Essex · London and the South East
Harwich Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Pre-purchase roof surveys across Harwich, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photographs.
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Old water stains in the roof space
Before and after the survey
A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Tips:
- Mention any deadline when you get in touch
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Ask the agent to make sure the loft hatch can be opened
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
Once the home is yours, the report becomes a maintenance list. Deal with the urgent items first, and keep the photographs to compare against later. The Premium Survey includes a 12-month follow-up.
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.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Harwich: what you get
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. That’s when the findings are most useful, because nothing is binding yet. Visits run 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 survey lead flashings and valleys, natural slate and gutters and downpipes, and common reasons people get in touch are blistered or split felt on a flat roof and flashings that have lifted or split.
Most homes in a town like Harwich are houses, so the roof is typically the owner’s alone to look after, apart from details shared with the house next door on semis and terraces. That makes the roof’s condition a straightforward money question: better found before exchange or final payment than after. With photographs and written recommendations, you have clear points to take back to the seller or the roofer.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Place
- Harwich (CO12)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
For landlords and managing agents
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, putting the urgent items at the top.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To discuss a number of properties, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
Your own check is a good start, but it isn’t a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and a fall can be serious. That’s where a survey comes in.
Towns and villages near Harwich
What else we do in Harwich
How it works
We check the roof from outside and, where it’s relevant and there’s safe access, from inside the loft 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 normally takes between one and two hours at most homes, and more on a big or complicated roof. A visit in Harwich runs most smoothly with the loft hatch clear, side gates open and a parking spot in mind. Someone needs to let us in, so tell us who that will be.
- Once your offer is accepted, you let us know the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed ahead of time.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from ground level and from vantage points.
- Inside, we check the roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a written report with photographs and recommendations before you exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Getting a price
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or drop us an email, and we will ask about the building and what you need. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Advice
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. The main factors are:
- House, block, shop or office
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package matters as well. The price is always agreed first.
What we need to know
You don’t need to know any roofing terms. Just tell us:
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- What made you get in touch
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To get started, phone 07833 053749 or email us.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Harwich
Harwich lies within about 1 mile of the sea, where wind off the sea can be strong. A small drone cannot fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, so the weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead. An older home may be listed, or stand in a conservation area. To find out, check Historic England’s list and ask the council about conservation areas. In either case, a change of roofing material may need consent.
If you let a flat or house near Dovercourt station, 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 Church of All Saints are often among the oldest in a place, and if yours is one of the older homes nearby, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Harwich is in Essex. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Harwich. Our area takes in places right across Essex, large and small. Chelmsford is in our area too.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in CO12 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. You will find streets such as Station Road, High Street and Market Street, all of which we cover. You’ll find Harwich on the A120 and B1352, so it’s easy for us to get to. We also cover the places around Harwich: Parkeston (1 mile north-west), Little Oakley (2 miles south-west) and Ramsey (2 miles west). Within a short drive, we also cover Clacton-on-Sea (10 miles south-west), Greenstead (14 miles west), Wivenhoe (14 miles west), Brightlingsea (13 miles south-west), Walton-on-the-Naze (6 miles south) and Bocking's Elm (11 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Harwich
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School and The Trafalgar Public House, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Dovercourt station, about 0.9 miles north-east. Well-known places in the area include Landguard Fort (2.5 miles east) and Harwich Museum (1.3 miles north-east). Open spaces near Harwich include Copperas Wood.
Harwich: your questions answered
Do you carry out roof surveys in Harwich?
Yes, Harwich is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs.
Is my home in Harwich 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.
When is the best time to have the roof checked when buying?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That way you can still act on what we find.
How quickly will I get the report?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email with photos included.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. A home survey may recommend further investigation of the roof, and our survey gives you that closer look. It doesn’t stand in for a RICS survey.
Is your roof survey a RICS survey?
No. Our survey looks at the roof only, and it isn’t a RICS home survey. It works alongside a home survey.
How do I book a survey in Harwich?
Simply call 07833 053749 or email us with the address. We’ll ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date, weekday or weekend.
Leave it or get it looked at?
Even if you go ahead regardless, knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan. The report shows what needs doing first, and you can line up a roofer before small faults grow. Around Harwich, water from a roof defect often goes unseen for a while, like the loft insulation, the top of a wall or the roof timbers. By the time it shows inside, the job has grown.
To find out what your survey will cost, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and some details. We will confirm the figure before booking.
What you get with us
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Every finding written up with photos
- Prices that include VAT
- Surveys seven days a week
See how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.