Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Leavesden, Hertfordshire
A careful look at the roof at your property in Leavesden, with photographs and a written report.
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
Pre-purchase roof survey in Leavesden: what you get
Buying a home is a big commitment, and the roof is one of the costliest parts to put right. A pre-purchase roof survey looks at it closely before you’re tied in. We check the slates or tiles, the ridges and valleys, the flashings, the chimneys and the gutters, and the loft space where it’s safe to get in. You get a written report with photos. If you’ve noticed patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem and standing water on a flat extension roof, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Around Leavesden, you’ll mostly find houses and bungalows of different ages. In older homes, the slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay holding them. For a purchase or a newly replaced roof, what’s under the coverings matters as much as what’s on top. Older roofs frequently have bitumen felt under the coverings, as breathable membranes only arrived in the late 1990s.
Report times depend on the survey you book: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Location
- Leavesden (WD25, WD5)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Leavesden questions
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Leavesden?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it’s in a conservation area. If a 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.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Leavesden?
Yes, Leavesden is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
When will the report arrive?
It depends on the package: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Let us know your exchange date and we will help you choose.
Do I need to be at home?
That depends on the survey. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access, while outside access can be discussed when you book.
How many surveys have you done?
We’ve been surveying roofs for over 20 years and have completed over 5,000 surveys.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That way you can still act on what we find.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
Allow an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. We’ll give you an idea of timing when you book.
When to book a survey in Leavesden
The fixings and underlay often fail before good slates or tiles do. Good slate can last well over a century, yet the nails holding it rust and let slates slide. That kind of wear is common on older roofs and easy to miss from the ground.
Common reasons to book include:
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
For landlords with property near Garston station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- What follow-up you get after the report
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- How long the report takes to arrive
What happens on the day
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof, but as a rough guide the survey takes about one to two hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. If you have questions on the day, just ask. For a survey in Leavesden, we agree the time, the access and parking before the day. Weekday and weekend visits are both possible. Tell us about any garages, outbuildings or extensions you want included.
- 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 roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Before the survey
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Tell us about parking before the day
Getting a price
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Read more
Tips from our surveys
There is plenty you can do without going near the roof. Here’s what helps most:
- Notice patches of new decoration in top-floor rooms
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
With the findings in hand, you can talk to the seller or their agent. You might ask for the work to be done before completion, or ask to adjust the price. The outcome is between you and the seller, and we can’t promise any result.
Once you’ve moved in, keep gutters, valleys and outlets clear, ideally once the leaves have dropped. Blocked gutters cause much of the damp we see. Use a gutter contractor rather than going up a ladder yourself.
Leavesden homes and their roofs
Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. For a purchase or a newly finished roof, the materials decide which details matter most. Historic houses such as High Elms Manor, about 0.4 miles north-east, show how far back building in the area around Leavesden goes. 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, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
Take an older house close to Church of All Saints: the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Leavesden is about 2 miles north of Watford, in Hertfordshire. We visit Leavesden as part of our work across Hertfordshire, for homes and businesses alike. We cover towns and villages across Hertfordshire, from the larger towns to small villages. There is also a page for London.
Surveys in WD25 and WD5 are booked the same way as anywhere else. That includes homes and businesses on Forest Road, Langley Lane and Sheepcot Lane. Leavesden sits on or near the A405, so getting to you is simple. If you’re just outside Leavesden, we cover Garston (1 mile south-east), Meriden (1 mile south-east), North Watford (2 miles south), Watford (2 miles south) and Aldenham (2 miles south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Hemel Hempstead (5 miles north-west), St Albans (5 miles north-east), Welwyn Garden City (11 miles north-east), Harpenden (9 miles north), Cheshunt (15 miles east) and Hatfield (8 miles north-east).
Local landmarks in Leavesden
We work in homes and buildings around Woodside Playing Fields and Francis Combe Academy and the streets around them. The closest station to Leavesden is Garston station, about 1 mile south-east. Other landmarks nearby include Hertfordshire Fire Brigade Museum (3.1 miles south) and Hilfield Castle (4.1 miles south-east). Open spaces near Leavesden include Longspring Wood and Verulamium Lake.
What a survey costs
Not every roof costs the same to survey, and it comes down to:
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package you pick makes a difference too. We’ll give you the figure before anything is booked.
Booking your survey
There’s no need for technical words. It’s enough to let us know:
- The reason for the survey, such as buying, a leak or storm damage
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- The property’s address and postcode
To book a survey, ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget.
Roof problems in a rented home affect tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work around your tenants.
More services for Leavesden
What we can’t see
This is not a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- Asbestos testing of any kind
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Structural calculations (that’s a structural engineer’s job)
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll tell you before you book. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Chimney stacks
- The roof space