Essex · London and the South East
Greensted Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
An experienced roof surveyor for pre-purchase roof surveys in Greensted. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys.
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
What you can safely check yourself
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Don’t go up yourself.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Greensted
Some roofs can’t be seen well from the ground or from windows. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, plus a drone inspection where applicable, and the report arrives the same day. Where a flight is not possible, because of airspace rules or the weather, we tell you and inspect from every other safe vantage point. We survey natural slate, chimney stacks and flat-roofed extensions and dormers, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are damp timbers or stains in the loft and gaps where slates or tiles have come loose.
Some older homes in villages like Greensted are listed or sit in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. Whether you’re buying or signing off new roofing, it is 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.
Nothing in the report is left vague: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, along with how urgent it is.
- Location
- Greensted (CM5)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What we cannot see
In fairness, a roof survey has limits:
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll point you to the right survey. What our survey covers.
What we check
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
The survey, step by step
After the inspection, everything we found is written up as a report with photos, sent to you by email. On timing, it typically takes between one and two hours at most homes, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. Rural addresses near Greensted can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- 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.
Getting ready for the survey
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Leave a clear route to the loft
Getting a price
Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can phone 07833 053749 or email us to find out.
Related advice
Local roofs and buyers in Greensted
If the drone is used for your survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Older buildings in Essex frequently have clay tiles and weatherboarding, alongside lots of post-war and newer estates. Whether you’re buying or checking new roofing work, knowing the materials helps make sense of what the inspection finds.
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Greensted Church, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Greensted is about 5 miles east of Epping, in Essex. In Greensted, as across Essex, every roof gets the same careful survey. Greensted is one of the places in Essex we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
All of CM5 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We also cover the places around Greensted: Chipping Ongar (1 mile east), Greensted Green (1 mile west), Shelley (1 mile north-east), High Ongar (2 miles east) and Bobbingworth (2 miles north). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (11 miles east), Basildon (13 miles south-east), Harlow (7 miles north-west), Brentwood (6 miles south-east), Billericay (10 miles south-east) and Loughton (8 miles south-west).
Near you in Greensted
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Two Brewers Public House and The Ongar Academy. Well-known places in the area include St. Margaret's Hospital (4.4 miles west). For a walk, there’s Gernon Bushes.
Practical tips
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Request records of any re-roofing
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
Your report arrives by email, with photographs of what we found. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Each defect is explained in plain words, with recommendations prioritised by urgency where relevant.
Every so often, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Watch for stains, damp timbers and chinks of daylight. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Greensted
Do you carry out roof surveys in Greensted?
Yes, Greensted is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs.
Is Greensted within the area you cover?
Yes. Greensted is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We survey roofs across London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Will you need to get into the loft?
Where possible, yes. We look in the roof space where there is safe access, and upstairs windows give useful views. Access is usually arranged through the agent or seller.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones can’t fly safely in high wind or heavy rain, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. If the conditions aren’t right, we’ll talk to you about another date.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes, you can. The report sets out what we found, with photos, so you can raise them with the seller or their agent. We cannot promise how the seller will respond.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Let us know your preferred days when you book.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Not necessarily. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Towns and villages near Greensted
What else we do in Greensted
What happens if roof problems are left?
Sellers are not always aware of roof problems. Their answers on the property forms only cover what they know about. Our survey shows you the roof as it is today. Older and listed buildings around Greensted may need consent and matching materials for repairs, so leaving a defect until it’s urgent leaves less time to plan.
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so the price reflects that. You’ll know the figure before booking.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Greensted
- Thermal imaging and drone inspection where they help
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Photographs and a written report every time
- More than 5,000 surveys completed
Read how roof surveys are priced and our case studies.
What we are asked to look at in Greensted
Patch repairs are common on roofs of every age. Bitumen over flashings, mortar fillets in place of lead and odd replacement tiles can be signs that something has leaked before. Our report records them so you can ask the seller what was done and when.
Look out for signs like these:
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
Historic houses such as Hill Hall, about 3.8 miles south-west, show how far back building around Greensted goes. Older homes in the area can come with listed status or conservation area rules, which affect re-roofing, so check with the council before you buy.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- What they won’t be able to tell you
- How soon the report will arrive
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- Are they insured for the work?