Essex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in High Roding, Essex
Pre-purchase roof surveys in High Roding, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in High Roding
Buying a flat brings its own roof questions. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that is often not the individual flat owner. We inspect what access allows us to see safely, and the report gives you clear points to raise with your solicitor or the managing agent. Where the building has a flat roof, it is checked as far as access allows. We survey gutters and downpipes, lead flashings and valleys and chimney stacks, and the problems we are asked to look at most are bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs and cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing.
Somewhere as small as High Roding, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings often sit beside a few newer homes. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. Each covering has its own weak points, whether the roof is old or newly laid. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
We write the report in plain English, so it makes sense without any roofing background. Photos show what each point refers to, and recommendations are put in order of urgency where relevant.
- Where
- High Roding (CM6)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips that help
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Let us know your timetable
- Ask for loft access on the day
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
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. Findings are set out in plain English, with recommendations prioritised by urgency where relevant.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
Questions from High Roding
Is High Roding within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. We work right across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
How do I find out if my home in High Roding is listed?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
What if it rains on the day?
Some surveys depend on the weather more than others. Drones can’t fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, and thermal imaging works best after a sunny day, with a dry roof and little wind. We’ll rearrange with you if the weather isn’t right.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
It depends on the roof and how confident you want to be. A home survey may recommend further investigation of the roof, and that is where a roof survey helps. It is not a replacement for a RICS survey.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. A shared roof needs access agreed first. Let us know about it when booking and we’ll plan the survey around it.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes. Buyers use the findings to ask questions, ask for repairs before completion or ask for a price change. The outcome is between you and the seller, so we cannot promise any saving.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Where it’s safe, yes. We inspect from ground level, from windows and vantage points, from the loft and from the roof itself where safe. The Premium Survey adds a drone inspection where applicable.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
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 part is for a survey.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it.
Towns and villages near High Roding
What else we do in High Roding
What happens if roof problems are left?
Small roof defects let water in slowly. Damp can spread into timbers and ceilings before anyone sees a mark. Spotting it before you buy means you know about it from day one. Older and listed buildings around High Roding may need consent and matching materials for repairs, so a defect found early gives time to plan the work properly.
All our prices include VAT. Our price is from £150, including VAT. We confirm the price for your roof before booking.
What you get with us
- 98% customer satisfaction
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Photos and a written report every time
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Buying a home or a new roof in High Roding
Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, and a good many post-war and modern estates besides. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most. The wider area around High Roding has a long history of building, with Barrington Hall about 3.4 miles west. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Take an older house close to Parish Church of St Mary: the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
High Roding is about 8 miles east of Bishop's Stortford, in Essex. Wherever you are in High Roding, we can carry out pre-purchase roof surveys at your property. Our area takes in places right across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages. Chelmsford is in our area too.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in CM6 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Whether your property is on The Street, Owers Place and Broadfield or a nearby road, we can help. We also cover the places around High Roding: Great Canfield (1 mile west), Roundbush Green (2 miles south-west), Keeres Green (2 miles south), High Easter (2 miles south-east) and Stagden Cross (3 miles south-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Chelmsford (9 miles south-east), Braintree (11 miles east), Harlow (10 miles south-west), Brentwood (14 miles south), Billericay (15 miles south) and Witham (13 miles east).
Near you in High Roding
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Old Lamb (Public House), among other places. The nearest railway station is Stansted Airport station, about 4.8 miles north-west. Well-known places in the area include Little Easton Moat (3.8 miles north). Open spaces near High Roding include Portingbury Hills.
What we’re asked to look at in High Roding
Rear extensions, dormers and garages often have flat roofs. A felt roof often lasts around 15 to 20 years, and ponding, blisters and splits are common signs of age. A buyer can easily miss them, because many can only be seen from an upstairs window.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
For landlords with property near Stansted Airport station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Before you book anyone
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Whether VAT is added on top
How the survey works
Once we’ve finished looking, we write up our findings as a report with photos, emailed to you. On timing, most surveys take an hour or two on an ordinary house; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. Somewhere as small as High Roding, access is frequently the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- 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 photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Before we arrive
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Let us know where we can park nearby
Getting a price
Once you know what you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We will suggest a package, agree the price and find a date.
Related 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:
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Which survey package you book
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Packages run from Basic at £150 through Standard at £250 to Premium at £400, with VAT included, and we’ll tell you which fits.
Getting in touch
What helps most when you contact us:
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
A quick phone call is usually the easiest start: phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.