Essex · London and the South East
Little Waltham Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Pre-purchase roof surveys across Little Waltham, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Little Waltham
A RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey covers the whole building, and the roof is only one part of it. We don’t offer a RICS home survey, and ours isn’t a substitute for one. What it adds is a closer look at the roof alone, with photos and written recommendations you can act on. You can have both. Typical surveys look at blocked or leaking gutters and old water stains in the roof space, on natural slate, the roof space and flat-roofed extensions and dormers.
Somewhere as small as Little Waltham, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings frequently sit beside a few newer homes. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. Each covering has its own weak points, whether the roof is old or newly laid, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. What’s under the coverings, from old felt to the battens and nails, matters too.
You receive the findings by email, ready to forward to whoever needs them. Basic reports come within 48 hours, Standard within 24–48 hours and Premium on the day.
- Where
- Little Waltham (CM3)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What a survey costs
The price reflects the time and kit the roof needs. That comes down to:
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Whether it is a home or a commercial building
- Whether thermal imaging or a drone is needed
All our prices include VAT. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. You’ll know the price for the job before you book.
Getting in touch
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- Where any leaks, stains or damp patches show inside
- What kind of property and roof it is
- What made you get in touch
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply call 07833 053749 or use the contact form whenever suits you.
Practical tips
Getting the most from a pre-purchase roof survey starts before we arrive and carries on afterwards. Tips:
- Let us know your timetable
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
- Check we will be able to get into the roof space
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
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. What happens next is your decision and the seller’s, and we can’t promise any result.
Don’t block the vents at the eaves. Condensation in a roof space can look like a leak and can damage timbers over time. Avoid packing insulation into the eaves so tightly that air cannot flow.
Signs you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Little Waltham
Blocked or leaking gutters do damage that is not obvious at first. Overflowing water soaks walls and can rot the timber behind. Valley and parapet gutters can overflow inside the house. We check them as part of the survey.
Things that frequently lead to a survey include:
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
If you let a flat or house 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
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Whether VAT is in the quoted price
- Whether the loft space is looked at, where there is one
What we do, step by step
The visit has one job: to look at the roof as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It usually takes about 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Somewhere like Little Waltham needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- Once your offer is accepted, you let us know 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.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
How to prepare
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Let us know about parking before the day
Getting a price
To book a survey, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address and what you’d like to know about the roof. You will know the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
Towns and villages near Little Waltham
Other services in Little Waltham
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Little Waltham
Older buildings may be listed or sit in a conservation area. To find out, check Historic England’s list and ask the council about conservation areas. In either case, a change of roofing material may need consent. Weatherboarded walls and clay tile roofs are typical of older Essex buildings, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new.
The streets around a church such as Little Waltham United Reformed Church are often among the oldest in a place, and if you own one of the older houses nearby, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
Little Waltham is about 4 miles north of Chelmsford, in Essex. We visit Little Waltham as part of our work across Essex, for homes and businesses alike. We cover towns and villages across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages.
We cover every part of CM3 for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on The Street, Sorrell Close and Chapel Drive and the roads around them. Other places close to Little Waltham include Minnow End (1 mile west), Great Waltham (1 mile north-west), Breeds (1 mile west), Broomfield (1 mile south) and Chignall Smealy (3 miles west). Larger places within reach include Chelmsford (4 miles south), Basildon (15 miles south), Braintree (7 miles north-east), Brentwood (13 miles south-west), Maldon (10 miles south-east) and Billericay (11 miles south).
Local landmarks in Little Waltham
We work in homes and buildings around White Hart Inn and the streets around them. The closest station to Little Waltham is Beaulieu Park station, roughly 2.8 miles south-east of the centre. A little further out are Peter Edwards Museum And Library (3.9 miles south) and Broomfield Hospital (1 mile south-west). Open spaces near Little Waltham include Little Waltham Meadows.
Little Waltham: your questions answered
Will you come out to Little Waltham?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We survey roofs across London and the South East. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Little Waltham?
Yes. Our area covers London and South East England, and Little Waltham is part of that. You can phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a few details.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. You need the report before you exchange, because after that the roof is yours to deal with.
Do you survey on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day. Just say which days work for you.
Are you insured?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
How quickly will I get the report?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. Reports are emailed, with photographs.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
Over 5,000 surveys so far, over more than 20 years, and 98% of clients are satisfied.
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
For blocks of flats, a roof survey helps managing agents and residents’ management companies plan ahead. Recommendations are set out by urgency where it matters, which helps with budgets and planning.
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords, including offices, shops and units. Bigger roofs take more time, so they’re priced to suit.
DIY checks: what’s safe
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 don’t climb up for a closer look.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.