Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Monkswood, Hertfordshire
Wondering about the roof at a property in Monkswood? We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Monkswood and across Hertfordshire, with plain-English findings.
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Old water stains in the roof space
Pre-purchase roof survey in Monkswood
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. That’s when the findings are most useful, because nothing is binding yet. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when a sale is moving quickly. The report comes within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. We survey flat-roofed extensions and dormers, gutters and downpipes and natural slate, and people most often book us about gaps where slates or tiles have come loose and quick fixes on flashings and valleys.
Somewhere as small as Monkswood, older cottages, farmhouses and converted buildings often 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. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
We write the report in plain English, so you do not need to be a roofer to follow it. Photographs show what each point refers to, with the urgent items made clear.
- Where
- Monkswood (AL8, AL6, AL7)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Honest limits
Before booking, it is worth knowing what a survey won’t do:
- A structural engineer’s report
- Whether the price should change, which is between you and the seller
- Asbestos testing of any kind
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will tell you. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Natural slate
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
What we are asked to look at in Monkswood
Buildings put up or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. It’s often found in cement sheets, soffits and flue pipes. We do not test for it or carry out asbestos surveys, but we flag materials that might so a specialist asbestos surveyor can check before anything is disturbed.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
The streets around a church like The Parish Church of St John are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- What follow-up you get after the report
- What they will not be able to tell you
- Their insurance cover
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
Common questions in Monkswood
Is Monkswood within the area you cover?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one.
Is Monkswood in the area you cover?
We do. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It complements one rather than replacing it.
How long will you be at the property?
The visit usually takes about one to two hours for a house, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. We’ll give you an idea of timing when you book.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain is usually fine; heavy rain and wind are different. In strong wind or heavy rain, a drone can’t fly and access may not be safe, so we’d move the date with you.
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.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it is applicable. Whether we can fly on the day depends on the weather and the airspace rules, including flight restriction zones near airports. We are a CAA-registered drone operator.
Places near Monkswood
Other services in Monkswood
The survey, step by step
Where it is relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey typically takes an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. In a small place like Monkswood, access is normally the main thing to plan. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- We help you pick the package that suits the property.
- We agree a visit, including weekends if that helps.
- The coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are inspected and photographed.
- Standard and Premium surveys add the extra checks they include.
- We send the report with recommendations ranked by urgency, ready for you to discuss with the seller or agent.
Before we arrive
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Book a survey
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Related advice
Before and after the survey
Most of what helps is simple and safe from the ground. Our suggestions:
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Mention any deadline when you get in touch
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Arrange the survey as soon as your offer is agreed
It is worth sharing the report with your solicitor so questions can go to the seller’s solicitor. Past repairs, re-roofing and any records of that work are all fair questions, particularly where we’ve found patch repairs.
Chimneys and flashings need watching. Look for leaning pots, missing mortar and lifted lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
Why act early in Monkswood
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. In a small place like Monkswood, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and damp in older walls is slow to dry out.
To find out what your survey will cost, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and some details. We’ll confirm the figure before booking.
Why us?
- Surveys on any day of the week
- Plain-English reports with photos
- More than 20 years surveying roofs
- Customer satisfaction of 98%
See what a roof survey costs and two real surveys.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Monkswood
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, with the most urgent items set out first.
Where a roof is shared: access has to be agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Tell us about it when booking and we will plan the survey around it.
Pre-purchase roof surveys in Monkswood: local notes
Digswell House, about 0.1 miles south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Monkswood. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
For landlords with property near Welwyn North station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer.
Monkswood is about 2 miles north of Welwyn Garden City, in Hertfordshire. We survey roofs in Monkswood and the surrounding area across London and South East England. Across Hertfordshire, we cover Monkswood and the places around it. You can also see our page for London.
We cover every part of the AL8, AL6 and AL7 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys and the streets around it. Local streets include Digswell Park Road, Ingles and Uplands, and we cover them all. We also cover the places around Monkswood: Welwyn (1 mile north-west), Ayot Green (1 mile south-west), Ayot St Peter (2 miles west), Pottersheath (2 miles north) and Rableyheath (2 miles north). We also work in nearby towns such as Watford (14 miles south-west), Hemel Hempstead (12 miles south-west), Stevenage (6 miles north), St Albans (7 miles south-west), Harpenden (6 miles west) and Hitchin (9 miles north).
Near you in Monkswood
Around Monkswood, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Monk's Walk School, Danesbury Park and Hedgehog pub. Monkswood’s nearest station is Welwyn North station, roughly 0.6 miles north-east. A little further out are Queen Elizabeth II Hospital (2.7 miles south) and Howard Centre (1.3 miles south). Green spaces nearby include Tewin Orchard and Hopkyns Wood.