Essex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Shalford, Essex
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat across Shalford, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Call or email for a price.
- Worn or lifted lead flashings
- Gutters choked with leaves and moss
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Shalford
We survey roofs for buyers in Shalford and across London and the South East. From terraced and semi-detached homes to detached houses and flats, the roof gets the same careful look. We tell you what’s sound, what needs attention and how urgent it is. We’re insured for professional indemnity and public liability, with more than 20 years’ experience behind us. To book, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email. We are frequently asked to look into bitumen or mortar used in place of proper repairs and gaps where slates or tiles have come loose, on clay and concrete tiles, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and chimney stacks.
Some older homes in villages like Shalford are listed or sit in a conservation area. If so, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so check with the council before work starts. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it’s worth knowing which applies, as well as what condition the roof is in. There are about 500,000 listed buildings and around 10,000 conservation areas in England.
You can share the report with anyone who needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent.
- Location
- Shalford (CM7)
- Region
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Shalford questions
Do you cover Shalford?
Yes, Shalford is within the area we cover. We work right across London and South East England. You can call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and some details, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Shalford?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Can you survey in bad weather?
Light rain doesn’t typically stop a survey, 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 if conditions are not right we’ll arrange another day with you.
How do I book a survey in Shalford?
It’s easiest to ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. Give us the address and some details about the roof, and we’ll suggest the right survey. Surveys run on any day of the week.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it is applicable and safe, yes. We are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID), flying a sub-250g drone. It’s included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where applicable, the Premium Survey.
Can you survey at the weekend?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
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.
What we do, step by step
A survey visit follows a simple order: we hear what you’ve seen, inspect the roof from each safe vantage point, photograph what we find and make notes for the report. It typically takes about 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Somewhere as small as Shalford, access is often the only tricky part. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Visits can be on weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays.
- You choose a Basic, Standard or Premium Survey to suit the home you’re buying.
- A date is booked on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday.
- 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.
Preparing for the visit
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with the freeholder or managing agent
- Find any records of previous roof work
Getting a price
Booking is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email, tell us about the property and we will suggest the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Advice
Common roof problems in Shalford
Patch repairs are common on roofs of every age. Bitumen painted over a flashing, mortar where lead should be, or a few tiles that don’t match can point to a problem that keeps coming back. We note what we see so you can ask about it.
Problems we come across often include:
- Gaps where slates or tiles have come loose
- Flashings that have lifted or split
- Loose pots and cracked flaunching
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
For landlords with property near Braintree station, it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it.
Before booking anyone
- When you’ll get the report
- What experience they bring
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
For landlords and managing agents
If the property is let, the agent or a tenant can let us in, at a time agreed ahead of time. We survey seven days a week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
If you own several properties, you can book surveys for several addresses. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in Shalford
Listing and conservation areas can both shape what roof work is allowed on an older home. The council is the place to check, along with Historic England’s list, before anyone quotes for re-roofing. If the drone is used for your survey, the flight is checked against the Drone Safety Map first.
For an older house near a landmark such as Parish Church of St Andrew, the roof’s history matters as much as its looks, and a survey brings the past repairs to light.
Shalford is about 5 miles north-west of Braintree, in Essex. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Shalford for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings. We cover towns and villages across Essex, from the larger towns to small villages. Chelmsford is in our area too.
Here we cover the CM7 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Whether your property is on The Street, Wethersfield Road and Braintree Road or a nearby road, we can help. If you’re just outside Shalford, we cover Sand Hill (1 mile north), Church End (1 mile south), Beazley End (1 mile south-east), Almshouse Green (3 miles north-east) and Bocking Churchstreet (3 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Chelmsford (14 miles south), Braintree (5 miles south-east), Witham (11 miles south-east), Saffron Walden (12 miles north-west), Halstead (6 miles east) and Great Dunmow (7 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Shalford
We work in homes and buildings around The George Public House. Shalford’s nearest station is Braintree station, roughly 4.9 miles south-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Braintree Community Hospital (4.2 miles south).
Tips that help
Nothing here needs a ladder. Our suggestions:
- Mention any deadline when you get in touch
- Ask the agent to check the loft hatch can be opened
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
- Request records of any re-roofing
It’s worth sharing the report with your solicitor so they can raise enquiries with the seller’s side. It can prompt questions about past roof work and any paperwork for it, particularly where we have found patch repairs.
Keep the loft ventilated. Poor ventilation lets condensation build up, wetting timbers and insulation. Avoid packing insulation into the eaves so tightly that air cannot flow.
What a pre-purchase roof survey doesn’t cover
A survey is a close look at the roof, but it cannot do everything. Its limits include:
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
- How a seller will respond, or what the house is worth
- Walls, floors, services and rooms below the roof
If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer before you book. What our survey covers.
What we check
- Gutters and downpipes
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Chimney stacks
How the survey changes by roof type
Natural slate
Natural slate can last 100 years or more, yet the nails that fix it often give out first. When slates start to slip, corroded nails are often the reason, and we note how widespread it looks.
Gutters and parapets
Parapet and box gutters are hidden behind walls and can overflow inside. We check their linings and outlets from wherever is safe.