Essex · London and the South East
Lanham Green Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Lanham Green, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Call or email for a price.
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Lanham Green
Where the drone is part of the survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 conservation areas. 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.
If you let a flat or house near Cressing station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Lanham Green is about 2 miles south-east of Braintree, in Essex. Lanham Green is one of many places we visit across Essex, for houses, flats and commercial buildings. Lanham Green is one of the towns and villages in Essex where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
Surveys in CM77 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you are just outside Lanham Green, we cover Cressing (1 mile south-west), Perry Green (1 mile east), Bradwell (1 mile north-east), Silver End (1 mile south-east) and Stisted (2 miles north). Larger places within reach include Colchester (13 miles east), Chelmsford (10 miles south-west), Maldon (10 miles south), Witham (4 miles south), Camulodunum (11 miles east) and Halstead (6 miles north).
What’s near Lanham Green
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Three Ashes pub and Alec Hunter Academy. The closest station to Lanham Green is Cressing station, roughly 1.4 miles south-west. A little further out are Cressing Temple (1.8 miles south) and William Julien Courtauld Hospital (2.8 miles west). For a walk, there’s Belcher's and Broadfield Woods.
Pre-purchase roof survey in Lanham Green: what you get
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all including VAT. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check. Premium adds thermal imaging, a drone inspection where applicable and an in-person consultation. Pick the one that fits the property. All three include a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations. We’re often asked to look into old water stains in the roof space and blocked or leaking gutters, on the roof space, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and chimney stacks.
Being in a small place like Lanham Green makes no difference to the inspection itself: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed in advance. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them when booking. Whether you are buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Visits can be booked on any day of the week.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Location
- Lanham Green (CM77)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Also near Lanham Green
Also in Lanham Green
Lanham Green questions
How do I find out if my home in Lanham Green is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Will you come out to Lanham Green?
Yes. Lanham Green 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 as you book.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It depends on the weather and the survey. In high wind or heavy rain, a drone cannot fly and access may not be safe, so we’d move the date with you.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have more than 20 years’ experience and have carried out more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. Home surveys sometimes suggest a closer look at the roof, and our survey gives you that closer look. It does not stand in for a RICS survey.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. You need the report before you exchange, while you can still ask questions and negotiate.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, as long as access is agreed. The roof of a block or converted house is often shared, so the building owner or managing agent needs to agree access. We inspect only the parts we are allowed to reach.
When you need someone else
It helps to know what a survey won’t do before you book:
- Faults hidden behind ceilings, boards or coverings
- Whether timbers meet design loads
- The condition of the rest of the house (that is a RICS home survey)
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and does not.
What we look at
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Clay and concrete tiles
When to book a survey in Lanham Green
Viewings rarely include a proper look at the roof. You walk round the rooms, but the roof stays out of sight. New paint on a ceiling can hide old water stains, which is why buyers book a closer look before committing.
We are often asked to look at:
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
If yours is one of the older homes in the streets near Parish Church of All Saints, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Choosing a roof surveyor
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- What the survey won’t cover
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
What you can safely check yourself
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
You can learn a lot from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Tips that help
Over many surveys, some simple habits stand out:
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
- Ask when the roof was last worked on
- Check we will be able to get into the roof space
We email the report to you, with photos of each finding. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Each defect is explained in plain words, with recommendations prioritised by urgency where relevant.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. Binoculars from ground level are enough for a first look.
What we do, step by step
Safety comes first on every visit. Everything that can safely be seen is inspected, and if part of the roof cannot be seen, the report says so. The survey typically takes about one to two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Cottages and farmhouses around Lanham Green often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints, and anything we cannot see is noted.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you are buying.
- 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.
Preparing for the visit
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
- Let us know about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
Book a survey
You can call us seven days a week. For a price or to book, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Advice
Prices for pre-purchase roof surveys in Lanham Green
Prices always include VAT. What changes the price is:
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- Which survey package you book
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The final price depends on the size and height of the roof, how it can safely be seen and which survey you book.
Getting in touch
Before you get in touch, it helps to have:
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
Once you know what you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We’ll suggest a package, agree the price and find a date, weekday or weekend.