Essex · London and the South East
Little Bardfield Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Little Bardfield and the rest of Essex. Surveys run on any day of the week.
- Signs of past leaks inside the loft
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
About our pre-purchase roof survey in Little Bardfield
Some roofs can’t be seen well from ground level or from windows. Our Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and, where it applies, a drone inspection, and the report arrives the same day. If airspace rules or the weather rule out a flight, we’ll say so and look from the ground, windows and the loft instead. If you’ve noticed blocked or leaking gutters and signs of past leaks inside the loft, we can find out what’s behind it.
For a small place like Little Bardfield, the visit is planned like any other: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed beforehand. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them as you book. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Visits can be booked on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Where
- Little Bardfield (CM7)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What this survey can’t tell you
To be straight with you, a roof survey has limits:
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
What we look at
- Natural slate
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
The survey, step by step
Once we’ve finished looking, we write up our findings in a report with photographs, emailed to you. On timing, most surveys take about one to two hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. In a hamlet or village like Little Bardfield, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- Once your offer has been accepted, you book and give us the address and your timescale.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- We inspect the roof from ground level, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- Each part of the roof is examined and photographed.
- We email a written report with photos and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Before the survey
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
How to book
For a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Little Bardfield, 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
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Little Bardfield?
Asbestos was banned in UK construction in 1999. Cement roof sheets, soffits and flue pipes are typical places to find it. We do not carry out asbestos surveys, but we flag materials that might and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before work starts.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
Take an older house close to Church of St Katharine: ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Questions to ask before booking
- What follow-up you get after the report
- How soon the report will arrive
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- Whether the price includes VAT
Towns and villages near Little Bardfield
What else we do in Little Bardfield
What you can safely check yourself
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. From the ground, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
For landlords and managing agents
Surveys can also be booked by buyers’ agents acting for a client. Reports are emailed, so they’re easy to pass on, photographs included.
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed ahead of time. Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, which can make access easier.
Local roofs and buyers in Little Bardfield
The wider area around Little Bardfield has a long history of building, with Horham Hall about 4.5 miles west. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters. Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, alongside plenty of post-war and newer estates. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new.
Little Bardfield is about 6 miles north-east of Great Dunmow, in Essex. We cover Little Bardfield and the rest of Essex, as part of our work across London and South East England. Little Bardfield is one of the places in Essex where we work for pre-purchase roof surveys. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
Surveys in CM7 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Close by, we survey roofs in Great Bardfield (1 mile east), Finchingfield (2 miles north-east), Bardfield Saling (3 miles south-east), Wethersfield (3 miles east) and Crow's Green (4 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Chelmsford (15 miles south), Braintree (8 miles south-east), Witham (14 miles south-east), Saffron Walden (9 miles north-west), Halstead (10 miles east) and Great Dunmow (6 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Little Bardfield
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Bell Public House. Open spaces near Little Bardfield include West Wood.
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- How many separate roofs there are, like extensions, dormers and garages
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- The size of the roof
A Basic Survey starts from £150, including VAT. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both including VAT. We confirm the price for your survey before booking.
Getting in touch
A little information up front helps. It is useful to include:
- The address and postcode of the property
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- When you need the report by
To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Common questions in Little Bardfield
Is my home in Little Bardfield listed or in a conservation area?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you cover smaller places like Little Bardfield?
Yes, we do. We cover the whole of London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime, which suits people who work during the week. Just say which days work for you.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it applies and safe. We are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It’s included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where applicable, the Premium Survey.
Are you insured?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Ask if you need details for a managing agent or building owner.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but confirming it is a job for a specialist asbestos surveyor. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
When will the report arrive?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. We send it by email, with photos.