Essex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Purleigh, Essex
Find out what’s going on with the roof before you decide what to do next. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Purleigh.
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- Roof slopes that look uneven or sagging
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
Pre-purchase roof survey in Purleigh: what you get
We survey roofs for buyers in Purleigh and across London and South East England. From terraced and semi-detached homes to detached houses and flats, the roof gets the same careful look. The report says what’s in good order, what isn’t and what to deal with first. We are insured for professional indemnity and public liability, with more than 20 years’ experience behind us. To arrange a survey, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. If you’ve noticed gaps where slates or tiles have come loose and bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs, we can find out what’s behind it, on flat-roofed extensions and dormers, natural slate and clay and concrete tiles alike.
Older buildings in small places like Purleigh may be listed or in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. Whether you’re buying or signing off new roofing, it’s worth knowing where you stand, as well as what condition the roof is in. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
With the Standard Survey, you also get moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey adds thermal imaging, drone inspection where it applies, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Purleigh (CM3)
- Region
- Essex
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
From years of surveys, a few habits stand out:
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Do not leave it until just before exchange
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Let us know your timetable
With the findings in hand, you can talk to the seller or their agent. Some buyers ask for repairs before completion, others ask for a change to the price. The outcome is between you and the seller, and we cannot promise any result.
Keep the loft ventilated. Condensation in a roof space can look like a leak and can damage timbers over time. Keep insulation clear of eaves vents so air can move.
Your questions about pre-purchase roof surveys in Purleigh
Is the coastal weather around Purleigh hard on roofs?
Often, yes. Within about 3 miles of the sea, as Purleigh is, metal fixings wear faster and gales find any loose ridge or slate.
Do you cover smaller places like Purleigh?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
How long have you been surveying roofs?
We have completed more than 5,000 surveys, across 20+ years of surveying roofs, and 98% of clients are satisfied.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Visits run seven days a week in the daytime. Let us know your preferred days when you book.
Will you climb onto the roof?
Only where it is safe. Many roofs can be seen well from windows, vantage points and the loft, and a drone is part of the Premium Survey where applicable.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Our report may flag materials that could contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
At what stage of buying should I get the roof surveyed?
Once your offer has been accepted, and before exchange. That gives you time to use the findings, whether that means asking questions or negotiating.
Common roof problems in Purleigh
Buildings put up or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. It’s often found in cement sheets, soffits and flue pipes. We do not carry out asbestos surveys, but our report flags materials that could contain it and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before work starts.
Typical things we’re asked to look at include:
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
- Ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof
- A ridge or slope that dips
Take an older house close to Parish Church of All Saints: older patch repairs can hide behind a tidy front slope, and the survey looks past them.
Before booking anyone
- What the report includes, and whether it has photos
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Whether VAT is added on top
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
Towns and villages near Purleigh
What else we do in Purleigh
How the survey works
The aim of the visit is simple: to see as much of the roof as can safely be seen and record it clearly. Notes and photographs go into the written report. The visit normally takes about 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Somewhere like Purleigh needs a little journey planning: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller, including the loft.
- We start outside, looking at the roof from the ground and from vantage points.
- Inside, we check the loft space and look at the roof from windows.
- You get a report with photographs and recommendations before you exchange.
Before the survey
- Keep pets in another room
- If you’re buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
Book a survey
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply call 07833 053749 or email us whenever suits you.
Related advice
Roof by roof
Flat roofs
Repeated coatings on a flat roof can mask what’s underneath. We say when the covering would need opening up to know more.
Chimney stacks
We inspect the outside of the stack, not a flue, gas or sweep inspection. If a flue needs testing, we’ll suggest who to ask.
Purleigh homes and their roofs
Purleigh lies within about 3 miles of the sea, where wind off the sea can be strong. A small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind or a downpour, so the weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead. In Essex, older buildings are often clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, and plenty of post-war and modern estates besides. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest.
If you let a flat or house near North Fambridge station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer. Historic houses like Danbury Place, about 4.7 miles north-west, show how far back building around Purleigh goes. When you buy an older home, the roof’s age, past repairs and any listing all affect what you might spend later.
Purleigh is about 3 miles south of Maldon, in Essex. Roofs in Purleigh get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Essex. Purleigh is one of the places in Essex where we work. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
Every address in CM3 is covered for pre-purchase roof surveys. If you need a pre-purchase roof survey at a property on The Street, Pump Lane and Westerings or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Nearby, we also carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Howegreen (1 mile south), Rudley Green (1 mile north), Farther Howegreen (1 mile south), Great Canney (1 mile south) and Cold Norton (1 mile south-east). Further out, we also cover Chelmsford (8 miles north-west), Basildon (12 miles south-west), Braintree (14 miles north), Maldon (3 miles north), Canvey Island (12 miles south) and Billericay (11 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Purleigh
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Bell Public House, among other places. Purleigh’s nearest station is North Fambridge station, about 2.9 miles south of the centre. For a walk, there’s Stow Maries Halt.
What you can safely check yourself
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery. That is where a survey comes in, using safe viewpoints and a drone where it applies.
Your own check is a good start, but it is not a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
What a survey costs
All our prices include VAT. What changes the price is:
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- The height of the building and how the roof can safely be seen
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so the price reflects that. You will know the figure before booking.
Getting in touch
When you call or email, these details help:
- What’s prompted the survey
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- The kind of building and roof involved
- Any photos you have, taken from the ground or a window
You can call us seven days a week. To book or ask a question, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.