Hertfordshire · London and the South East
The Willows Pre-Purchase Roof Survey
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in The Willows. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Gutters that overflow or drip at the joints
- Chimney mortar that has eroded
- Old water stains in the loft space
What we look for on each type of roof
Lead flashings and valleys
Many older houses have lead in their valleys and hidden gutters. Worn or cracked lead lets water straight into the roof, and missing lead is not unknown, as it’s a target for thieves.
Chimney stacks
Leaning stacks, loose pots and eroded mortar are common findings. We note them with photos so you can ask about them.
Pre-purchase roof surveys for homes and businesses in The Willows
Book after your offer is accepted and before exchange. That’s when the findings are most useful, because nothing is binding yet. Visits run on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when the chain is moving fast. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard within 24 to 48 hours and Premium the same day. If you’ve noticed ponding, blisters or splits on a flat roof and quick fixes on flashings and valleys, we can find out what’s behind it.
Some older homes in villages like The Willows are listed or sit in a conservation area. That can affect what materials a new roof may use, so check with the council and Historic England’s list. For a buyer or someone with a newly finished roof, it is worth knowing which applies. England has around 10,000 conservation areas and about 500,000 listed buildings.
It is not only a list of defects. For each finding, it explains what it is, why it matters and what we’d recommend, so you can plan your next steps.
- Location
- The Willows (SG9)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
DIY checks: what’s safe
It’s useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
What you can’t do safely is get up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and falls from height are serious. That part is for a survey.
How the survey works
After the inspection, everything we found is written up in a report with photos, emailed to you. As for time on site, it usually takes about one to two hours on an ordinary house, while a commercial roof takes nearer three to four hours. Older rural homes like those around The Willows can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- Once your offer is accepted, you tell us the address and when you hope to exchange.
- Access to the house and the roof space is agreed ahead of time.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe 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.
Preparing for the visit
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Getting a price
Booking is simple: just ring 07833 053749 or drop us an email and give us some details about the property and we’ll suggest the right survey. The price is agreed up front.
Related advice
Nearby places to The Willows
Other services in The Willows
Why act early in The Willows
Once you exchange, the roof’s problems become yours. Before it, you still have choices. Finding out later gives you the same facts, but with far less room to act on them. Outbuildings and barns around The Willows are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. It’s worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
Prices start from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and which survey you book.
Why book with us
- Thermal imaging and drones used where they help
- An independent look at the roof
- Weekday and weekend surveys
- A written report with photos
Take a look at what a roof survey costs or two real surveys.
Landlords, agents and block managers in The Willows
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, with the report sent to whoever needs it. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Questions from The Willows
How do I find out if my home in The Willows is listed?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Do you cover smaller places like The Willows?
Yes, we do. We survey roofs across London and South East England, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
What’s the best way to book?
Just phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day.
Can you survey in bad weather?
It can, depending on the survey. Drone flights need calm, dry weather, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. If the conditions aren’t right, we’ll talk to you about another date.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home 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’s where a roof survey helps. It doesn’t stand in for a RICS survey.
Can you tell me if my roof has asbestos?
No. We can flag materials that might contain asbestos, but only a specialist asbestos surveyor can confirm it. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain it.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
Surveys run on any day of the week. To arrange a date, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
What a pre-purchase roof survey looks like in The Willows
If your survey includes the drone, we check the Drone Safety Map for restrictions before flying. Older buildings may be listed or sit in a conservation area. To find out, check Historic England’s list and ask the council about conservation areas. In either case, a change of roofing material may need consent.
Landlords with a home close to Stansted Mountfitchet station may find that it is worth knowing a roof’s condition before you buy it, or before you sign off new roofing work on it. The streets around a church like Church of St Mary are often among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, a survey will show how the roof has been repaired before, which helps you judge what’s coming.
The Willows is about 5 miles north-west of Bishop's Stortford, in Hertfordshire. In The Willows, as across Hertfordshire, every roof gets the same careful survey. The Willows is one of the places in Hertfordshire where we work. You can also see our page for Chelmsford.
We cover every part of the SG9 postcode area for pre-purchase roof surveys. Whether your property is on Ginns Road and The Wash or a nearby road, we can survey it. If you are just outside The Willows, we cover Stocking Pelham (1 mile north-east), Berden (2 miles north-east), Uppend (2 miles south-east), Starling's Green (2 miles north-east) and Mount Pleasant (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Stevenage (12 miles west), Bishop's Stortford (5 miles south-east), Hoddesdon (13 miles south), Hertford (12 miles south-west), Letchworth (14 miles west) and Ware (10 miles south-west).
Near you in The Willows
In The Willows, that means homes and buildings near The Cock pub. The Willows’s nearest station is Stansted Mountfitchet station, about 4.7 miles south-east. A little further out are Brent Pelham (2.2 miles north-west) and Herts and Essex Hospital (5.6 miles south-east). Not far away are Aubrey Buxton Nature Reserve.
What a survey costs
Survey packages start from £150, with VAT included. What you pay for your roof depends on:
- Extra roofs, like extensions, dormers or garages
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Height and safe access
- The type of building, from a house to a block or an office
Bigger, taller and commercial roofs take more time to survey, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before booking.
What to tell us when you get in touch
If you can, have these to hand when you contact us:
- Dates you are working to, such as exchange
- Where the property is, with the postcode
- The reason for the survey, like buying, a leak or storm damage
- Anything about access we should know
For a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in The Willows, call 07833 053749 or email us. A few details about the property and the roof help us give you an accurate price.