Hertfordshire · London and the South East
How Wood Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in How Wood, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photos.
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in How Wood
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. At that point you can still ask questions, while you’re not yet committed. We survey seven days a week, which helps when the chain is moving fast. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. We survey lead flashings and valleys, chimney stacks and flat-roofed extensions and dormers, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are old water stains in the roof space and quick fixes on flashings and valleys.
Houses in smaller places like How Wood can stand more in the open than those in a built-up town, so their roofs may take more wind and driving rain. Loose ridge tiles, lifted coverings and tired flashings are the kind of things that show it. For a purchase or a new roof, those exposed edges are looked at closely. On an exposed roof, a loose ridge or verge soon becomes a bigger job.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Location
- How Wood (AL2)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Tips from our surveys
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Check the lease for roof repair responsibilities
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Tell us your exchange date when you book
- Ask the agent to check the loft hatch can be opened
If you want quotes for the work, roofers can work from the report. They’ll see exactly what we found, and where, so each quote covers the same ground.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in How Wood: local notes
If your survey includes the drone, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. About 2.2 miles south-west lies High Elms Manor, a reminder of how long the area around How Wood has been built on. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years.
If you let a flat or house near How Wood 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 the Holy Trinity 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.
How Wood is about 2 miles south-west of St Albans, in Hertfordshire. If you are in How Wood, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: a call or an email, a price, then a date. We cover towns and villages across Hertfordshire, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for London.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in AL2 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Whether your property is on Ringway Road, Alder Close and How Wood or a nearby road, we can help. If you’re just outside How Wood, we cover Park Street (1 mile north-east), Chiswell Green (1 mile north-west), Frogmore (1 mile east), Bricket Wood (1 mile south-west) and Colney Street (1 mile south-east). We also work in nearby towns like Watford (4 miles south-west), Hemel Hempstead (5 miles north-west), Stevenage (15 miles north-east), Welwyn Garden City (9 miles north-east), Harpenden (7 miles north) and Hoddesdon (15 miles east).
Around How Wood
We work in homes and buildings around Marlborough Science Academy and The Falcon pub and the streets around them. How Wood has its own railway station: How Wood station. A little further out are Hilfield Castle (4.6 miles south) and Hypocaust Museum (2.1 miles north). The countryside around How Wood includes Broad Colney Lakes and Verulamium Lake.
Roof by roof
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.
Lead flashings and valleys
Lead-lined valleys and gutters are common on older homes in London and South East England. Splits in a lead valley send water inside, and missing lead is not unknown, as it’s a target for thieves.
What we do, step by step
Every roof is different, but as a rough guide the survey takes an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. If you have questions on the day, just ask. With a bit of garden around a house, as there often is around How Wood, the roof can be viewed from several angles. Mention any side of the property we can’t get to. The loft, where there’s safe access, completes the picture.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- Inside, we check the loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Booking a survey
For a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in How Wood, phone 07833 053749 or email us. The address, the type of property and what you need to know help us give you an accurate price.
Advice
Questions from How Wood
Is How Wood in the area you cover?
Yes, How Wood is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos.
Is How Wood within the area you cover?
Yes. How Wood is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. Our area covers London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when booking.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
It is your choice, but the two do different jobs. A RICS home survey covers the whole building, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Our survey complements a RICS survey and does not replace one.
How quickly will I get the report?
That depends on which survey you choose: Basic within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Tell us your exchange date and we’ll help you choose.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
It depends on what we need to see. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access.
How do I arrange a pre-purchase roof survey in How Wood?
It’s easiest to ring 07833 053749 or email us. Tell us the address and a little about the roof, and we will point you to the right survey. Surveys run on any day of the week.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
Nearby places to How Wood
What else we do in How Wood
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. Recommendations are set out in order of urgency where relevant.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Mention it when you get in touch and we’ll plan the visit with that in mind.
What a survey costs
We confirm the price for your roof before you book. These are the things that affect it:
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- House, block, shop or office
- Roof area
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package you pick makes a difference too. The price is always agreed first.
What we need to know
Getting the details right at the start saves time. Please include:
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Whether there is a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- The property’s address and postcode
Most bookings start with a short call: call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Honest limits
To be straight with you, there are limits to any roof survey:
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will point you to the right survey. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in How Wood
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles