Essex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Great Leighs
Not sure what state the roof is in? You can book a pre-purchase roof survey in Great Leighs and across Essex.
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
Pre-purchase roof survey in Great Leighs: what you get
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 will be negotiating from a clear picture rather than a hunch. It also helps you decide whether to go ahead at all. If you are worried about quick fixes on flashings and valleys and chimney mortar that has eroded, a survey will tell you what’s going on.
Being in a small place like Great Leighs makes no difference to the inspection itself: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed ahead of time. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when booking. Whether you are buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Where
- Great Leighs (CM3)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Great Leighs
In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. 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, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
For landlords with property near Cressing station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Great Leighs is about 4 miles south-west of Braintree, in Essex. Surveys in Great Leighs work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. Our Essex coverage includes Great Leighs. We also survey roofs in Chelmsford.
Every address in CM3 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys. We cover properties on Aragon Road, Fortune Close and Audley Road. We also cover the places around Great Leighs: Gubbion's Green (1 mile east), Young's End (1 mile north-east), Fuller Street (1 mile south-east), Row Green (2 miles north-east) and Fairstead (2 miles east). Further out, we also cover Chelmsford (6 miles south), Braintree (4 miles north-east), Maldon (10 miles south-east), Billericay (14 miles south), Witham (6 miles east) and Wickford (15 miles south).
Local landmarks in Great Leighs
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Castle pub. Great Leighs’s nearest station is Cressing station, about 3.4 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include William Julien Courtauld Hospital (3.6 miles north-east). For a walk, there is Sandylay and Moat Woods.
What a pre-purchase roof survey does not cover
We only report whatever is safely visible on the day, so some things are outside what a survey can do:
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and does not.
Roof types and parts we check
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
For landlords and managing agents
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as householders. A written report with photos gives you a clear record of the roof, which helps you plan work between tenancies.
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords. Larger roofs take longer, and they’re priced for the size.
Questions from Great Leighs
Is Great Leighs in the area you cover?
Yes, Great Leighs is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs.
Do you cover smaller places like Great Leighs?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
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.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. Home surveys sometimes suggest a closer look at the roof, and our survey gives you that closer look. It does not stand in for a RICS survey.
Are you insured?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
How quickly will I get the report?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. Reports are emailed with photos included.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling aren’t something we do. Where a material might contain it, such as old cement sheets on a building from before 2000, the report flags it, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it is disturbed.
What we do, step by step
We look at the roof from outside and, where it’s relevant and there is safe access, from inside the roof space too. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey typically takes roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Older rural homes like those around Great Leighs can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- The roof is inspected from every safe viewpoint, inside and out.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- We email a written report with photos and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
How to prepare
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Book a survey
To book a survey, ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. We’ll confirm the price before booking.
Related advice
Also near Great Leighs
Also in Great Leighs
Different roofs, different checks
Flat roofs
A flat roof that has been coated over several times may hide problems underneath. We record what we can see and say where a closer look is needed.
Natural slate
On a slate roof, the underlay may be old bitumen felt, or there may be none at all on very old roofs. From inside the loft space, we report what we can see of it.
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Great Leighs
All our prices include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- The size of the roof
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where it applies) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 with VAT included. We can help you choose the package that fits what you’d like to know.
Helping us price your survey
Some details help us recommend the right survey and price. When you contact us, tell us:
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
- What made you get in touch
- Any photos you have, taken from ground level or a window
When you are ready to go ahead, call 07833 053749 or email us. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Great Leighs?
Flat roofs turn up on extensions, dormers, porches and garages. A felt roof often lasts around 15 to 20 years, and standing water, blisters and splits are typical signs of ageing. A buyer can easily miss them, especially when they’re only visible from an upper floor.
Problems we come across often include:
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
Take an older house close to Church of St John the Evangelist: ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Before you book anyone
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Will the report include photos?
- How long the report takes to arrive
- What experience they bring