Essex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in Shelley, Essex
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Shelley, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. Every survey comes with a written report and photographs.
- Standing water on a flat extension roof
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
The survey, step by step
Before we start, tell us why you’ve booked: a purchase, a leak, a storm, new work or simply peace of mind. That way we can focus on what matters to you. The visit normally takes about 1–2 hours at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. For a village or hamlet like Shelley, the journey is planned beforehand: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- Once your offer is accepted, you let us know 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 the ground and from vantage points.
- Inside, we check the roof space and look at the roof from windows.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
How to prepare
- Keep pets in another room
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
- Tell us about any leaks, stains or damp patches you know of
How to book
To book a survey, call 07833 053749 or email us and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. You’ll know the price before anything is booked.
Advice
How a pre-purchase roof survey works in Shelley
With a written roof report, you can go back to the seller or agent with specifics. You can ask about the roof’s history, ask for repairs before completion or rethink the price. What the seller agrees to is up to them, but you’ll be asking from facts rather than guesses. It also helps you decide whether to go ahead at all. We survey clay and concrete tiles, flat-roofed extensions and dormers and gutters and downpipes, and common reasons people get in touch are blocked or leaking gutters and flashings that have lifted or split.
For a small place like Shelley, the visit is planned like any other: it just means planning the journey and access beforehand. If there are outbuildings with roofs you want checked, mention them when booking. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
It is not only a list of defects. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend.
- Place
- Shelley (CM5)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
What this survey can’t tell you
Every survey has limits, and it is better to know them up front. Bear these in mind:
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
- A valuation or a promise of a lower price
- Structural calculations (that is a structural engineer’s job)
If you are not sure which survey you need, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer before booking. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Lead flashings and valleys
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Gutters and downpipes
- The roof space
Shelley questions
How do I find out if my home in Shelley is listed?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.
Is Shelley within the area you cover?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and the South East, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
That depends on the survey. For inside areas and the loft space, someone has to give us access, while outside access can be discussed when booking.
When will the report arrive?
It depends on the package: Basic within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. Let us know your exchange date and we will help you choose.
Do I need a roof survey if I’m having a RICS survey?
That depends on how much you want to know about the roof. Home surveys sometimes suggest a closer look at the roof, and that is where a roof survey helps. It is not a replacement for a RICS survey.
Is this the same as a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building, and it’s not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. It works alongside a home survey.
Are you insured?
We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, for every survey we carry out.
Tips from our surveys
Most of what helps is simple and safe from the ground. Our suggestions:
- Book once your offer is accepted
- Find out whether the roof has been replaced or patched
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
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.
Look in the loft now and then, with care and a good torch. Watch for stains, damp timbers and chinks of daylight. Photos help if you later need a roofer or another survey.
Nearby places to Shelley
Other services in Shelley
Do you need a pre-purchase roof survey in Shelley?
The fixings and underlay often fail before good slates or tiles do. Good slate can last well over a century, but corroded nails let slates slip. It’s a frequent finding on older houses.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Sagging ridge lines or uneven roof slopes
- Blocked or leaking gutters
- Quick fixes on flashings and valleys
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Church of St Peter, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are.
Questions to ask before you book
- What insurance they carry
- Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
- Is VAT included in the price?
- Their track record with similar roofs
Shelley homes and their roofs
In Essex, older buildings are frequently clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, alongside plenty of post-war and newer estates. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about. Hill Hall, about 4.8 miles south-west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Shelley. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Shelley is about 7 miles south-east of Harlow, in Essex. Wherever you are in Shelley, we can come and survey your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Across Essex, we cover Shelley and the places around it. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
Surveys in CM5 are booked the same way as anywhere else. Streets in the area include St Peter's Avenue, Bewlay Close and Queensway, and we cover them all. We also cover Chipping Ongar (1 mile south), Greensted (1 mile south-west), High Ongar (1 mile south-east), Bobbingworth (1 mile north-west) and Greensted Green (2 miles west). We also work in nearby towns such as Chelmsford (11 miles east), Basildon (14 miles south-east), Harlow (7 miles north-west), Brentwood (7 miles south-east), Billericay (10 miles south-east) and Loughton (9 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Shelley
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Ongar Academy and The Cock Tavern, among other places. Well-known places in the area include Willingale Doe (4 miles north-east) and St. Margaret's Hospital (5.1 miles west). For a walk, there’s Gernon Bushes.
What affects the cost of pre-purchase roof surveys
All our prices include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- The shape of the roof and its details
- The size of the roof
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
Prices quoted always include VAT, and the report isn’t charged as an extra. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. Size, height and access decide where your roof falls.
Getting in touch
If you can, have these to hand when you contact us:
- Anything about access we should know
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- When you need the report by
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
Not sure which survey you need? It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or drop us an email and describe the roof and why you want it surveyed. We’ll talk you through the options and what they cost.
What you can safely check yourself
A lot can be seen from ground level. Binoculars help you spot slipped slates or tiles, gaps along the ridge and a leaning stack. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from ground level: pieces of tile or slate on the ground, a gap in the ridge or a lifted flashing are all worth noting. Don’t go up yourself.