Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Little Almshoe
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Little Almshoe, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Get in touch for a price.
- Bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
What affects the price in Little Almshoe
We confirm the price for the job before booking. This is what makes a difference:
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
- The number of roofs, including extensions and garages
- Chimneys, valleys, parapets and other details
For a price for your roof in Little Almshoe, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and a few details. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Helping us price your survey
When you call or email, these details help:
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
- The property’s address and postcode
- Dates you’re working to, like exchange
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or send us an email when you are ready.
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Little Almshoe
A full home survey looks at the whole property, so the roof is one item among many. Our survey isn’t a RICS survey, and it doesn’t replace one. It adds a focused look at the roof on its own, with photographs of what we find and written recommendations. You can have both if you want the fullest picture. We survey natural slate, chimney stacks and lead flashings and valleys, and people most often book us about bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs and roof slopes that look uneven or sagging.
For a small place like Little Almshoe, the visit is planned like any other: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them as you book, so the visit can be planned around them. Whether you’re buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard in 24–48 hours and Premium the same day.
- Place
- Little Almshoe (SG4)
- Region
- Hertfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
The survey, step by step
We work from the outside in: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the roof space where it can be reached. In total, it takes about one to two hours for most houses, and more on a big or complicated roof. Older rural homes like those around Little Almshoe can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen.
- 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 ahead of time.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
How to prepare
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
Arrange a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine. To send them or to book, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Read more
Places near Little Almshoe
What else we do in Little Almshoe
Why get it checked now?
A mortgage valuation is not a roof survey. It looks at whether the property is suitable security for the loan, not at the condition of each slate and flashing. A roof survey is carried out for the buyer, and the report is written for you to use. Older cottages and farmhouses around Little Almshoe can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, and water through a failed covering can rot timber if it is left.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. Basic starts from £150, Standard from £250 and Premium from £400, VAT included, and we will tell you which fits.
Why us?
- Packages from £150, including VAT
- We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- An independent view of the roof
- Over 20 years’ experience
See how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Little Almshoe: local notes
If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Knebworth House, about 3.8 miles south-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Little Almshoe. Older homes in the wider area often have features worth a closer look, like lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
If you let a flat or house near Hitchin station, the roof is worth checking before you add another property to a portfolio or pay a roofer in full.
Little Almshoe is about 2 miles south of Hitchin, in Hertfordshire. Anywhere in Little Almshoe, we can carry out pre-purchase roof surveys at your property. Little Almshoe is one of the towns and villages in Hertfordshire where we work. Our Milton Keynes page covers surveys nearby.
All of SG4 is within our area for pre-purchase roof surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include St Ibbs (1 mile north), Sperberry Hill (1 mile north), St Ippolyts (1 mile north), Gosmore (1 mile north-west) and Poynders End (1 mile south-west). Further out, we also cover Hemel Hempstead (14 miles south-west), Stevenage (3 miles east), St Albans (12 miles south), Welwyn Garden City (9 miles south), Harpenden (8 miles south-west) and Hoddesdon (15 miles south-east).
What’s near Little Almshoe
We work in homes and buildings around The Rusty Gun pub, Hitchin Girls' School and Kingshott School, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Hitchin station, about 2.2 miles north of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Lister Hospital (2.1 miles east) and Wymondley Castle (1.9 miles north-east). For a walk, there is Purwell Ninesprings and Markham's Hill.
FAQs for Little Almshoe
Do you cover Little Almshoe?
Yes, Little Almshoe is within the area we cover. We work right across London and the South East. Just phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and let us know about the property, and we will talk through which survey suits.
Is my home in Little Almshoe listed or in a conservation area?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is 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.
How long does a pre-purchase roof survey take?
Allow about 1–2 hours for most houses; commercial roofs usually need 3–4 hours. We’ll give you an idea of timing as you book.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, like cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
Can I take the findings back to the seller?
Yes. The report sets out what we found, with photos, so you can raise them with the seller or their agent. How the seller responds is up to them.
What’s the best way to book?
Just ring 07833 053749 or email us. We will ask a few questions, confirm the price and agree a date, weekday or weekend.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Where it helps and the rules allow, yes. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Little Almshoe?
The fixings and underlay often fail before good slates or tiles do. Good slate can last well over a century, but corroded nails let slates slip. That kind of wear is common on older roofs and easy to miss from the ground.
People typically book a survey when they’ve noticed one of these:
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
The streets around a church like Church of St Ippolyts (church of England) are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Before you book anyone
- When you will get the report
- Is VAT included in the price?
- What they will not be able to tell you
- What exactly goes into their report
DIY checks: what’s safe
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date.
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. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Tips from our surveys
You don’t need to be a roofer to help. Here’s what helps most:
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
- Share the report with your solicitor
- For a flat, check who is responsible for the roof
It is worth sharing the report with your solicitor so questions can go to the seller’s solicitor. It can prompt questions about past roof work and any paperwork for it.
After strong winds, look at the roof from ground level. Pieces of slate or tile in the garden mean something has moved. Small repairs done quickly stop bigger problems later.