Greater London · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Monkhams
Pre-purchase roof surveys across Monkhams, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Slates or tiles that have slipped or gone
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
Pre-purchase roof survey in Monkhams
Our packages start with the Basic Survey from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, including 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. Every package comes with a written report, photos and recommendations. We survey lead flashings and valleys, the roof space and chimney stacks, and people most frequently book us about roof slopes that look uneven or sagging and cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing.
Many London homes have been converted into flats, extended at the back or given a loft conversion with a dormer. Every alteration brings new junctions, flashings and flat-roof areas to look at. For a purchase in Monkhams, or for new roofing work there, those junctions deserve a close look. Lead work around dormers and new flat roofs is easy to get wrong and easy to miss.
Where we can’t see part of the roof, the report says so. You will know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t, and what we’d suggest next.
- Where
- Monkhams (IG8, IG9, E4)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What this survey cannot tell you
It is a careful look at the roof, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- Defects hidden under coverings or inside walls without opening up
- Anything beyond the roof, which a full home survey covers
If you’re not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will give you a straight answer before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What we look at
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- The roof space
- Gutters and downpipes
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
Local roofs and buyers in Monkhams
Where the drone is part of the survey, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Historic houses such as Valentines Mansion, about 3.6 miles south-east, show how far back building in the area around Monkhams goes. 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.
Controlled parking zones are common in London, so mention any permit rules for Monkhams, along with any off-street space. If you let a flat or house near Highams Park station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Monkhams is about 1 mile north of Woodford, in Greater London. Monkhams gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a close look at what can be seen safely, photos and a clear written report. Our area takes in places right across Greater London. You can also see our page for London.
Surveys in IG8, IG9 and E4 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We offer pre-purchase roof surveys to properties on Oak Lane, Wood Lane and Mill Lane and the roads around them. Being close to the A121, Monkhams is simple for us to get to. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Woodford Wells (1 mile east), Friday Hill (1 mile west), Woodford (1 mile south), Buckhurst Hill (1 mile north-east) and Chingford Hatch (1 mile west). Within a short drive, we also cover London (10 miles south-west), City of Westminster (10 miles south-west), Marylebone (10 miles south-west), Kensington (13 miles south-west), St Pancras (9 miles south-west) and Shoreditch (8 miles south-west).
Around Monkhams
Typical jobs here are in homes near Woodford Green Preparatory School, The Highams Park and Trinity Catholic High School. The closest station to Monkhams is Highams Park station, roughly 1.2 miles south-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include The Epping Forest Museum (1.3 miles north) and Claybury Hospital (2.1 miles south-east). Not far away are Highams Park Lake and Pole Hill.
Checking the roof from ground level
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.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and a fall can be serious. That part is for a survey, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
Tips that help
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Mention any deadline when you get in touch
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
After you move in, keep the report somewhere safe. Deal with the urgent items first, and use the photos as a record of how the roof looked when you bought. Premium comes with a follow-up after 12 months.
Every so frequently, check the loft with a torch, keeping to boarded areas. Damp patches, daylight through the roof or water stains on timbers are worth noting. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
Places near Monkhams
More services for Monkhams
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Freeholders and residents’ companies use a roof report to plan and budget, with the most urgent items set out first.
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, with the report sent to whoever needs it. Access is agreed with the tenant ahead of time.
What happens on the day
After the inspection, everything we found is written up as a report with photographs. On timing, most surveys take an hour or two at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. In Monkhams, visits are available on weekdays and at weekends. It helps if you can point us to a visitor permit or a nearby bay, and to clear a path to the loft hatch. Upstairs rooms at the back are useful too, as they frequently give the best view of a rear addition.
- You get in touch after your offer is agreed, with the address and your target exchange date.
- Access is arranged through you, the agent or the seller.
- We inspect the roof from the ground, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- We check and photograph the slates or tiles, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters.
- We email a written report with photos and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Getting ready for the survey
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- If it isn’t your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Book a survey
Getting a price is simple: just call 07833 053749 or email us and give us a few details about the property and we will explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
What we are asked to look at in Monkhams
Slates and tiles can outlast the nails, battens and underlay that hold them. Natural slate can last 100 years or more, but corroded nails let slates slip. It’s a frequent finding on older houses and easy to miss from the ground.
Problems we come across frequently include:
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near All Saints' Church, older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Questions to ask before booking
- Which limits apply to the survey
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Whether you get a written report with photos
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Monkhams
Is drone flying allowed in Monkhams?
That depends on where the roof is and on the weather. London’s airspace includes flight restriction zones around Heathrow, London City Airport and London Heliport, and restricted areas over Hyde Park, the City of London and the Isle of Dogs. Each address is checked against all of them before the drone goes up. Every flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first, including zones around airports and prisons. High wind or heavy rain also stops a small drone flying.
Is parking a problem for a survey in Monkhams?
London parking needs a little planning, so let us know about permits, bays or a driveway when booking. The visit is then planned around what’s available.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
Book as soon as your offer is agreed. The report is most useful before exchange, while you can still ask questions and negotiate.
When will the report arrive?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. Reports are emailed with photos included.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
They do different things. A home survey looks at the whole property, while ours looks only at the roof, in more detail. Ours sits alongside a RICS survey rather than replacing it.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. To arrange a date, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Does the weather affect the survey?
A survey can normally go ahead in light rain, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Heavy rain or strong wind can ground a drone and make the roof unsafe, so we’ll agree a new date if the weather isn’t suitable.