Essex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Marks Gate, Essex
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat for Marks Gate and the rest of Essex. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends.
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
Pre-purchase roof survey in Marks Gate
Some roofs can’t be seen well from the ground or from windows. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, plus a drone inspection where it applies, and the report arrives the same day. Where a flight is not possible, because of airspace rules or the weather, we tell you and inspect from every other safe vantage point. If you’ve noticed lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney and loose pots and cracked flaunching, we can find out what’s behind it, on clay and concrete tiles, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and lead flashings and valleys alike.
In a village or hamlet like Marks Gate, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. 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. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
The report works through the roof section by section, from the main slopes down to the gutters and outlets, each with a short note and a photo. It records what’s sound as well as what isn’t.
- Place
- Marks Gate (RM7, RM5, RM6)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Marks Gate homes and their roofs
If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first. 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. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about.
With Hare Hall about 2.8 miles east, the area around Marks Gate has a long history. If you are buying an older home nearby, it is worth knowing whether it is listed or in a conservation area before you plan any re-roofing. The streets around a church like St Mark's are often among the oldest in a place, and if your house is among the older ones nearby, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs frequently have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges. If you let a flat or house near Chadwell Heath station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Marks Gate is about 2 miles north-west of Romford, in Essex. We survey roofs in Marks Gate and the rest of Essex, as part of our work across London and South East England. Our Essex coverage includes Marks Gate. We also survey roofs in London.
Postcode districts we cover here for pre-purchase roof surveys: RM7, RM5 and RM6. Whether your property is on Walton Road, Hamlet Road and Hog Hill Road or a nearby road, we can help. Marks Gate sits on or near the A1112, which makes travel easy. We also cover the places around Marks Gate: Chadwell Heath (1 mile south), Little Heath (1 mile south-west), Collier Row (1 mile east), Rise Park (2 miles east) and Romford (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Basildon (14 miles east), Harlow (12 miles north), Brentwood (7 miles east), Billericay (12 miles east), Loughton (5 miles north-west) and Waltham Abbey (9 miles north-west).
What’s near Marks Gate
Around Marks Gate, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Warren School, Fairlop Waters and Colley Rowe Inn. The closest station to Marks Gate is Chadwell Heath station, about 1.9 miles south. Nearby you will also find Redbridge Museum (3.8 miles south-west) and Romford Shopping Hall (1.8 miles south-east). For a walk, there’s Hainault Lodge.
Different roofs, different checks
Chimney stacks
Our chimney check is a visual one, and it is not a flue or gas safety check. If a flue needs testing, we will suggest who to ask.
Clay and concrete tiles
Many post-war houses have concrete interlocking tiles. They’re heavy and hard-wearing, but they weather and can crack, and low-pitched roofs need their laps to be right.
Useful tips for Marks Gate property owners
Nothing here needs a ladder. Our suggestions:
- Tell us your exchange date when booking
- Look for fresh paint on upstairs ceilings at viewings
- Ask for loft access on the day
- Ask whether there are papers for past roof work
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.
Every so often, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Watch for stains, damp timbers and chinks of daylight. Take photos so you can show whoever looks at it.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Marks Gate
Will you come out to Marks Gate?
Yes, Marks Gate is covered. Our area covers London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it is useful to know about access.
How do I find out if my home in Marks Gate is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Do you need access inside the house?
Ideally, yes. We look in the loft space where there’s safe access, and views from upper windows help too. Access is normally arranged through the agent or seller.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain is normally fine; heavy rain and wind are different. Strong wind or a downpour can make access unsafe and ground a drone, and we’d agree another day.
What insurance do you have?
Our cover is professional indemnity plus public liability, and details are available on request.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning. Tell us about it as you book and we’ll explain what’s needed.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. It’s a dedicated roof survey, and you get a written report with photos. It doesn’t cover the rest of the property, which a RICS survey does.
Leave it or get it looked at?
After exchange, any roof defect is yours to deal with. Before then, you can still ask questions, ask for work to be done or reconsider. Finding out later gives you the same facts, but with far less room to act on them. Where a roof is exposed, as many are in small places like Marks Gate, driving rain gets into any weakness, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
Price depends partly on the package: from £150 for Basic, £250 for Standard and £400 for Premium, inc. VAT. Size, height and access can affect the price too.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Marks Gate
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Visits on any day of the week
- 20+ years’ experience
- Clear package prices, with VAT included
Read how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
How it works
It helps to start with what’s prompted the survey: buying, a leak, storm damage, new work or just wanting to know where things stand. That way we can focus on what matters to you. The visit usually takes roughly 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Rural addresses near Marks Gate can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. After that, the survey runs as it would anywhere.
- 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.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from ground level and from vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it is safe.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations before you exchange.
Before we arrive
- Find any records of previous roof work
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- If you are buying, check with the agent that we can get in
How to book
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from ground level or a window, and please do not climb up for a closer look. To send them or to book, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Surveys for landlords and agents in Marks Gate
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed in advance. We survey on weekdays and at weekends, which can make access easier.
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.
Checking the roof from the ground
You can learn a lot from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.