Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Hanscombe End
Find out the condition of the roof at your property in Hanscombe End. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Hanscombe End
Buyers in Hanscombe End and right across London and South East England use our pre-purchase roof survey. Whether it is a terrace, a semi, a detached house or a flat, the roof gets the same careful look. We tell you what’s sound, what needs attention and how urgent it is. We are insured for professional indemnity and public liability, with more than 20 years’ experience behind us. To book, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. We survey clay and concrete tiles, the roof space and flat-roofed extensions and dormers, and common reasons people get in touch are bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs and loose pots and cracked flaunching.
Being in a small place like Hanscombe End makes no difference to the inspection itself: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them as you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Whether you are buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Hanscombe End (SG5)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Why act early in Hanscombe End
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. Outbuildings and barns around Hanscombe End are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. It’s worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
Every price we give includes VAT. Our price is from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for your roof before booking.
What you get with us
- 20+ years’ experience
- Prices that include VAT
- A written report with photos
- PI and public liability insurance
Read our cost guide and two real surveys.
Roof by roof
Chimney stacks
We inspect the outside of the stack, and it is not a flue or gas safety check. We will say if the flue needs a specialist.
Gutters and parapets
The rainwater system keeps water off the walls. Leaking joints, sagging lengths and blockages are all noted, along with fascias and soffits.
What a survey costs
Prices always include VAT. What changes the price is:
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Roof area
- House, block, shop or office
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
Our price is from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and the package you choose.
Getting in touch
To price your survey accurately, we’ll ask about:
- Any deadline, like an exchange date
- How the loft is reached, if there is one
- The type of building and roof, like pitched or flat
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and the days you’d prefer.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Hanscombe End?
The fixings and underlay often fail before good slates or tiles do. Natural slate can last 100 years or more, but corroded nails let slates slip. That kind of wear is common on older roofs and easy to miss from the ground.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Church of All Saints, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Which viewpoints they use to see the roof
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Hanscombe End: local notes
Where the drone is part of the survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most.
Around Hanscombe End, as everywhere, small roof faults are simplest to sort before they let water in.
Hanscombe End is about 5 miles north-west of Hitchin, in Hertfordshire. Bookings from Hanscombe End are handled just like any other: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our area takes in places right across Hertfordshire, large and small. For surveys nearby, see our Milton Keynes page.
Surveys in SG5 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you are just outside Hanscombe End, we cover Apsley End (1 mile south), Shillington (1 mile east), Hexton (2 miles south), Pirton (2 miles south-east) and Pegsdon (2 miles south). Larger places within reach include Stevenage (10 miles south-east), Welwyn Garden City (15 miles south-east), Harpenden (12 miles south), Hitchin (5 miles south-east), Letchworth (6 miles east) and Letchworth Garden City (6 miles east).
Landmarks near Hanscombe End
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Five Bells Public House and Wrest Park, among other places. Well-known places in the area include Keech Hospice Care (5.2 miles south-west) and Stondon Motor Museum (2.6 miles east). Not far away are Barton Gravel Pit and Cain Hill.
Towns and villages near Hanscombe End
Other services in Hanscombe End
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. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level.
Hanscombe End questions
Is my home in Hanscombe End listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Do you cover smaller places like Hanscombe End?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
Do you use drones?
Where it’s applicable and safe, yes. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It’s included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where applicable, the Premium Survey.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it isn’t a RICS home survey. It complements one rather than replacing it.
How experienced are you?
Over 20 years and more than 5,000 surveys, across London and South East England.
Does someone need to be in?
Someone needs to let us in if we’re looking inside or in the loft. Access is agreed with you as you book.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in Hanscombe End?
Just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address. We’ll ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date.
The survey, 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. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey usually takes between one and two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Around Hanscombe End, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. We only go where it is safe.
- 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.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Preparing for the visit
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Getting a price
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email to find out.