Essex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Great Waltham
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Great Waltham and the rest of Essex. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
Pre-purchase roof survey in Great Waltham: what you get
If you’re buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. Depending on the lease, roof repairs may fall to the building owner or a management company. We check as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. Where the building has a flat roof, it is checked as far as access allows. If you are worried about old water stains in the roof space and gaps where slates or tiles have come loose, a survey will tell you what’s going on, on lead flashings and valleys, clay and concrete tiles and gutters and downpipes alike.
Older buildings in small places like Great Waltham 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. Whether you’re buying or signing off new roofing, it’s worth knowing where you stand, as well as what condition the roof is in. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
The report records the roof as we found it on the day. It is useful straight away, and a good reference for later, like when you want to compare after future work.
- Location
- Great Waltham (CM3)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney stacks
A leaning stack, cracked flaunching or crumbling pointing can all need work. We photograph them so you can raise them before exchange.
Gutters and parapets
A butterfly roof drains to a central valley gutter, typically to the back of the house. If yours does, we check that gutter and where it drains.
What a survey costs
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- The height of the building and how the roof can be seen safely
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. You’ll know the figure before booking.
What we need to know
When you call or email, these details help:
- The style of property, from a terrace to a block
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Towns and villages near Great Waltham
More services for Great Waltham
What happens if roof problems are left?
Even if you go ahead regardless, knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan. The report shows what needs doing first, so you can plan work before small faults get bigger. In a small place like Great Waltham, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
Every price we give includes VAT, and the written report is part of the package. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. Where your roof sits in the range depends on its size, height and access.
Why us?
- Packages from £150, including VAT
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- 20+ years’ experience
- An independent look at the roof
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Great Waltham
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. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about. If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
For landlords with property near Beaulieu Park station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Great Waltham is about 4 miles north of Chelmsford, in Essex. We survey roofs in Great Waltham and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and the South East. We cover towns and villages across Essex.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: CM3. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on Brook Mead, Cherry Garden Road and Chelmsford Road or a nearby road, we can help. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Breeds (1 mile south-west), Minnow End (1 mile south-east), Little Waltham (1 mile south-east), Broomfield (2 miles south-east) and Chignall Smealy (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (4 miles south), Basildon (15 miles south), Braintree (8 miles north-east), Harlow (15 miles west), Brentwood (13 miles south-west) and Maldon (11 miles south-east).
Around Great Waltham
We work in homes and buildings around The Beehive pub and the streets around them. The closest station to Great Waltham is Beaulieu Park station, about 3.7 miles south-east. Well-known places in the area include Broomfield Hospital (1.4 miles south). The countryside around Great Waltham includes Little Waltham Meadows.
Tips that help
You do not need to be a roofer to help. What helps most:
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
With Standard, you get a follow-up consultation, while Premium includes a consultation in person. If anything in the report isn’t clear, ask us.
After strong winds, look at the roof from ground level. Slipped slates, lifted ridge tiles and debris on the ground are signs to act on. Small repairs done quickly stop bigger problems later.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Great Waltham
Is Great Waltham within the area you cover?
Yes, Great Waltham is covered. Our area covers London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
Is my home in Great Waltham listed or in a conservation area?
The council and Historic England’s list are the places to check. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
How experienced are you?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys, across London and South East England.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
They do different things. 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.
Does someone need to be in?
Not necessarily. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
How long will you be at the property?
On site, it normally takes between one and two hours on an ordinary house, and more on a big or complicated roof. The report follows within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
What’s the best way to book?
It’s easiest to phone 07833 053749 or email us. Give us the address and a few details about the roof. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.
The survey, step by step
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof; as a rough guide, the survey takes an hour or two for most houses, and more on a big or complicated roof. If you have questions on the day, just ask. In a hamlet or village like Great Waltham, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- You book once your offer is accepted and tell us the address and your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- We look at the roof from ground level, from windows, from the loft space and from the roof where safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- You receive a written report with photos and recommendations to read before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Book a survey
If you’re buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email when you’re ready.
Advice
When to book a survey in Great Waltham
Blocked or leaking gutters do damage that is not obvious at first. Overflowing water soaks walls and can rot the timber behind. Hidden gutters behind parapets or in roof valleys can send water indoors. We check them as part of the survey.
We’re often asked to look at:
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
Take an older house close to Church of SS Mary and Laurence: ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Before you book anyone
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- What the survey will not cover
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see