Essex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Shotgate
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in Shotgate. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Damp timbers or stains in the loft
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
Pre-purchase roof survey in Shotgate: what you get
A Basic Survey starts from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, with VAT included. The Standard Survey adds moisture detection and a structural check. Premium goes further, with thermal imaging, a drone where it applies and a same-day report. Choose the level that suits the home you are buying. All three include a report with photographs and recommendations. Typical surveys look at quick fixes on flashings and valleys and blocked or leaking gutters, across flat-roofed extensions and dormers, gutters and downpipes and natural slate.
For a small place like Shotgate, the visit is planned like any other: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed ahead of time. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when booking, so the visit can be planned around them. Buyers and owners of new roofs get the same approach as anywhere. Visits can be booked seven days a week.
Every survey ends with a written report, with photographs, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the roof, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Where
- Shotgate (SS11, SS12)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
DIY checks: what’s safe
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Keep a simple record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry.
Tips from our surveys
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Mention any deadline when you contact us
- Don’t leave it until just before exchange
- Check we’ll be able to get into the roof space
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
After you move in, keep the report somewhere safe. Work through the urgent items before anything else, and keep the photographs to compare against later. The Premium Survey includes a 12-month follow-up.
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.
FAQs for Shotgate
How do I find out if my home in Shotgate is listed?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. 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.
Do you carry out roof surveys in Shotgate?
Yes, Shotgate is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Are you insured?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain is normally fine; heavy rain and wind are different. In strong wind or heavy rain, a drone can’t fly and access may not be safe, and we’d agree another day.
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, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We are a CAA-registered drone operator.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys can be booked for any day of the week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you when booking.
How quickly will I get the report?
The Premium Survey has a same-day report, Standard 24 to 48 hours and Basic within 48 hours. Reports are emailed, with photographs.
What affects the price in Shotgate
Not every roof costs the same to survey, and it comes down to:
- How many separate roofs there are, like extensions, dormers and garages
- The package you choose: Basic, Standard or Premium
- House, block, shop or office
- Roof area
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package matters as well. The price is always agreed first.
Helping us price your survey
The more you tell us, the easier it is to price the survey. When you contact us, let us know:
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from ground level or a window
- What’s prompted the survey
- Anything about access we should know
- Any deadline, such as an exchange date
When you’re ready to go ahead, phone 07833 053749 or email us. From there it is a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
How the survey works
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. All in, the survey normally takes about 1–2 hours at the house you’re buying, depending on its size and how much of the roof can be seen. Somewhere as small as Shotgate, 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.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed beforehand.
- 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.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
- Check we can get to the back of the property
Book a survey
We confirm the price for your survey before booking, so you know where you stand. Pre-purchase roof survey starts from £150, including VAT. To book, call 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Related advice
Buying a home or a new roof in Shotgate
Older buildings in Essex often have clay tiles and weatherboarding, with post-war and more recent estates making up much of the newer housing. Each material has its own typical faults, which is what a buyer or the owner of a new roof needs to know about. If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying.
If your house is among the older ones in the streets near Church of St Nicholas, the roof may have had decades of patch repairs, and the survey shows where they are. Landlords with a home close to Battlesbridge station may find that a written report helps before buying a rental or paying for a new roof on one.
Shotgate is about 1 mile east of Wickford, in Essex. Shotgate gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a close look at what can be seen safely, photographs and a clear written report. Shotgate is one of the places in Essex we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys. There’s also a page for Chelmsford.
Here we cover the SS11 and SS12 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Whether your property is on Third Avenue, First Avenue and Second Avenue or a nearby road, we can survey it. If you’re just outside Shotgate, we cover Rawreth (1 mile east), Wickford (1 mile west), Battlesbridge (1 mile north-east), Runwell (2 miles north-west) and Brock Hill (3 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover Chelmsford (9 miles north), Basildon (5 miles south-west), Brentwood (11 miles west), Maldon (10 miles north-east), Canvey Island (6 miles south) and Billericay (6 miles west).
Local landmarks in Shotgate
In Shotgate, that means homes and buildings near Hilltop Infant School, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Battlesbridge station, about 1.3 miles north-east. A little further out are Basildon University Hospital (5.5 miles south-west) and Battlesbridge Motorcycle Museum (1.3 miles north-east). Not far away are Shotgate Thickets.
Why it’s worth a survey now in Shotgate
Small roof defects let water in slowly. By the time a stain shows, timber or plaster may already be damp. Finding the cause at the survey stage means you know about it from day one. Matching old materials, such as handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before booking.
Why us?
- A sub-250g drone, flown with a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- 98% of clients satisfied
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
- Independent findings on the roof’s condition
Take a look at our cost guide and what we found on two real jobs.
Also near Shotgate
More services for Shotgate
Honest limits
It is a careful look at the roof, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- The condition of the rest of the house (that’s a RICS home survey)
- What’s under the slates, tiles or felt
- Whether materials contain asbestos (that needs a specialist asbestos surveyor)
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or email us and we will suggest the right survey before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Flat-roofed extensions and dormers
- Lead flashings and valleys
- The roof space
- Natural slate
- Chimney stacks
- Clay and concrete tiles
- Gutters and downpipes