Essex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Howe Street, Essex
Wondering about the roof at a property in Howe Street? We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Howe Street and across Essex.
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Howe Street
Some roofs cannot be seen well from ground level or from windows. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, plus a drone inspection where it applies, and the report arrives the same day. Where a flight is not possible, because of airspace rules or the weather, we tell you and look from the ground, windows and the loft instead. We survey clay and concrete tiles, chimney stacks and gutters and downpipes, and the problems we are asked to look at most are damp timbers or stains in the loft and gutters that overflow or drip at the joints.
For a small place like Howe Street, the visit is planned like any other: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Visits can be booked on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photos, emailed to you. It sets out the condition of the roof, any defects and our written recommendations.
- Place
- Howe Street (CM3)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Pre-purchase roof surveys around Howe Street
England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings. If your home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission, so the council is the place to ask. Older buildings in Essex often have clay tiles and weatherboarding, and plenty of post-war and modern estates besides. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most.
If you live in an older home near Church of SS Mary and Laurence, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Howe Street is about 5 miles north of Chelmsford, in Essex. We visit Howe Street as part of our work across Essex, for homes and businesses alike. Howe Street is one of the towns and villages in Essex where we work.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in CM3 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Local streets include Parsonage Lane and Bridge Croft, and we cover them all. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Chatham Green (1 mile north-east), Hartford End (2 miles north), Little Leighs (2 miles north-east), Ford End (2 miles north-west) and Pleshey (2 miles west). Further out, we also cover Chelmsford (5 miles south), Braintree (7 miles north-east), Harlow (15 miles west), Brentwood (14 miles south-west), Maldon (11 miles south-east) and Billericay (12 miles south).
What’s near Howe Street
Around Howe Street, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Green Man Inn, among other places. Howe Street’s nearest station is Beaulieu Park station, about 4 miles south-east of the centre. A little further out are Broomfield Hospital (2.1 miles south). For a walk, there’s Little Waltham Meadows.
DIY checks: what’s safe
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Do not go up yourself.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we look at the roof.
What this survey cannot tell you
It is a careful look at the roof, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- Confirmation of asbestos in cement sheets or soffits
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer before booking. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
Useful tips for Howe Street property owners
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
You may want to pass the report to your solicitor or conveyancer so questions can go to the seller’s solicitor. It can prompt questions about past roof work and any paperwork for it.
Look in the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. Watch for stains, damp timbers and chinks of daylight. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
Places near Howe Street
More services for Howe Street
When to book a survey in Howe Street
Buildings put up or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. Cement roof sheets, soffits and flue pipes are typical places to find it. We don’t test for it or carry out asbestos surveys, but our report flags materials that could contain it so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before anything is disturbed.
Look out for signs like these:
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
For landlords with property near Beaulieu Park station, a survey before purchase, or before signing off a new roof, saves surprises once a tenant moves in.
Before booking anyone
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- How soon the report will arrive
- What the survey won’t cover
- Whether you get a written report with photos
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney stacks
Chimney stacks take the brunt of the weather. We check the pots, the flaunching, the pointing and the flashings, as far as we can see them safely.
Natural slate
On a slate roof, the underlay may be old bitumen felt, or there may be none at all on very old roofs. From inside the loft space, we report what we can see of it.
FAQs for Howe Street
Will you come out to Howe Street?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
Is Howe Street in the area you cover?
Yes, Howe Street is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Do you need access inside the house?
Ideally, yes. We look in the loft space where there’s safe access, and views from upper windows help too. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
How do I book a survey in Howe Street?
The quickest way is to call 07833 053749 or send us an email. Tell us the address and a little about the roof. We survey on any day of the week.
Do I need to be at home?
Not always. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Will the roof report help me negotiate with the seller?
Yes, you can. The report sets out what we found, with photos, so you can raise them with the seller or their agent. We cannot promise how the seller will respond.
Which days do you carry out surveys?
We carry out surveys seven days a week. To find a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
How it works
We look at the roof from outside and, where it’s relevant and there’s 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 an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. In a hamlet or village like Howe Street, a postcode doesn’t always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- 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 beforehand.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from ground level and from vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it is safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Before we arrive
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Leave side gates unlocked
Getting a price
Unsure which package suits your roof? It’s easiest to ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will talk you through the options and what they cost.