re worried about slipped or missing slates and tiles and bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on chimney stacks, lead flashings and valleys and natural slate alike.
Older buildings in small places like Great Bromley may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials a new roof may use, so check with the council and Historic England’s list. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it’s worth knowing which applies, as well as what condition the roof is in. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings.
We keep jargon out of it: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, along with how urgent it is.
- Where
- Great Bromley (CO7)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from ground level
You can learn a lot 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.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and a fall can be serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where applicable.
Also near Great Bromley
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How the survey works
Before we start, tell us why you’ve booked: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. It helps us focus on what matters most to you. The visit usually takes about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Around Great Bromley, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so it helps to know whether there’s a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. We only go where it’s safe.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- The roof is inspected from every safe viewpoint, inside and out.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the building owner or managing agent
- Let us know about parking near the property
Getting a price
Every survey is priced before it is booked, so you know where you stand. Our price is from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or email us.
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What this survey can’t tell you
Before you book, it is worth knowing what a survey will not do:
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
If you’re not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer before you book. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed beforehand. 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, photographs included.
Great Bromley: your questions answered
Do you cover smaller places like Great Bromley?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Great Bromley?
Places near the sea get more wind and more salt in the air than inland, and both are hard on roofs. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, while strong wind lifts anything already loose.
Is a roof survey worth having alongside a home survey?
It is 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. Our survey complements a RICS survey and doesn’t replace one.
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.
How quickly will I get the report?
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 booking.
How long does the survey visit take?
It normally takes between one and two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It is a dedicated roof survey, and you get a written report with photos. It doesn’t cover the rest of the property, which a RICS survey does.
Why get it checked now?
Once you exchange, the roof’s problems become yours. Before it, you still have choices. A survey after you’ve moved in tells you the same things, but with far less room to act on them. Matching old materials, such as handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
We offer three survey packages: the Basic Survey from £150, the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all including VAT. The price for your roof depends on its size, access and what you need to know.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Great Bromley
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- Prices that include VAT
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
Great Bromley homes and their roofs
The coast is about 5 miles or less from Great Bromley, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, and loose ridges, slates and tiles are the first to lift in a gale. The wider area around Great Bromley has a long history of building, with Castle House about 4 miles north. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Church of St George, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are. Landlords with a home close to Alresford station may find that a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Great Bromley is about 6 miles east of Colchester, in Essex. Great Bromley is one of many places we visit across Essex, for homes and businesses alike. Our Essex coverage includes Great Bromley. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
We work across the CO7 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Whether your property is on Badley Hall Road, Brook Street and Hall Road or a nearby road, we can help. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Cowey Green (1 mile south-east), Hare Green (1 mile south-east), Balls Green (1 mile south), Monkey Street (2 miles east) and Frating Green (2 miles south). Within a short drive, we also cover Colchester (6 miles west), Clacton-on-Sea (8 miles south-east), Harwich (10 miles east), Camulodunum (7 miles west), Greenstead (4 miles west) and Tiptree (13 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Great Bromley
Typical jobs here are in homes near Ardleigh Park. For rail, the closest station is Alresford station, about 3.2 miles south-west of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Colchester Hospital (5.6 miles west) and Wivenhoe Chapel Museum (3.6 miles south-west). For a walk, there’s Cockaynes Wood.
What a survey costs
To price your survey, we check:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- The size of the roof
- Which survey package you book
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before you book.
What we need to know
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. It is enough to tell us:
- When you need the report by
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from the ground or a window are fine, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To get started, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.