Essex · London and the South East
Pre-purchase roof survey in The Common, Essex
Know where you stand with the roof before you decide what to do next. Pre-purchase roof surveys in The Common.
- Lead that has worked loose at a wall or chimney
- A ridge or slope that dips
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
Tips that help
There’s plenty you can do without going near the roof. What helps most:
- Pass the findings to your conveyancer
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Tell us your exchange date when booking
- Request records of any re-roofing
If the report shows work is needed, you can raise it with the seller or agent. You might ask for the work to be done before completion, or ask to adjust the price. The outcome is between you and the seller, and we can’t promise any result.
Check the roof from the garden and the street after a storm. Slipped slates, lifted ridge tiles and debris on the ground are signs to act on. Dealing with them early keeps water out.
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in The Common
A Basic Survey starts from £150, while Standard starts from £250 and Premium from £400, inc. VAT. 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’re buying. Every package comes with a written report, photos and recommendations. If you are worried about blocked or leaking gutters and patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem, we can find out what’s behind it.
In a village or hamlet like The Common, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses alongside a few newer houses. Older roofs there may have clay tiles, slate, stone or, in some places, thatch. Whether you are buying or have just had a roof replaced, each material has its own checks, and thatch is a specialist material, so we report on what can be seen. Older roofs may also have old felt underlay or none, and fixings that have done a long stint.
How fast the report arrives depends on the package: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Place
- The Common (CB10)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What affects the price in The Common
Survey packages start from £150, inc. VAT. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- The size of the roof
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- Whether you choose the Basic, Standard or Premium Survey
- Whether it’s a home or a commercial building
The Premium Survey includes thermal imaging and drone inspection where applicable, from £400 with VAT included. We’ll tell you which package suits the questions you have.
What to let us know when you contact us
Before you get in touch, it is useful to have:
- Anything about access we should know
- Your timetable, such as an exchange date
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
- The kind of building and roof involved
We confirm the price for your roof before booking, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Also near The Common
More services for The Common
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
Landlords, agents and building managers in The Common and across Essex can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait, which helps with budgets and planning.
Checking the roof from the ground
You can learn a lot from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Photograph them and note the date.
The Common questions
Will you come out to The Common?
Yes, we do. We survey roofs across London and the South East, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Do you carry out roof surveys in The Common?
Yes, The Common is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photos.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey seven days a week: weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Just let us know the days that suit you.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning, with the building owner or managing agent. Let us know about it as you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
What insurance do you have?
Our surveys are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance. If you need details for a managing agent or a building owner, just ask.
Do I need to be at home?
Not always. If we only need the outside, we can agree that beforehand, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
When should I book a pre-purchase roof survey?
After your offer is accepted and before you exchange contracts. That gives you time to use the findings.
Roof by roof
Clay and concrete tiles
Clay plain tiles are common on older South East homes, and some still have peg tiles. Where pegs have rotted, tiles can slip, so we look for gaps along the courses.
Chimney stacks
A stack stands exposed above the roof line. We check the pots, the flaunching, the pointing and the flashings, as far as we can see them safely.
What happens on the day
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof; as a rough guide, the survey takes an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. You’re welcome to ask questions while we’re there. Around The Common, older homes can have small or awkward roof spaces, so it’s useful to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- You book once your offer is accepted and let us know the address and your timetable.
- We arrange access with you, the agent or the seller.
- We inspect the roof from the ground, windows, the loft and the roof itself where it is safe.
- Coverings, ridges, valleys, flashings, chimneys and gutters are checked and photographed.
- We email a report with photographs and recommendations, ready for you to use before exchange.
Preparing for the visit
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
- Gather any invoices or paperwork from past roof work
- Let us know about parking near the property
Arrange a survey
Photos help, if you have them. Take them safely from the ground or a window; never climb up to get a better view. To get started, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Related advice
The Common homes and their roofs
If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Clay tiles and timber weatherboarding mark out many of the older buildings in Essex, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. The covering on a house you’re buying, or on a roof just finished, tells us where to look hardest.
Whatever the street in The Common, a roof costs least to look after when faults are caught early. Take an older house close to Church of St Mary the Virgin: a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
The Common is about 4 miles east of Saffron Walden, in Essex. Roofs in The Common get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Essex. Across Essex, we cover The Common. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
We cover every part of the CB10 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Neighbouring places we cover for pre-purchase roof surveys include Radwinter (1 mile south), Maple End (1 mile south-west), Wimbish (2 miles south-west), Hempstead (2 miles east) and Church End (3 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Braintree (13 miles south-east), Saffron Walden (4 miles west), Halstead (14 miles south-east), Great Dunmow (10 miles south), Stansted Mountfitchet (10 miles south-west) and Great Notley (14 miles south-east).
Landmarks near The Common
Nearby you will also find Castle Camps (2.8 miles north-east) and Saffron Walden Community Hospital (3.5 miles west). The countryside around The Common includes Hales and Shadwell Woods.