Essex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Great Canfield, Essex
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Great Canfield, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Call or email for a price.
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
Roof by roof
Gutters and parapets
Hidden gutters behind parapets send water indoors when they block. Where we can see them safely, we check the linings and outlets.
Lead flashings and valleys
Many leaks start at a flashing, so they get close attention in a pre-purchase survey. We photograph any that need work.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Great Canfield
A full home survey looks at the whole property, so the roof is one item among many. We do not offer a RICS home survey, and ours is not a substitute for one. It adds a focused look at the roof on its own, with photos and written recommendations you can act on. The two sit side by side. We survey clay and concrete tiles, gutters and downpipes and chimney stacks, and people most frequently book us about blocked or leaking gutters and standing water on a flat extension roof.
Being in a small place like Great Canfield makes no difference to the inspection itself: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when booking, so the visit can be planned around them. Whether you are buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Visits can be booked on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Where we cannot see part of the roof, the report says so. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Place
- Great Canfield (CM6)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from ground level
You can learn a lot from the ground. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please don’t climb up for a closer look.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Great Canfield
Buyers’ agents can book surveys on behalf of their clients. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on.
Landlords, agents and building managers in Great Canfield and across Essex can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Places near Great Canfield
What else we do in Great Canfield
How we price pre-purchase roof surveys
Prices vary from roof to roof, for these reasons:
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package matters as well. The price is always agreed first.
Helping us price your survey
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- What made you get in touch
- The property’s address and postcode
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine. To send them or to book, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Great Canfield
In Essex, older buildings are frequently clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, alongside plenty of post-war and newer estates. Whether you are buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds. If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
Barrington Hall, about 2.9 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Great Canfield. Buying a period property here means asking about the roof’s age and repairs, and about any listing or conservation area. For an older house near a landmark such as Parish Church of St Mary, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming. If you own a rental within reach of Stansted Airport station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Great Canfield is about 3 miles south-west of Great Dunmow, in Essex. Wherever you are in Great Canfield, we can carry out pre-purchase roof surveys at your property. We cover towns and villages across Essex. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: CM6. Streets in the area include The Street and Canfield Road, all of which we cover. Close by, we survey roofs in High Roding (1 mile east), Roundbush Green (2 miles south), Keeres Green (2 miles south), High Easter (2 miles south-east) and Stagden Cross (3 miles south-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (10 miles south-east), Braintree (11 miles east), Harlow (10 miles south-west), Brentwood (14 miles south), Billericay (15 miles south) and Witham (14 miles east).
Near you in Great Canfield
Typical jobs here are in homes near The Black Lion Public House, among other places. The nearest railway station is Stansted Airport station, roughly 4.5 miles north-west. Well-known places in the area include Little Easton Moat (3.8 miles north). The countryside around Great Canfield includes Portingbury Hills.
The survey, step by step
There is not much for you to do on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we will get on with the inspection. The survey itself takes about one to two hours on an ordinary house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Somewhere like Great Canfield needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. On the day, we inspect everything that’s safely in view, inside and out.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
How to prepare
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
How to book
Our phone lines are open seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Common questions in Great Canfield
Do you cover smaller places like Great Canfield?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We work right across London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Great Canfield?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Is your roof survey a RICS survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it is not a RICS home survey. It works alongside a home survey.
How many surveys have you done?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
Can you survey in bad weather?
A survey can normally go ahead in light rain. Strong wind or a downpour can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so if conditions aren’t right we will arrange another day with you.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. The report sets out what we found, with photos, which you can share with the seller or agent. How the seller responds is up to them.
Do you need to go inside the property?
If it can be arranged, yes. Inside, the loft shows leaks, damp timbers and the underlay. If we can’t get in, the report says so.
What we cannot see
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- A structural engineer’s report
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers