Southend-on-Sea · London and the South East
Great Wakering Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A careful look at the roof at your property in Great Wakering, with photos and a written report.
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
Great Wakering: your questions answered
Is Great Wakering within the area you cover?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
How do I find out if my home in Great Wakering is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning. Mention it when you get in touch and we will explain what’s needed.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It complements one rather than replacing it.
Do you use drones?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. Our sub-250g drone is flown by a CAA-registered operator with a Flyer ID and Operator ID, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
How long will you be at the property?
The visit typically takes between one and two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. We will give you an idea of timing when you book.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Great Wakering
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. At that point you can still ask questions, because nothing is binding yet. We survey on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when a sale is moving quickly. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. We’re often asked to look into blocked or leaking gutters and flashings that have lifted or split, on clay and concrete tiles, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and chimney stacks.
In a smaller place like Great Wakering, homes are mostly houses and bungalows, from older cottages to more recent builds. Older roofs may still have their original slates or clay tiles, with fixings and underlay that have done a long stint. For a purchase or a newly replaced roof, what’s under the coverings matters as much as what’s on top. Older roofs often have bitumen felt under the coverings, as breathable membranes only arrived in the late 1990s.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photographs, emailed to you. It sets out the condition of the roof, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Where
- Great Wakering (SS3)
- Wider area
- Southend-on-Sea
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What this survey cannot tell you
Before you book, it is worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll point you to the right survey. The full list of what we check.
What we look at
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
Landlord and commercial surveys in Great Wakering
Landlords, agents and building managers in Great Wakering and across Southend-on-Sea can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, putting the urgent items at the top.
Useful tips for Great Wakering property owners
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Check we will be able to get into the roof space
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
You may want to pass the report to your solicitor or conveyancer so questions can go to the seller’s solicitor. It can prompt questions about past roof work and any paperwork for it.
Do not block the vents at the eaves. Poor ventilation lets condensation build up, wetting timbers and insulation. Avoid packing insulation into the eaves so tightly that air cannot flow.
Great Wakering homes and their roofs
Great Wakering is within about 2 miles of the coast, and wind near the sea can be strong. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, so the weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead. About 3.4 miles west lies Southchurch Hall, a reminder of how long the area around Great Wakering has been built on. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you let a flat or house near Shoeburyness station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full. If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Church of St Nicholas, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Great Wakering is about 1 mile north-east of Shoeburyness, in Southend-on-Sea. Surveys in Great Wakering work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Across Southend-on-Sea, we cover Great Wakering and the places around it. We also survey roofs in Chelmsford.
We cover every part of the SS3 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on High Street, Conway Avenue and North Street or a nearby road, we can help. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Little Wakering (1 mile north-west), North Shoebury (1 mile south-west), Shoeburyness (1 mile south-west), Barling (2 miles north-west) and Stonebridge (2 miles west). Within a short drive, we also cover Southend-on-Sea (5 miles west), Prittlewell (4 miles west), Leigh-on-Sea (7 miles west), Westcliff-on-Sea (5 miles west), Southchurch (3 miles west) and Chalkwell (6 miles west).
Local landmarks in Great Wakering
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Shoeburyness High School and The White Hart Public House. For rail, the closest station is Shoeburyness station, roughly 1.5 miles south of the centre. A little further out are Southend University Hospital (5.1 miles west). The countryside around Great Wakering includes Gunners Park and Shoebury Ranges.
Also near Great Wakering
Also in Great Wakering
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
To price your survey, we look at:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Building height and the viewpoints available
- House, block, shop or office
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
Thermal imaging and drone inspection (where applicable) come with the Premium Survey, from £400 inc. VAT. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
Helping us price your survey
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- Access details, such as a loft hatch or a shared roof
You can call us seven days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or email us.
How it works
Where it is relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement, as far as the space allows. The whole visit usually takes about one to two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Some parts of a survey depend on the weather, so a visit to Great Wakering is booked with the forecast in mind: drone flights and thermal imaging need the right conditions, while a look from the ground and the loft can go ahead in most weather.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it is safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Booking a survey
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Great Wakering, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. The address, the type of property and what you’d like to know help us give you an accurate price.
Advice
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That’s where a survey comes in.