Essex · London and the South East
Harlow Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
An experienced roof surveyor for pre-purchase roof surveys in Harlow. More than 20 years and over 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
What happens on the day
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. Then the inspection itself takes an hour or two on an ordinary house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. For a home in Harlow, the main things we need are a way into the loft, a route to the back garden and somewhere to park. If you will not be there yourself, let us know who will let us in.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- You receive the report, with findings prioritised by urgency, so you can raise them with the seller.
How to prepare
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it is shared
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
Arrange a survey
We confirm the price for your survey before you book, so you know the cost up front. Our price is from £150, including VAT. To book, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
Pre-purchase roof survey in Harlow
If you are 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 look at as much of the roof as access safely allows, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. If the building has a flat roof, we check that too where access allows. We survey chimney stacks, clay and concrete tiles and the roof space, and people most often book us about cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing and lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney.
A good many homes in a town like Harlow have been extended over the years, often with flat roofs. The joints where a new roof meets an old wall or slope are a common source of leaks. For a home you are buying in Harlow, or a roof just finished there, those joints get a careful look.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photos, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the roof, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Place
- Harlow (CM17, CM20, CM18, CM19)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Share it with us when you book.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Honest limits
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, so a survey has limits:
- A structural engineer’s report
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you before you book. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
- The roof space
- Chimney stacks
Other services in Harlow
Harlow questions
How do I find out if my home in Harlow 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.
Are flat-roofed garages and porches in Harlow worth including?
Yes, if you’d like it included, mention it when you book. On buildings from before 2000, cement sheet roofs may contain asbestos and should be checked by a specialist asbestos surveyor before anyone disturbs them.
Do you use drones?
Yes, where it is applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime. Let us know your preferred days as you book.
How long does the survey visit take?
Allow about one to two hours on an ordinary house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. We’ll confirm what to expect when we arrange the visit.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We don’t sample or test for asbestos. Where a material might contain it, like 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.
Can you survey in bad weather?
A survey can usually go ahead in light rain, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so we’ll agree a new date if the weather is not suitable.
Surveys for landlords and agents in Harlow
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Harlow. To discuss a property or a block, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in. We survey on any day of the week, which can make access easier.
Different roofs, different checks
Flat roofs
Flat roofs on extensions, dormers and garages are easy to forget about. Felt frequently lasts around 15 to 20 years, EPDM rubber 30 to 50 and GRP up to about 30. We check how the covering is wearing.
Gutters and parapets
Gutters, downpipes and outlets carry water away from walls. We check for blockages, leaking joints and sagging runs, along with fascias and soffits.
What happens if roof problems are left?
Once you exchange, the roof’s problems become yours. Before then, you can still ask questions, ask for work to be done or reconsider. A survey after you’ve moved in tells you the same things, but with far less room to act on them. Blocked gutters and downpipes on homes in Harlow overflow onto walls. A slipped tile or worn flashing does the same higher up. Neither gets better on its own.
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Our price is from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Why book us in Harlow
- Visits on any day of the week
- 5,000+ roofs surveyed
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Drone flown under a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
Take a look at our cost guide or our case studies.
Harlow homes and their roofs
If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Harlow was built as one of England’s post-war new towns. Many homes in the new towns date from the post-war decades, with concrete interlocking tiles, low-pitched roofs and flat-roofed garages and porches. Whether you’re buying or replacing a roof, low pitches and flat-roofed additions deserve a careful look.
Landlords with a home close to Harlow Town station may find that a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in. The streets around a church such as St Andrew's Methodist Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Harlow is about 21 miles north-east of London, in Essex. Harlow gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Harlow is one of the places in Essex where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
All of CM17, CM20, CM18 and CM19 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Streets in the area include London Road, Soper Square and Square Street, and we cover them all. With the A414 and A1019 close by, Harlow is easy for us to reach. Close by, we survey roofs in Mark Hall South (1 mile north-east), Netteswell (1 mile west), Latton (1 mile south-east), Mark Hall North (1 mile north) and Bush Fair (1 mile south). We also work in nearby towns such as Brentwood (13 miles south-east), Loughton (9 miles south), Waltham Abbey (7 miles south-west), Great Dunmow (13 miles north-east), Epping (5 miles south) and Stansted Mountfitchet (10 miles north). Harlow is among the bigger towns we cover in Essex.
Around Harlow
Around Harlow, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Harlow Marsh, Purple Emperor pub and BMAT STEM Academy and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Harlow Town station, roughly 1.2 miles north-west. Other landmarks nearby include Princess Alexandra Hospital (1.2 miles west) and Mark Hall Cycle Museum (0.7 miles north-east). Not far away are Hunsdon Mead.