Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Long Marston, Hertfordshire
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Long Marston and the rest of Hertfordshire. Surveys run seven days a week.
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
Pre-purchase roof survey in Long Marston
A Basic Survey starts from £150, with the Standard Survey from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400, all inc. VAT. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check. Premium adds thermal imaging, a drone inspection where it applies and an in-person consultation. Pick the one that fits the property. All three include a photo-illustrated written report and recommendations. We survey lead flashings and valleys, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and clay and concrete tiles, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are slipped or missing slates and tiles and gutters that overflow or drip at the joints.
In a village or hamlet like Long Marston, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Village roofs can be clay tile, slate, stone or even thatch on some older buildings. Whether you’re buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks, 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.
The report is written in plain words, so you do not need to be a roofer to follow it. Each point is backed by a photograph where possible, with the urgent items made clear.
- Place
- Long Marston (HP23)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Buying a home or a new roof in Long Marston
Older houses in the South East often have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. Material and age explain a lot of what turns up on the day, whether the roof is old or brand new. With Ascott House about 4.3 miles north, Long Marston sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
If you let a flat or house near Cheddington station, a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Long Marston is about 5 miles east of Aylesbury, in Hertfordshire. We survey roofs in Long Marston and the rest of Hertfordshire. Our area takes in places right across Hertfordshire, from the larger towns to small villages. There is also a page for Milton Keynes.
Here we cover the HP23 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. You will find streets like Station Road, Chapel Lane and Bromley. Close by, we survey roofs in Astrope (1 mile south), Puttenham (1 mile south-west), Buckland (2 miles south), Aston Clinton (2 miles south-west) and Wingrave (3 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Hemel Hempstead (12 miles south-east), Harpenden (15 miles east), Berkhamsted (7 miles south-east), Tring (3 miles south-east), Chorleywood (15 miles south-east) and Grovehill (11 miles south-east).
Around Long Marston
The closest station to Long Marston is Cheddington station, roughly 2.4 miles north-east. A little further out are Tindal Centre (4.4 miles west) and Pitstone Green Museum (2.6 miles east). Open spaces near Long Marston include Ivinghoe Beacon and College Lake nature reserve.
Checking the roof from ground level
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are frequently out of sight, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
How it works
Every roof is different, but as a rough guide the survey takes about 1–2 hours at most homes, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. You are welcome to ask questions while we are there. In a hamlet or village like Long Marston, a postcode does not always lead to the right gate, so a few directions, or a note of a nearby landmark, help us arrive on time. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- We inspect and photograph every part of the roof we can safely see.
- Moisture detection, structural checks, thermal imaging or a drone are added where your package includes them.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Before the survey
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- Let us know where we can park nearby
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
How to book
Not sure which survey you need? The easiest way is to call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
Advice
Roof by roof
Clay and concrete tiles
Concrete interlocking tiles are common on post-war and newer homes. They wear slowly, but surfaces erode and edges crack, and low-pitched roofs need their laps to be right.
Lead flashings and valleys
Many leaks start at a flashing, so they get close attention in a pre-purchase survey. We photograph any that need work.
Also in Long Marston
When you need someone else
In fairness, there are limits to any roof survey:
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll tell you. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Natural slate
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
Questions from Long Marston
Is Long Marston in the area you cover?
Yes. We survey roofs across London and the South East, and Long Marston is part of that. Just call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and let us know about the property, and we will talk through which survey suits.
How do I find out if my home in Long Marston is listed?
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. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Does your survey replace a RICS home survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it is not a RICS home survey. It complements one rather than replacing it.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That gives you time to use the findings, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
Do you need access inside the house?
Where possible, yes. The loft tells us a lot about the roof, and views from upper windows help too. The agent or seller can arrange entry.
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and sampling aren’t something we do. The report may flag materials that could contain asbestos on buildings built or refurbished before 2000, with a recommendation to have a specialist asbestos surveyor check before it is disturbed.
Why get it checked now?
It is tempting to skip the roof to keep a sale moving. Weekend visits are available as well as weekdays, and a Premium report comes the same day, which helps it fit around your exchange date. Older cottages and farmhouses around Long Marston can have roof timbers that have been there a very long time, where water from a failed roof can cause rot if it is left.
A Basic Survey starts from £150, including VAT. The Standard Survey starts from £250 and the Premium Survey from £400. You’ll know the price for your survey before booking.
Why us?
- Professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
- Surveys on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
Read what a roof survey costs or our case studies.
What we’re asked to look at in Long Marston
Patch repairs are common on roofs of every age. Bitumen painted over a flashing, mortar where lead should be, or a few tiles that do not match can point to a problem that keeps coming back. Our report records them so you can ask the seller what was done and when.
A survey can pick up problems such as:
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Church of All Saints (Church of England), ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Questions to ask before you book
- What the survey will not cover
- What exactly goes into their report
- Are they insured for the work?
- Whether VAT is added on top